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Which two parts of this excerpt from "Hell-Heaven" by Jhumpa Lahiri most clearly show the mother's astonishment at how Pranab Kaku's Bengali heritage was underrepresented at the wedding? My mother was shocked that fewer than thirty people had been invited, and she was more perplexed than honored that, of all the Bengalis Pranal Kaku knew by then, we were the only ones on the list. At the wedding, we sat, like the other guests, first on the hard wooden pews of the church a then at a long table that had been set up for lunch. Though we were the closest thing Pranab Kaku had to a family that day, we were not included the group photographs that were taken on the grounds of the country club, with Deborah's parents and grandparents and her many siblings, and neither my mother nor my father got up to make a toast. My mother did not appreciate the fact that Deborah had made sure that my parents, who did not eat beef, were given fish instead of filet mignon like everyone else.

Ask by Harrington Welch. in the United States
Mar 12,2025

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The mother was surprised that so few people were invited and that their family, being Bengali, was the only one present at the wedding. Additionally, they were excluded from the group photographs, showing that their Bengali heritage was underrepresented despite being close to the family.

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The two parts of the excerpt that most clearly show the mother's astonishment at how Pranab Kaku's Bengali heritage was underrepresented at the wedding are: 1. **"My mother was shocked that fewer than thirty people had been invited, and she was more perplexed than honored that, of all the Bengalis Pranab Kaku knew by then, we were the only ones on the list."** - This sentence highlights the mother's surprise and confusion regarding the small guest list and the fact that they were the only Bengali attendees, indicating a lack of representation of their culture at the event. 2. **"Though we were the closest thing Pranab Kaku had to a family that day, we were not included in the group photographs that were taken on the grounds of the country club."** - This part emphasizes the exclusion of the narrator's family from the group photographs, which symbolizes their marginalization and the underrepresentation of their Bengali heritage at the wedding, despite their close relationship with Pranab Kaku. Together, these excerpts illustrate the mother's feelings of astonishment and disappointment regarding the lack of Bengali representation at the wedding.

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The lines that vividly illustrate the mother's astonishment are “my mother was shocked that fewer than thirty people had been invited” and “we were not included in the group photographs.” These phrases capture her disbelief at the small guest list, which starkly contrasts with the typical large Bengali gatherings, along with her realization of their exclusion from significant moments at the wedding. Additionally, the phrase “my mother did not appreciate the fact that Deborah had made sure that my parents, who did not eat beef, were given fish instead of filet mignon” highlights her feeling of being an outsider at this event. Despite the effort to accommodate their dietary needs, it underscores her perception that their cultural identity was being overlooked and diminished among the wedding's other traditions and customs.

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