Analysis of Major Characters

Mr. Kapasi
Mr. Kapasi believes that his life is a failure and longs for something more. In his efforts to lift his
existence out of the daily, monotonous grind it has become, Mr. Kapasi develops a far-fetched
fantasy about the possibility of a deep friendship between himself and Mrs. Das. This fantasy
reveals ust how lonely Mr. Kapasi!s life and marriage have become. "is arranged marriage is
struggling because his wife cannot recover from her grief over the loss of their young son or
forgive him for wor#ing for the doctor who failed to save their son!s life. "is career is far less
than what he dreamed it might be. "e uses his #nowledge of $nglish in only the most peripheral
way, in high contrast to the dreams of scholarly and diplomatic greatness he once had. In his
isolation, he sees Mrs. Das as a potential #indred spirit because she also languishes in a loveless
marriage. "e imagines similarities between them that do not exist, yearning to find a friend in
this %merican woman. &ot surprisingly, the encounter ends in disappointment. 'hen Mrs. Das
does confide in him, he feels only disgust. The intimacy he thought he wanted revolts him when
he learns more about Mrs. Das!s nature.
In both of Mr. Kapasi!s obs, as a tour guide and an interpreter for a doctor, he acts as a cultural
bro#er. %s a tour guide, he shows mostly $nglish-spea#ing $uropeans and %mericans the sights
of India, and in his wor# as an interpreter, he helps the ailing from another region to
communicate with their physician. %lthough neither occupation attains the aspirations of
diplomacy he once had, Mrs. Das helps him view both as important vocations. "owever, Mr.
Kapasi is ultimately unable to bridge the cultural gap between himself and Mrs. Das, whether it
stems from strictly national differences or more personal ones. Mr. Kapasi!s brief transformation
from ordinary tour guide to (romantic) interpreter ends poorly, with his return to the ordinary
drudgery of his days.
Mrs. Mina Das
Mrs. Das!s fundamental failing is that she is profoundly selfish and self-absorbed. *he does not
see anyone else as they are but rather as a means to fulfilling her own needs and wishes. "er
romantici+ed view of Mr. Kapasi!s day ob leads her to confide in him, and she is oblivious to the
fact that he would rather she did not. *he persists in confiding even when it is clear that Mr.
Kapasi has no advice to offer her. Mrs. Das is selfish, declining to share her food with her
children, reluctantly ta#ing her daughter to the bathroom, and refusing to paint her daughter!s
fingernails. *he openly derides her husband and moc#s his enthusiasm for tourism, using the fact
that they are no longer in love as an excuse for her bad behavior. %lthough Mrs. Das has been
unfaithful, she feels the strain in her marriage only as her own pain. *he fails to recogni+e the toll
her affair ta#es on her husband and children. ,ather than face the misery she has caused, Mrs.
Das hides behind her sunglasses and disengages from her family. -i#ewise, when her attempt at
confiding in Mr. Kapasi fails, she leaves the car rather than confront the guilt that Mr. Kapasi has
suggested is the source of her pain.
Mrs. Das embodies stereotypically %merican flaws, including disrespect for other countries and
cultures, poorly behaved children, and a self-involvement so extensive that she blames others for
her feelings of guilt about her infidelity. *he is messy, la+y, and a bad parent. *he has no concern
for the environment or her effect on it and drops her rice snac#s all over the ground, riling the
local wildlife. *he represents what is often called the (ugly %merican,) a traveler who stands out
in every situation because of her expansive sense of self-importance and entitlement.
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols
Themes
The Difficulty of Communication
.ommunication brea#s down repeatedly in (Interpreter of Maladies,) often with hurtful
conse/uences. Mr. Kapasi, who is the interpreter of maladies, as Mrs. Das names him, has lost
his ability to communicate with his wife, forcing him to drin# his tea in silence at night and
leading to a loveless marriage. "e has also lost his ability to communicate in some of the
languages he learned as a younger man, leaving him with only $nglish, which he fears he does
not spea# as well as his children. Mr. and Mrs. Das do not communicate, not because of a
language barrier but because Mrs. Das hides behind her sunglasses most of the time and Mr. Das
has his nose buried in a guideboo#. The children do not listen to their parents, nor do they listen
to Mr. Kapasi about the mon#eys. %ll these frustrated attempts at communicating with one
another lead to hurt feelings. The Kapasis are trapped in a failing marriage. The Dases are openly
hostile to each other. The Das children run rampant over their parents and everyone else. %nd Mr.
Kapasi and Mrs. Das are unable to reach a level of friendship that they both may have sought, if
only they could spea# with one another openly. 'hen Mrs. Das loses Mr. Kapasi!s address at the
end of the story, it mar#s the termination of the possibility that they could reach out to each other
and the definite end to all communication between them.
The Danger of Romanticism
$very time a character in (Interpreter of Maladies) fails to see the truth about another person, the
results are in some way harmful. The main conflict of the story centers on two people who
romantici+e each other, although in different ways. Mr. Kapasi sees Mrs. Das as a lonely
housewife who could be a perfect companion to him in his own loneliness. "e misses or ignores
cues that she may not be interested in him for his own sa#e because, at some level, he wants her
to be this companion. "e sees many details about her, such as her bare legs and %mericani+ed
shirt and bag, but he passes over others, such as the way she dismisses her children!s desires and
her selfishness with her snac#. *uch unflattering details do not fit with his conception of her.
-i#ewise, Mrs. Das wants Mr. Kapasi to become a confidante to her and solve her personal and
marital difficulties. *he views him as a father figure and helper and misses or ignores indications
that he may not fit those roles. 0or example, she doesn!t notice that he is uncomfortable with her
personal revelations and presses him for help even when he explicitly tells her that he cannot
give it to her.
1esides romantici+ing one another, the characters also romantici+e their surroundings, resulting
in insensitivity and danger. Mr. Das, for example, photographs the Indian peasant whose
suffering he finds appropriate for a tourist!s shot. "e sees only what he wants to see2an
interesting picture from a foreign land2not the actual man who is starving by the roadside. $ven
when 1obby is surrounded by mon#eys, in genuine distress, Mr. Das can do nothing but snap a
picture, as though this scene is also somehow separate from reality. Throughout their trip, Mr.
Das fails to engage with India in any substantial way, preferring to hide behind the efficient
descriptions in his guideboo#. "is romantici+ed tourist!s view of India #eeps him from
connecting to the country that his parents call home.
Motifs
Seeing
$ach character in the story has a distorted way of seeing the others, as each views others through
some artificial means. Mr. Das views the world through his camera. "is camera is always around
his nec#, and he sees even harsh realities through its lens. 0or example, he ta#es pictures of the
starving peasant, even though doing so blatantly ignores the peasant!s essential reality. Mrs. Das
hides behind her sunglasses, seeing the others through their tint and bloc#ing others! view of her
eyes. %dditionally, her window does not roll down, so she cannot directly see the world outside
the taxi cab. Mr. Kapasi watches Mrs. Das through the rearview mirror, which distorts his view
of her and prevents him from loo#ing at her directly. $ach child is wearing a visor, which
suggests that their vision will one day be as distorted as their parents! is. 0inally, Mr. Das and
,onny closely resemble each other, whereas Mr. Das and 1obby have little in common. Mr.
Kapasi simply observes this fact but draws no inference from it, even though this simple fact
hints at the deeper truth3 that Mr. Das is not 1obby!s father. 1ecause Mr. Kapasi sees the Das
family as a unit, he never suspects this truth. "is idea of family distorts the reality of the
situation.
Symbols
The Camera
Mr. Das!s camera represents his inability to see the world clearly or engage with it. 1ecause he
views the world through his camera, Mr. Das misses the reality of the world around him, both in
his marriage and in the scenes outside the cab. Mr. Das chooses to have Mr. Kapasi stop the cab
so that he can ta#e a photograph of a starving peasant, wanting the picture only as a souvenir of
India and ignoring the man!s obvious need for help. "is view of the man!s reality is distorted
because he sees the man only through the camera lens. Mr. Das snaps pictures of mon#eys and
scenery, ta#ing the camera from his eye only when he turns bac# to his guideboo#. ,ather than
engage actively with the India that surrounds him, he instead turns to the safety of fro+en images
and bland descriptions of ancient sites. "e has come to visit India, but what he will ta#e away
with him2pictures and snatches of guideboo# phrases2he could have gotten from any shop at
home in &ew 1runswic#, &ew 4ersey.
Mr. Das also uses the camera to construct a family life that does not actually exist. "is children
are insolent and his wife is distant, yet Mr. Das tries to pose them in pictures that suggest
harmony and intimacy. 'hen Mrs. Das refuses to leave the car when they visit the monastic
dwellings, Mr. Das tries to change her mind because he wants to get a complete family portrait2
something, he says, they can use for their .hristmas card. This (happy family) that Mr. Das
aspires to catch on film is pure fabrication, but Mr. Das does not seem to care. "e would rather
exist in an imaginary state of willful ignorance and arm!s-length engagement than face the
disappointments and difficulties of his real life.
Mrs. Dass !uffed Rice
5uffed rice, insubstantial and bland, represents Mrs. Das!s mista#es and careless actions.
5hysically, Mrs. Das is young and attractive, but she is spiritually empty. *he does not love her
children or husband and is caught in the boredom of her life as a housewife. "er depression and
apathy distance her from her family, but she harbors a secret that could tear the entire family
apart. *he carelessly scatters the puffed rice along the trail at the monastic dwellings, never
thin#ing about the danger her actions pose to others. $ven when she reali+es the danger to
1obby, as mon#eys surround and terrify him, Mrs. Das does not ta#e any responsibility for the
situation, ust as she refuses to ac#nowledge any guilt about her affair with Mr. Das!s friend. If
Mrs. Das!s secret is ever revealed, 1obby will be the true victim of that carelessness as well.
.onceived out of anger, boredom, and spite and then lied to about his real father, 1obby is
surrounded by deceit. Mr. Kapasi feels the urge to tell 1obby the truth as he carries him away
from the mon#eys. "e #nows that the safety he is providing for the boy2scattering the mon#eys
and lifting 1obby away from danger2is insubstantial. "e delivers 1obby bac# to Mrs. Das,
whose distance and carelessness fail to provide true safety.
!oint of "ie#
(Interpreter of Maladies) is told from third-person limited point of view2that is, the story is told
by an obective narrator who reveals the perceptions of Mr. Kapasi!s perceptions but not those of
the other characters. $vents unfold primarily as Mr. Kapasi, not Mrs. Das, sees them. 0or
example, when the characters leave the taxi at the temple, the narrator follows Mr. Kapasi, who
wal#s ahead so as not to disturb Mrs. Das, and does not show us what Mrs. Das is doing until she
again enters Mr. Kapasi!s view. -i#ewise, when Mrs. Das leaves the taxi to ta#e Tina to the
bathroom, the narrator stays in the car with Mr. Kapasi, who waits alone while the boys and Mr.
Das get out of the car. $ven the characters! names reflect the focus on Mr. Kapasi. Instead of
calling Mrs. Das by her first name, Mina, as both her husband and her children do, the narrator
refers to her exclusively as Mrs. Das, which is how Mr. Kapasi sees her. -i#ewise, the narrator
does not disclose information that Mr. Kapasi would not #now. 'e do not, for example, ever
learn the exact ages of ,onny and Tina. 'e do, however, hear about how Mr. Kapasi has only
two suits, the better of the two is the one he wears in the story.
1y using this point of view, -ahiri limits the scope of our #nowledge about the Das family and
emphasi+es the disconnection between Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi. %lthough Mr. Kapasi interprets
Mrs. Das!s comments as flattering and even flirtatious, Mrs. Das li#ely did not intend her
comments to be construed this way. Mr. Kapasi wishes for an intimate connection with Mrs. Das,
but when she finally does spill her secrets2her affair, her true feelings about her husband, the
heated beginning of their relationship2Mr. Kapasi is overwhelmed and disgusted. *he was
unaware of how crass and inappropriate her revelations would seem to Mr. Kapasi, ust as she is
oblivious to how insulting it is for her to expect him to have a (cure) for her pain. Mr. Kapasi
thin#s he and Mrs. Das have a connection because he recogni+es in her situation the distant
spouse and troubled marriage from his own life. "owever, any connection between them is only
in his mind.
Character De$elopment
To develop characters in (Interpreter of Maladies,) -ahiri layers small, specific details in her
descriptions of each character, giving them depth and richness. 0rom the first paragraph of the
story, details such as the bic#ering about who will accompany Tina to the bathroom and the fact
that Mrs. Das does not hold Tina!s hand tell us that Mr. and Mrs. Das are at odds, at least in some
small way, and that Mrs. Das is a somewhat careless mother. These details are important because
the narrator tells us few explicit facts about the Das family. ,ather, we must infer information
about them from the way they act. 'e learn about Mr. Das!s distance and willful ignorance from
his picture ta#ing and absorption in his guideboo#, and we learn about the children!s insolence
through small behaviors, such as Tina!s playing with the car loc#s and ,onny!s approaching the
goat with gum. Mr. Kapasi infers what he #nows about the Das family from the same set of
details.
The small pieces of information that we have about Mrs. Das almost overwhelm her big
confession toward the end of the story. 'hat we #now of her character is based less on the
substantial #nowledge that she has committed adultery with her husband!s friend and borne a
child of the affair and more on the less significant fact that she does not share her puffed rice
with her children or husband, does not care to be in the photographs they ta#e at the monastery,
and wears insensible shoes while she goes sightseeing. Mrs. Das is, with Mr. Kapasi, the most
important character in the story, but what we #now of her comes from the fact that she wears
sunglasses, wears a shirt with a strawberry on it, shaves her legs, and carries a large, overstuffed
purse. 1y providing so many small, specific details, -ahiri vividly portrays Mrs. Das but also
allows for some ambiguity. Mr. Kapasi perceives the same details but misconstrues what they
mean about Mrs. Das, mista#enly believing that she shares with him some problem or
connection.
Culture Clash
.entral themes of all of -ahiri!s wor#, (Interpreter of Maladies) included, are the difficulties that
Indians have in relating to %mericans and the ways in which Indian %mericans are caught in the
middle of two very different cultures. 'e learn /uite a few details about where the Das family
fits into this cultural divide. Mr. and Mrs. Das were both born and raised in %merica, although
their retired parents have now moved to India to live. The Dases visit every few years, bringing
the children with them. They are Indian but not of India, and their dress and manner are wholly
%merican. %lthough Mr. Kapasi recogni+es some common cultural heritage, the Dases are no
more familiar with India than any other tourist. Mr. Das relies on a tourist guideboo# to tell him
about the country through which they are traveling, and Mrs. Das could not be more uninterested
in her surroundings if she tried. %lthough India is their parents! home, Mr. and Mrs. Das are
foreigners. Mr. Das even seems to ta#e pride in his status as a stranger, telling Mr. Kapasi about
his %merican roots with an (air of sudden confidence.)
Though Mr. Kapasi and the Dases do share an Indian heritage, their marriages reveal the extent
of how different their cultures really are. Mr. Kapasi believes that he can relate to Mrs. Das!s
unhappy marriage because he himself is in an unhappy marriage. "e see#s this common ground
as a way to find friendship and connection. "owever, the connection fails because the marriages
are so vastly different. Mr. Kapasi!s parents arranged his marriage, and he and Mrs. Kapasi have
nothing in common. 1y contrast, Mrs. Das fell in love with Mr. Das at a young age, and although
their union was encouraged by their parents, her marriage was not arranged. Mrs. Das!s
comments about her and Mr. Das!s sexual behaviors during their courtship shoc# Mr. Kapasi,
who has never seen his wife na#ed. 0urthermore, Mr. Kapasi is offended by the concept of
infidelity in Mrs. Das!s marriage. This lac# of understanding reflects a differing understanding of
duty and family between the two cultures. The two marriages may both be unhappy, but the
causes, remedies, mista#es, and results of that unhappiness have no overlap whatsoever. Mr.
Kapasi!s fantasy of forging a friendship with Mrs. Das is shattered even before he sees his
address slip away in the wind. The cultural divide between him and Mrs. Das is, from his view,
simply too vast.
nterpreter of Maladies was -ahiri!s first boo# and an immediate success. It won the 5ulit+er
5ri+e in 6777, ma#ing -ahiri the first person of *outh %sian descent to win an individual 5ulit+er
5ri+e. "er collection triumphed over the wor# of two established writers2Close Range:
Wyoming Stories, by %nnie 5roulx, and Waiting, by "a 4in. The title story, (Interpreter of
Maladies,) won an 8. "enry %ward for 1est %merican *hort *tories and was included in the
anthology Best American Short Stories in 9:::.
%lthough -ahiri never lived in India, her fre/uent visits to .alcutta familiari+ed her with the city,
and she chose to marry there in 6779. Most of -ahiri!s wor# focuses on the lives of Indian
%mericans, and the stories in Interpreter of Maladies are set in India or parts of the ;nited
*tates, including .ambridge, Massachusetts, and an unnamed university town very much li#e
.ambridge. In her stories, characters come together for reasons that are not intimate and wind up
finding themselves in intimate situations. 0or example, in (Interpreter of Maladies,) the two
main characters find themselves together in a car because one of them hires the other as a tour
guide. 8ther stories in the collection involve a landlady and her tenants, an after-school careta#er
and her ward, and a married couple in crisis. -ahiri tells many of the stories through the
unexpected narrative perspective of someone who is not closely related to the person under
observation. 0ew of the stories involve dramatic plot lines, although most involve the aftershoc#s
of some maor life-changing event, such as an affair, a miscarriage, or immigration.
India looms large in each story, although its influence varies in each story as it does in each
character!s life. India is a country of linguistic diversity. The central government uses both "indi
and $nglish, as is re/uired by the Indian constitution, and an additional twenty-two languages are
recogni+ed as official languages of India. 1y some counts, there are more than <77 languages
spo#en in India, while others prefer to say that there are more than 6,777 dialects. Indians have
immigrated to the ;nited *tates in astonishing numbers since the 9:=7s. -argely well educated
and highly s#illed, Indian immigrants come for a variety of reasons, but often to see# wor# in
technological fields. Indian %mericans now constitute the third-largest %sian %merican
community in the ;nited *tates.
In 677>, -ahiri published her second boo#, The Namesake, and continues to publish individual
short stories. *he lives in 1roo#lyn, &ew ?or#, with her husband and two children.
tory Summaries and Analysis
A Temporary Matter
This boo# is told from the third-person perspective of the husband, this story deals with the
disintegrating relationship of an Indian couple, *hoba and *hu#umar. Their stillborn child has
created distance between the two of them, and *hu#umar observes as *hoba transforms from the
attentive wife into someone more aloof and self-absorbed. %s in most of -ahiri!s stories, food
plays a significant role in the couple!s relationship. *hoba had always given the impression that
their pantries were stuffed with endless supplies of food. 'hen she begins to neglect this,
*hu#umar simply observes as the food vanishes, coo#ing what he can of it using *hoba!s old
recipes. "e ma#es no moves to create a new supply. In fact, he ma#es no move to cover up the
signs of neglect throughout the house that he holds *hoba accountable for when in fact his own
apathy and grief are to blame as well. -i#ewise, he does little to comfort *hoba in her grief, not
/uite reali+ing the seriousness of their relationship problems. 8ne day, they receive notice that
their electricity will be out for one hour every night for five days. They spend each of these
nights in the dar# sharing secrets with each other, things they had never shared before. $ach
confession becomes more bold and reveals a larger flaw in their marriage, until their impending
separation becomes clear.
