3. Educational Attainment South Kingstown High School Barnard College - B.A. English Literature Boston University - M.A. English - M.A. Comparative Literature - M.A. Creative Writing - Ph.D. Renaissance Studies

4. Works addresses sensitive dilemmas in the live of Bengali Indian immigrants, disconnection between the first and second generation of US immigrants "When I first started writing I was not conscious that my subject was the Indian-American experience. What drew me to my craft was the desire to force the two worlds I occupied to mingle on the page as I was not brave enough, or mature enough, to allow in life."

5. Some Notable Works Interpreter of Maladies (1999) a collection of stories of Indian-American experiences (Pulitzer Prize for fiction and PEN award) The Namesake (2003) a novel, which later had a film adaptation, about generational gap (first and second generation immigrants) Unaccustomed Earth (2008) a collection of short stories (Pulitzer Prize) (includes second and third generations)

6. Some Notable Works Interpreter of Maladies (1999) a collection of stories of Indian-American experiences (Pulitzer Prize for fiction and PEN award) The Namesake (2003) a novel, which later had a film adaptation, about generational gap (first and second generation immigrants) Unaccustomed Earth (2008) a collection of short stories (Pulitzer Prize) (includes second and third generations)

11. Chitra - 35 years old (20 years younger than her 2nd husband) - lost her spouse to encephalitis two years before ­ a schoolteacher - traditional - had two daughters: Rupa and Piu - didn’t speak English well - asked Kaushik to call her Mamoni

17. Modernist architecture, proximal to the ocean, somewhat isolated, enormous, “more befitting of an institution than a private home”

19. Jimi Hendrix, Paul Strand – icons who were famous during Kaushik’s adolescent year; cassettes were famous in the 1980’s; Family Feud; Dunkin’ Donuts

23. Introduction Point of Attack Complication Climax Resolution

25. Characters Environment

26. Kaushik Father

27. Kaushik Chitra

28. Kaushik Stepsisters

30. THEME

31. “Not easy. It’s not easy for me.” - Kaushik “We are both moving forward, Kaushik.” - DaD

32. “Things were different now, of course.” -Kaushik I don’t ask you to care for her, even to like her. I only ask that you understand my decision. -Dad “I did not know how to respond…” The steps are slippery… Why is there no railing? -Chitra The knowledge of death seemed present in both sisters – it was something about the way they carried themselves, something that had broken too soon and had not mended, marking them in spite of their lightheartedness. ADJUSTMENT

33. “It would remain between the three of us, that in their SILENCE they continued both to protect and to punish me.” SILENCE

36. USE OF PLAIN LANGUAGE

37. AUTOBIOGRAPHICALCharacters are often Indian immigrants to America who must navigate between the cultural values of their birthplace and their adopted home

38. Graphic Credits… http://www.simpsoncrazy.com