Question

Once in a lifetime by jhumpa lahiri (excerpt) my feelings were complicated by the fact that, until rather recently, to my great shame, 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. she told me that she had slept in the same bed as her parents until the day she was married and that this was perfectly normal. but i knew that it was not normal, not what my friends at school did, and that they would ridicule me if they knew. freeway 280 by lorna dee cervantes (excerpt) i scramble over the wire fence that would have kept me out. once, i wanted out, wanted the rigid lanes to take me to a place without sun, without the smell of tomatoes burning on swing shift in the greasy summer air. maybe it's here en los campos extraños de esta ciudad where i'll find it, that part of me mown under like a corpse or a loose seed.

Which of the following descriptions most clearly details the difference between hema, the narrator in "once in a lifetime," and the speaker in "freeway 280"?
a. hema is chicana, and the speaker of "freeway 280" is bengali american.
b. hema is an adult, and the speaker of "freeway 280" is a child.
c. hema's identity is influenced by her parents, whereas the speaker of "freeway 280" is searching for her identity.
d. hema was born in the united states, while the speaker of "freeway 280" is an immigrant.

Answer 1

The main difference between Hema and the speaker in "Freeway 280" is option C Hema's identity is shaped by her parents' cultural values, whereas the speaker is on a personal quest for identity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The difference between Hema, the protagonist in "Once in a Lifetime" by Jhumpa Lahiri, and the speaker in "Freeway 280" by Lorna Dee Cervantes is captured in how their respective identities are influenced.

Hema's identity is shaped by her cultural upbringing with her parents' values and traditions playing a crucial role. In contrast, the speaker in "Freeway 280" is depicted as seeking out their identity, venturing into unknown territories, and exploring the self outside of family confines.

Considering the provided excerpts, the correct option that most clearly details the difference between Hema and the speaker in "Freeway 280" is:

Option C: Hema's identity is influenced by her parents, whereas the speaker of "Freeway 280" is searching for her identity.