The Lowland

by

Jhumpa Lahiri

Udayan’s Footprints

When Subhash and Udayan are children, the courtyard in front of their home is repaved. The boys are instructed to stay out of the courtyard while the cement dries, but the rebellious and intrepid Udayan…

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Durga

Durga is a Hindu warrior goddess who, throughout Hindu mythology, combats evil and demonic forces that threaten peace and prosperity. She has many arms, each of which carries a different weapon. Durga has a significant…

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Udayan’s Hand

Through Gauri’s flashbacks to the weeks leading up to Udayan’s death, Subhash learns that Udayan had been plotting large-scale explosions. When setting off a bomb, Udayan’s hyperthyroidism-related tremors caused him to mishandle the…

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The Lowland

The lowland, a flat plain between two ponds in the Calcutta neighborhood of Tollygunge, is a symbol of the distance, both emotional and physical, between Subhash and Udayan—themselves symbolized by the two ponds on…

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