Maintaining a Cultural Identity

     From a young age, many Indian children are taught that they must work hard and attend a great college in order to bring honor to the family. However, what happens when an Indian superstar does not live up to this standard? In "Only Goodness" in Unaccustomed Earth, Rahul, an Indian boy who is attending Cornell, flunks out and is formally dismissed from the college. Although, his family did not shun him, and they allowed him to live in their home, he became known in the words of Sudha, his sister, as, "... what all parents [fear], a blot, a failure, someone who was not contributing to the grand circle of accomplishments Bengali children were making across the country, as surgeons or attorneys or scientists, or writing articles for the front page of The New York Times" (Lahiri 2277). The root of Rahul's problem might actually have been the extreme pressure that is placed on the kids, at a young age, to succeed. Although, a reliance on alcohol might have been a factor, Rahul failed because he was not able to live up to the harsh standards that were required he maintain. Already, having an older sister in the Ivy League, University of Pennsylvania, Rahul was forced to strive to be the best, even better than his high achieving sister. He was given no educational freedom, having to stay within the strict guidelines of what his culture and his parents demanded of him. Although his first semester grades were good, the second semester was the beginning of Rahul's decline. His grades fell, he dropped Biology and Organic Chemistry, and instead he took up studying Film and English Literature. However, these areas of study were not suitable, Rahul was supposed to become a doctor, not a film critic, and as stated by Sudha: "[Our] father had no patience for failure, for indulgences" (Lahiri 2098). Rahul had let his family down, and once that reality sunk in, he lost all drive and had no vision for the future, a far cry from what his parents dreamed would be his destiny. Thus, the lack of ability to explore intellectual curiosities. combined with the extreme pressure to maintain a cultural identity, resulted in Rahul’s downfall.