Zhang, Lahiri/Memoir and Short Story

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A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares 2 works. Lijia Zhang's Socialism Is Great is a memoir, that is, an autobiographical true-to-life account of the author's life. Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies" is a short story, that is, a work of fiction that is entirely the product of the author's imagination. Both works are well-written, compelling narratives. However, because Zhang's text is a memoir, it is written in the first person, with its drama drawing from the real-life events of a person's life. Lahiri's short story is told in the third person, from the perspective of Mr. Kapasi. The drama and involvement of the reader in this story derives from the subtle nuances of character and implication in the narrative, which require the reader to interpret the story, rather than being obliquely told the narrative's meaning. Examination of the two works shows that the principal difference between these two examples of a memoir and a short story, from the reader's perspective, is the style of writing employed by each author. No additional sources cited.