Jhumpa Lahiri's short story Unaccustomed Earth is a heartfelt, well-written story that depicts the complicated relationship between a woman, Ruma, and her widowed father as they attempt to renegotiate their relationship after Ruma's mother dies. A second generation Bangladeshi immigrant, Ruma is going through a cultural identity crisis. She moved away from her Bengali roots, which had a significant impact on her relationship with her father. This story centers on a family responsibility crisis. The understanding of family responsibility that Ruma inherited from her parents changes both for her and her father. This change in the concept of family responsibility/duty, connected to their immigration to the United States, has a profound impact on their lives. Ruma's disconnection from his cultural roots is made very explicit. There are many instances where it shows how detached Ruma is from her heritage. One way this is demonstrated is through food. The narrator mentions how when Ruma's mother came to visit her she always brought home-made mishi with her, a dish that "Ruma had never learned to make" (26). Furthermore, Ruma does not often cook Indian food for her family, but when she does she "can afford to be lazy", to take shortcuts (22). This was something that upset Ruma's mother, which made Ruma realize “how different her experience of being a wife was” from that of her mother (22). This contrast between her status as a wife and that of her mother reflects the cultural contrast in their lives. It shows how Ruma's notions of family responsibility have changed in certain ways, which his mother clearly sees as some sort of failure on Ruma's part. One last note on the food: there is a "failure" to respect the property intr... middle of the paper... and. Furthermore, his sense of familial responsibility towards himself has changed. Lahiri paints a picture of a man who truly loves his daughter and wants her to maintain ties to her cultural heritage, but who now sees fit for him and his daughter to continue living their own individual lives, so as not to have to sacrifice their own freedom for the family. responsibility. While this story addresses immigration issues, it is not an immigration novel (or rather diaspora literature). In illustrating the experiences of a family's encounter with the complex and intricate web of issues centered on immigration (generational gaps, acculturation/assimilation, family responsibilities, etc.) Lahiri manages to capture an important human universality that goes beyond any of culture context. What this story really manages to reveal is the fluidity of human relationships.