Question

Which part of this excerpt from Jhumpa Lahiri's "Once in a Lifetime" indicates Hema's mother's Bengali heritage?

1{I asked how long you would be staying with us}—a week? Two? 2{My mother couldn't say; it all depended on how long it took your family to get settled} and find a place. 3{The prospect of having to give up my room infuriated me}. My feelings were complicated by the fact that, until rather recently, to my great shame, 4{I'd regularly slept with my parents on the cot in their room, and not in the room where I kept my clothes and things. My mother considered the idea of a child sleeping alone a cruel American practice}, and therefore did not encourage it, even when we had the space.

Answer 1

Answer:

• "My mother considered the idea of a child sleeping alone a cruel American practice"

Explanation:

This sentence demonstrates that the mother had a cultural background that was not quite the same as the American one. Despite the fact that for most Americans, a child sleeping alone would be normal, for her it was an cruel practice.

The passage demonstrates that Hema's mom does not underwrite every single American practice, which shows she has an different cultural heritage, a Bengali one.

Answer 2

Answer:

5

Explanation: