Summary Of Moses Milstein's Memories Of Montreal, And Richness?

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Second Draft Moses Milstein ``Memories of Montreal – and Richness`` and Rohinton Mistry ``Lend Me Your Light`` are two essays written to explore cultural identity. Moses was born in Austria; however grew up and was educated in Canada. Rohinton was born in India; went to school in India and then immigrated to Canada when he was 27. Milstein and Mistry both explore cultural identity through the different experiences that they had throughout childhood. Both essays explore the why cultural identity is important in how we grow up. Milstein and Mistry essays are both about their childhood. They were both happy and care free in their childhood. Even though they grew up many countries away from each other their childhoods had a lot in common. They …show more content…

Milstein grew up in a Jewish neighbourhood of Montreal and Rohinton grew up in a middle class neighbourhood in India and immigrate to Canada as a young adult. Milstein grew up in a very ethnic neighbourhood; his home was around the corner from a Chinese laundry. Wing Ling and his wife are both survivors of World War II and the Holocaust. With most of their family deceased “an air of sadness...enveloped the place.” (Milstein 150) His neighbourhood was enveloped by the sights, sound of smells of the local Jewish vendors that sold traditional Austrian treats. Milstein’s essay reflects back on his own childhood then he compares it to his sons childhood. Realizing that his sons walk to school is not an enriching as his own. Mistry’s essay goes through his childhood and focuses on his relationship with his brother’s friend. When growing up in a middle class neighbourhood in India the narrator did not have access to all of the luxuries that upper class citizens would have. Growing up in a society where your friend is a in a higher social class is not easy. They may go to school together however they eat lunch apart, and when his brother came home from playing with Jamshed he would receive interrogations from their Mum. Jamshed was from India’s upper class society; he lived in a “collection of hyphenated lavishness.” (Mistry 153) The main difference between the three boys was economic class. This may not sound like much however this class difference had a big impact of the brother’s lives. Little things like a CD soundtrack had great meaning to the brothers it symbolized the cultural and social class differences that was happening in India during the 50`s. The narrator’s childhood had a large impact on his cultural identity; he was growing up in a small social class, treated like a child whenever he was around his

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