Introduction
The hardships of settling in another state are not known to many people. Most of the population does not have to immigrate and adapt to new conditions; hence, it is informative to learn about the process from the perspective of a person who had to. The paragraph from the story collection the Immigrant City describes the struggles of a man who has recently moved to another country to start a new life. It sheds light on such themes as homesickness, fear of alienation, cultural differences, parent-child relationships, and society’s uncaring and prejudiced nature.
Religious Bias towards Immigrants
The presence of supposed religious bias can be seen at the beginning of the paragraph. In the first sequence of sentences, the protagonist explains his inability to clarify to his four-year-old daughter that her hijab may cause “weird suspicion” (Bezmozgis, 2019). He cannot make himself do it because it is considered “a gift” in Muslim culture, but it immediately highlights the wearer’s religion. Belonging to a minority denomination often causes biased behavior, and the protagonist is fully aware of this. He also knows how paranoid the attitude to his beliefs is due to people of different cultures misinterpreting the meaning of his daughter’s headwear, seeing it as a symbol of female inferiority. However, he cannot explain every aspect of this issue to a child, and the thought of it makes him feel “hideous and exhausted” (Bezmozgis, 2019). This particular cultural difference prevents him from feeling local and accepted. The fear of alienation by society makes him feel uncomfortable, that is why he does his best to adapt to new circumstances.
Society’s Uncaring Nature
The protagonist’s fears may have a reason, but they are quickly discarded once the protagonist and his daughter come in contact with society and realize its uncaring nature. Nobody seems to notice him or pay any attention to the headwear his daughter is wearing. Most people are “immersed in their devices and concerns”, minding their own business (Bezmozgis, 2019). They are used to the fact that immigrants constitute a substantial portion of the city’s population.
The protagonist is hopeful that some of the passengers will offer them seats, seeing that he is accompanied by a child and is carrying a heavy load. However, it takes them a long time to have two seats together, since nobody around seems to care about their issues. It highlights society’s uncaring nature in which people would rather keep their comfort, rather than abandon it for somebody else, even if they need it.
Homesickness and Complexity of Parent-Child Relationship
This paragraph’s main theme is undoubtedly homesickness and complicacy of parent-child relationships, which is illustrated by the last sequence of sentences. When asked by the protagonist if she wants to go home or keep going, his daughter replies, “go home and keep going” (Bezmozgis, 2019). Rather than picking a single option, she insists on going back home, which probably means the country they originate from. Children of her age are not capable of faking emotions and are probably the most sincere and trustworthy source of information. The protagonist is an adult, so he can endure hardships if it is needed. His motivation shows that homecoming is probably not an option anymore. However, his daughter speaks her mind, and her intention is clear. The protagonist must be experiencing the same feeling, but he is not capable of explaining to his child the reasons for their immigration. Similar to the instance mentioned earlier, it is complicated to clarify certain things that children are not supposed to know.
Conclusion
Altogether, this passage from the Immigrant City illustrates the hardships of settling in a new country. It is important to the story as a whole because it highlights the experience any immigrant has to endure in a new environment. The process makes the immigrant feel homesickness, fear of alienation, and possible misinterpretations of his culture. This person experiences constant stress and the burden of responsibility because he is not alone, but has a family to protect. Furthermore, he cannot go into detail and explain the cause of their immigration as well as certain stereotypes connected with their culture and religion to his infant daughter. This passage helps me as well as most people view things from a new perspective because only a few individuals have to go through the hardships of immigration.
Reference
Bezmozgis, D. (2019). Immigrant City. HarperCollins.