Response to Jhumpa Lahiri's "Once in a Lifetime"

            Jhumpa Lahiri's short story follows the life of a young pre-teen American girl whose family shares their house with acquaintances from India.  The narrator takes notice of the Indian family’s different perspective and learns that she has a real love and kinship with the family.  She especially grows fond of the young boy living with them whom he reveals at the end of the story that his mother is dying from breast cancer.  The only reason that his family was in the United States was to schedule surgeries and visit with doctors.

            Firstly, I loved the imagery in the story.  All of the specific details that the author tends to include simply make the story.  I particularly liked the description about the clutter of the house and how the lingering toothbrushes crowding the sink meant that their guests had to leave.  I also liked the point of view a lot.  The narrator uses “you” a lot, referring to the boy staying at her house.  This was an interesting perspective being used.  It adds a lot to the dynamics of the story and particularly focuses on the Indian family.  Finally, the foreshadowing elements of the story I found really refreshing.  The scene where the women are trying on bras and the narrator observes he other mother’s breasts.  Little did she know of her disease.  I also found the final scene of them in the woods to be the most heart-breaking, visceral piece of the narrative.  The author really captures the narrator’s sadness on that dreary day.

            Overall, I found the story compelling and complicated with different accentuations on simplicity.  The visual descriptions were kept concise while the plot elements and format were convoluted and thought out thoroughly.  The literary techniques in the story prove to be noteworthy and leave a humbling impression on the reader.