This Blessed House
*aneev and Twin#le, a newly married couple, are exploring their new house in "artford, which
appears to have been owned by fervent .hristians3 they #eep finding gaudy 1iblical
paraphernalia hidden throughout the house. 'hile Twin#le is delighted by these obects and
wants to display them everywhere, *aneev is uncomfortable with them and reminds her that
they are "indu, not .hristian. This argument reveals other problems in their relationship@
*aneev doesn!t seem to understand Twin#le!s spontaneity, whereas Twin#le has little regard for
*aneev!s discomfort. "e is planning a party for his cowor#ers and is worried about the
impression they might get from the interior decorating if their mantelpiece is full of 1iblical
figurines. %fter some arguing and a brief amount of tears, a compromise is reached. 'hen the
day of the party arrives, the guests are enamored with Twin#le. *aneev still has conflicting
feelings about her@ he is captivated by her beauty and energy, but irritated by her naivete and
impractical tendencies. The story ends with her and the other party guests discovering a large
bust of 4esus .hrist in the attic. %lthough the obect disgusts him, he obediently carries it
downstairs. This action can either be interpreted as *aneev giving into Twin#le and accepting
her eccentricities, or as a final, grudging act of compliance in a marriage that he is reconsidering.
Sexy
8ne of only two stories in this collection told by a non-Indian narrator, (*exy) tells the story of a
young woman, Miranda, and her affair with a married Indian man named Dev. %side from what
she hears from her one Indian friend at wor#, a woman named -axmi, Miranda #nows very little
about India and its culture. The first time she meets Dev, she is not able to discern his nationality.
"owever, she is instantly captivated by his charm and the thrill of being with an exotic, older
man. The title of the story refers to something he whispered to her in the Mapparium, a moment
that she would remember for its intimacy but would later come to be seen as a sign of an
unhealthy relationship. *he has pangs of guilt because he is married, and this is highlighted by
the fact that -axmi!s cousin has recently been abandoned by her husband for a younger woman.
8ne day, -axmi!s cousin comes to 1oston and Miranda is as#ed to babysit her seven-year-old
son, ,ohin. ,ohin ends up giving Miranda some insight into his mother!s grief and calls to her
attention the more unglamorous aspects of being the (other woman.) This experience eventually
leads her to call off her affair.
Analysis of A Temporary Matter, This %lessed &ouse, Se'y
-ahiriAs obective in opening her collection with B% Temporary MatterB is to start from nothing@
the story is clearly about a failed relationship. 1y starting with a defeat, -ahiri seems to foretell
that her stories will be about the hardships of communication and relationships, but that each has
the possibility of success. $ven in B*exy,B where the featured couple ends up separating, Miranda
is actually stronger for ending her relationship with Dev because she can see that it has no
potential.
C9D
0ood is also a common theme among the stories. In B% Temporary MatterB, the
haunting absence of food in the household is a parallel to the lac# of affection in their marriage.
In BThis 1lessed "ouseB, Twin#le is not at all the accomplished coo# that *hoba is. "aving
grown up in .alifornia instead of in India li#e *aneev, she doesnAt seem to have any bac#ground
#nowledge in Indian coo#ing. "owever, she surprises *aneev with her spontaneous creative
strea# in the #itchen. %lthough heAs annoyed that she cannot coo# authentic Indian food, he is
still pleasantly surprised by the meal she serves him. "is attitude toward her food mirrors his
attitude toward her. In B*exyB food plays a much smaller part. MirandaAs only significant
encounter with Indian food in the story is when she visits an Indian grocery loo#ing for a movie.
*he comes across the "ot Mix that -axmi is always eating, but the grocer tells her it is too spicy
for her. Miranda feels uncomfortable in the grocery store, and doesnAt buy the "ot Mix for -axmi
because she feels li#e she needs to give an excuse for being in an Indian store in the first place.
This guilt or feeling of ostracism highlights the fact that she feels uncomfortable with Dev@ she
#nows so little about him and his bac#ground, and yet their relationship is so intimate that it
seems inappropriate for her not to understand more about India.
C6D
Interpreter of Maladies
Mr. and Mrs. Das, Indian %mericans visiting the country of their heritage, hire middle-aged tour
guide Mr. Kapasi as their driver for the day as they tour. Mr. Kapasi notes the parents!
immaturity. Mr. and Mrs. Das loo# and act young to the point of childishness, go by their first
names when tal#ing to their children, ,onny, 1obby, and Tina, and seem selfishly indifferent to
the #ids. 8n their trip, when her husband and children get out of the car to sightsee, Mrs. Das sits
in the car, eating snac#s she offers to no one else, wearing her sunglasses as a barrier, and
painting her nails. 'hen Tina as#s her to paint her nails as well, Mrs. Das ust turns away and
rebuffs her daughter.
Mr. and Mrs. Das as# the good-natured Mr. Kapasi about his ob as a tour guide, and he tells
them about his wee#day ob as an interpreter in a doctor!s office. Mr. Kapasi!s wife resents her
husband!s ob because he wor#s at the doctor!s clinic that previously failed to cure their son of
typhoid fever. *he belittles his ob, and he, too, discounts the importance of his occupation as a
waste of his linguistic s#ills. "owever, Mrs. Das deems it (romantic) and a big responsibility,
pointing out that the health of the patients depends upon Mr. Kapasi!s correct interpretation of
their maladies.
Mr. Kapasi begins to develop a romantic interest in Mrs. Das, and conducts a private
conversation with her during the trip. Mr. Kapasi imagines a future correspondence with Mrs.
