In her poem “Be Nobody’s Darling,” Alice Walker suggests that being an outcast is a positive and desirable identity. Walker felt that individuality should be embraced, for one cannot truly have freedom unless one learns to live a life outside the norm. However, Jhumpa Lahiri provides an opposing outlook. In the story, “Mrs. Sen’s,” it is found that being an outcast can actually lead to a lot of hardship and despair.
Throughout the story it is made clear that Mrs. Sen misses her previous lifestyle. This is revealed with her less than “homey” living space, her passion for eating the freshest fish, and her fear of driving. It is obvious that she is out of place and neglecting to assimilate to the new culture. Mrs. Sen goes against Walker’s idea of an outcast because she is not content and confident within her uniqueness. Rather, she is unhappy, displaced and essentially imprisoned to live a life she doesn’t want.
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