Analysis of the Poem Presents from My Aunts in Pakistan by Moniza Alvi

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“Presents from my aunts in Pakistan” is a poem written by Moniza Alvi. The poem talks about the melee of living in two different cultures. Throughout the poem the writer depicts her puzzlement and frustration of being torn between two cultures. Moniza Alvi explains her awareness of all the challenges that she will undergo for being multicultural. After receiving presents from her aunts, Alvi realizes that she didn’t know much about her other half Pakistani culture. She only needs to know who she really is. In this essay, I will explore how the poem conveys the different themes and ideas about life differing from one culture to another.
The main idea behind the poem is cultural differences. Alvi, tried to assimilate into the English culture, and instead she started not accepting her Pakistani roots and was worried mostly about her friends’ judgment. “My salwar kameez didn’t impress the school friend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes”. In this quotation Alvi is trying to explain that even though she liked her salwar kameez, she couldn’t wear it since it didn’t amaze ...

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