Das, picturing them building a relationship to translate the transcontinental gap between them.
"owever, Mrs. Das reveals a secret3 she tells Mr. Kapasi the story of an affair she once had, and
that her son 1obby had been born out of her adultery. *he explains that she chose to tell Mr.
Kapasi because of his profession@ she hopes he can interpret her feelings and ma#e her feel better
as he does for his patients, translating without passing udgment. "owever, when Mr. Kapasi
reveals his disappointment in her and points out her guilt, Mrs. Das storms off.
%s Mrs. Das wal#s away towards her family, she trails crumbs of puffed rice snac#s, and
mon#eys begin to trail her. The neglectful Das parents don!t notice as the mon#eys, following
Mrs. Das!s food trail, surround their son, 1obby, isolating the son born of a different father. The
mon#eys begin to attac# 1obby, and Mr. Kapasi rushes in to save him. Mr. Kapasi returns 1obby
to his parents, and loo#s on as they clean up their son.
Analysis
The story centers upon interpretation and its power. The interpreter has power as a vehicle of
understanding. Mr. Kapasi!s wor# enables correct diagnosis and treatment by understanding the
pains and troubles of patients2effectively, he enables the saving of lives. Mrs. Das loo#s for this
understanding from him, see#ing absolution for the secret of her adultery. In confessing to Mr.
Kapasi, she endows him with a sort of priestly power, expecting her confession to draw out
forgiveness and consolation. Interpretation also becomes a means of communication and
connection, something for which both Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das yearn. 1oth feel a disconnect
from their spouses and their families, unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives.
C9D
Mr. Kapasi interprets her marital situation in relation to his own, and she as#s him to interpret
her secret marital violation as a connection exclusively between them. -ahiri also establishes a
contrast in this story between characters who care and those who don!t.
C9D
Mr. Kapasi cares about
this family he has only ust met@ he ponders them and considers their situation. "e also /uic#ly
begins to care about Mrs. Das, developing attentiveness to her every move. 8n the other hand,
the Das parents exhibit complete carelessness, neglecting to #eep an eye on their children,
ignoring each other, acting completely self-centered.
Main Theme2InterpretationE*eeing
This section does not cite any references or sources. 5lease help improve this section
by adding citations to reliable sources. ;nsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (April !""#
In the story of (Interpreter of Maladies) each character has a deformed way of viewing each
other. Mr. Das views the world through the lens of his camera Fone of the symbols in the storyG.
*ince his camera is always around his nec#, he sees even tough realities through the lens of his
camera, which are not commented upon by other characters. 0or example, he ta#es pictures of
the starving peasant, and doing so openly ignores the peasantAs fundamental reality. Mrs. Das,
always wearing her sunglasses, sees others through their tint and this bloc#s others from seeing
her eyes. 0urthermore, when in the taxi, her window does not roll down, so she can not directly
see the world outside. Mr. Kapasi watches Mrs. Das through the rearview mirror, which distorts
his view of her and prevents him from loo#ing at her directly. %ll the children in the story are
wearing a visor, this suggests that one day, their vision will be as distorted and deformed as their
parentsA visions are. Mr. Das and ,onny closely resemble each other, whereas Mr. Das and
1obby have little in common. Mr. Kapasi simply observes this fact but draws no inference from
it, even though this simple fact is a hint to the deeper truth. 1ecause Mr. Kapasi sees the Das
family as a unit, he never suspects the simple truth that Mr. Das is not 1obbyAs father. "is idea of
family deforms the reality of the situation.
A Real Durwan
1oori Ma is a feeble =<-year-old woman from .alcutta who is the stair-sweeper, or durwan, of
an old bric# building. In exchange for her services, the residents allow 1oori Ma to live on the
roof of the building. 'hile she sweeps, she tells stories of her past3 her daughter!s extravagant
wedding, her servants, her estate and her riches. The residents of the bric# building hear
continuous contradictions in 1oori!s storytelling, but her stories are seductive and compelling, so
they let her contradictions rest. 8ne family in particular ta#es a li#ing to 1oori Ma, the Dalal!s.
Mrs. Dalal often gives 1oori Ma food and ta#es care of her ailments. 'hen Mr. Dalal gets
promoted at wor#, he improves the bric# building by installing a sin# in the stairwell and a sin#
in his home. The Dalal!s continue to improve their home and even go away on a trip to *imla for
ten days and promise to bring bac# 1oori Ma a sheep!s hair blan#et. 'hile the Dalal!s are away,
the other residents become obsessed with ma#ing their own improvement to the building. 1oori
Ma even spends her life savings on special treats while circling around the neighborhood.
"owever, while 1oori Ma is out one afternoon, the sin# in the stairwell is stolen. The residents
accuse 1oori Ma of informing the robbers and in negligence for her ob. 'hen 1oori Ma
protests, the residents continue to accuse her because of all her previous inconsistent stories. The
residentsA obsession with materiali+ing the building dimmed their focus on the remaining
members of their community, li#e 1oori Ma. The short story concludes as the residents throw out
1oori Ma!s belongings and begin a search for a (real durwan.)
The Treatment of BibiHaldar
This section re/uires expansion. (April !""#
Analysis of A Real Dur#an and The Treatment of %ibi&aldar
B% ,eal DurwanB and BThe Treatment of 1ibi"aldarB are both examples of the effects of
globali+ation in India. Hlobali+ation has caused many women to be or to be on the path to
poverty. %lthough the Indian government officially eliminated the caste system in 9:<:, it is still
a part of the social structure in India because of its deep-rooted tradition in history. 1ecause a
person is usually born into a caste, the caste rarely changes from generation to generation. Most
women in poverty are in lower castes. The women who are luc#y to be employed are paid poorly
and exploited for their long hours of labor. 'omen are seen as Breplaceable and disposableB.
Ccitation
neededD
Many women enter the Bunorgani+ed, underground economyB.
Ccitation neededD
In this type of
economy, there are extended hours, horrible conditions, poor wages, and they are treated
unfairly. 1oth 1oori Ma and 1ibi"aldar were a part of the unorgani+ed, underground economy
because they were paid in food and shelter instead of legal, monetary compensation. 1oori Ma
was thrown out of her building because the community saw her as inferior and une/ual.
0urthermore, womenAs poverty is a direct lin# to the lac# of access to education and legitimate
healthcare. If 1ibi"aldar had access to proper healthcare and a good doctor, her illness may have
been diagnosed correctly and she would have received the right medication.
C>D
%nother factor that
has an effect of 1ibi"aldar is the involvement of her neighbors. In Indian culture, not only does
your family loo# after you, but so does your community.
Mrs. Sen's
In this story, 99-year old $liot begins staying with Mrs. *en - a university professorAs wife - after
school. The careta#er, Mrs. *en, chops and prepares food as she tells $lliot stories of her past life
in .alcutta, helping to craft her identity. -i#e B% Temporary Matter,B this story is filled with lists
of produce, catalogs of ingredients, and descriptions of recipes. $mphasis is placed on
ingredients and the act of preparation. 8ther obects are emphasi+ed as well, such as Mrs. *enAs
colorful collection of saris from her native India. Much of the plot revolves around Mrs. *enAs
tradition of purchasing fish from a local seafood mar#et. This fish reminds Mrs. *en of her home
and holds great significance for her. "owever, reaching the seafood mar#et re/uires driving, a
s#ill that Mrs. *en has not learned and resists learning. %t the end of the story, Mrs. *en attempts
to drive to the mar#et without her husband, and ends up in an automobile accident. $liot soon
stops staying with Mrs. *en thereafter.
Analysis of Mrs. Sen(s
Mrs. *en, the eponymous character of -ahiri!s story demonstrates the power that physical obects
have over the human experience. During the entire story, Mrs. *en is preoccupied with the
presence or lac# of material obects that she once had. 'hether it is fish from her native .alcutta
or her special vegetable cutting blade, she clings to the material possessions that she is
accustomed to, while firmly reecting new experiences such as canned fish or even something as
mundane as driving a car. 'hile her homesic#ness is certainly understandable given her lac# of
meaningful social connections, her item-centric nostalgia only accentuates the fact that the
people she meets in %merica are no barrier to her acclimation. The man at the fish mar#et ta#es
the time to call Mrs. *en and reserve her special mmuff. The policeman who /uestions Mrs. *en
after her automobile accident does not indict her. 0or all intents and purposes, the people in the
story ma#e it easy for Mrs. *en to embrace life in %merica. 1ut despite this, Mrs. *en refuses to
assimilate to any degree, continuing to wrap herself in saris, serving Indian canapIs to $liot!s
mother, and putting off the prospect of driving. 1y living her life vicariously through
remembered stories imprinted on her blade, her saris, and her grainy aerograms, Mrs. *en resists
assimilation through the power of material obects and the meaning they hold for her.
The Third and inal !ontinent
In the story BThe Third and 0inal .ontinentB the narrator lives in India, then moves to -ondon,
then finally to %merica. The title of this story tells us that the narrator has been to three different
continents and chooses to stay in the third, &orth %merica. %s soon as the narrator arrives he
decides to stays at the ?M.%. %fter saving some money he decides to move somewhere a little
more li#e home. "e responds to an advertisement in the paper and ends up living with an elderly
woman. %t first he is very respectful and courteous to the elderly women. The narrator does not
feel that he owes the old woman anything and does not really go out of his way for her. 1ut after
he discovers that the elderly woman is one hundred and three years old he then changes. "e
becomes more caring and even ama+ed that this old woman has lived for one hundred and three
years. 1ecause of this womanAs age she is not accustom to the modern times in which this story
ta#es place. The narrator ust li#e the elderly women is not accustom to the times in %merica but
also %merica in general. *o this may help the narrator to feel more comfortable in his new
setting. %fter living with the elderly woman for about three months the narrator grows somewhat
attached to this woman.
8nce his wife who he was set up to marry arrives in %merica he then decides to move to a bigger
home. ;pon this decision he also reali+es that he is going to have to loo# out for and nurture his
new wife. %fter living with his wife for some time whom of which he had barely #nown3 he soon
finds out that the elderly woman of whom he had once lived with is now dead. This hurts him
because this is the first person in %merica of which he had felt any feeling for. %fter the womanAs
death he then becomes more comfortable with his wife. &ot because the woman died but because
of the time he is spending with his wife. 4ust li#e his relationship with elderly woman the more
time he spends with a person the closer he becomes with them. %fter time the narrator becomes
in love with his wife and is constantly remembering the elderly woman whom which he had once
lived with.
Analysis of The Third and )inal Continent
In contrast to depictions of resistance to Indian culture found in several of the stories in -ahiri!s
collection, BThe Third %nd 0inal .ontinentB portrays a relatively positive story of the Indian-
%merican experience. In this story, the obstacles and hardships that the protagonist must
overcome are much more tangible, such as learning to stomach a diet of cornfla#es and bananas,
or boarding in a cramped ?M.%. The protagonist!s human interactions demonstrate a high
degree of tolerance and even acceptance of Indian culture on the part of the %mericans he meets.
Mrs. .roft ma#es a point of commenting on the protagonist!s sari-wrapped wife, calling her (a
perfect lady) F9:JG. .roft!s daughter "elen also remar#s that .ambridge is (a very international
city,) hinting at the reason why the protagonist is met with a general sense of acceptance. In
9:=J, 5resident -yndon 1. 4ohnson signed the Immigration and &ationality %ct of 9:=J into law,
abolishing several immigration /uotas. This piece of legislation resulted in a massive surge of
immigration from %sian countries, including India during the late 9:=7s and 9:K7s. In particular,
this allowed many %sians to come to the ;* under the /ualification of being a (professional,
scientist, or artist of exceptional ability) contributing to the reputation of %sian-%mericans as
being intelligent, mannered, and a model minority. In this story, the only reason the narrator even
meets Mrs. .roft is because he is an employee of MIT, a venerable institution of higher learning.
'hereas prior to the I&* %ct of 9:=J, %sians were often seen as a yellow menace that was only
tolerable because of their small numbers F7.JL of the populationG, by the time the %sian
immigration boom tapered off in the 9::7s, their reputation as a model minority had been firmly
cemented, building a reputation for %sian %mericans of remar#able educational and professional
success, serving as the cultural bac#drop in -ahiri!s The Third and 0inal .ontinent.
C<D
1y ending
on a cultural tone of social acceptance and tolerance, -ahiri suggests that the experience of
adapting to %merican society is ultimately achievable.
Critical Reception
8verall the boo# received generally positive reviews. Interpreter of Maladies garnered universal
acclaim from a myriad of publications. Michi#o Ka#utani of the &ew ?or# Times praises -ahiri
for her writing style, citing her Buncommon elegance and poise.B Time applauded the collection
for Billuminating the full meaning of brief relationships -- with lovers, family friends, those met
in travelB.
CJD
&oelle 1rada-'illiams argues that the Interpreter of Maladies is not ust a collection
of random short stories that have common components, but that the stories are combined to
create a Bshort story cycle.B *he argues that -ahiri intentionally connects the themes and motifs
throughout them to produce a cumulative effect on the reader. *he goes on to argue that Indian
%merican literature is under-represented and -ahiri deliberately tries to give a diverse view of
Indian %mericans so as not to brand the group as a whole. 1rada-'illiams also examines the
idea of care and neglect in all of the stories. *he points out that this recurring theme is present in
all nine short stories and helps to support the notion that -ahiri intended to create a short story
cycle.
C9D
Ketu ". Katra# reads The Interpreter of Maladies as reflecting the trauma of self-transformation
through immigration, which can result in a series of bro#en identities that form Bmultiple
anchorages.B -ahiriAs stories show the diasporic struggle to #eep hold of culture as characters
create new lives in foreign cultures. ,elationships, language, rituals, and religion all help these
characters maintain their culture in new surroundings even as they build a Bhybrid reali+ationB as
%sian %mericans.
C=D
-aura %nh 'illiams observes the stories as highlighting the fre/uently omitted female diasporic
subect. Through the foods they eat, and the ways they prepare and eat them, the women in these
stories utili+e foodways to construct their own uni/ue raciali+ed subectivity and to engender
agency. 'illiams notes the ability of food in literature to function autobiographically, and in fact,
Interpreter of Maladies indeed reflects -ahiri!s own family experiences. -ahiri recalls that for
her mother, coo#ing Bwas her urisdiction. It was also her secret.B 0or individuals such as
-ahiriAsA mother, coo#ing constructs a sense of identity, interrelationship, and home that is
simultaneously communal and yet also highly personal.
C6DCKD
%&%-?*I*
The process of assimilation if very difficult for Mrs. *en. ;nli#e the narrator of The Third and
0inal .ontinent or even -ilia!s parents, Mrs. *en finds it impossible to integrate into her new
country. "er refusal to learn how to drive is the culmination of her distress. "er frustration is
voiced loudly only to $liot, who is dealing with his own distress. There is a childish, tantrum-
li#e angle to Mrs. *en!s complaints. *he even remar#s to $liot that he is much wise than she was
at that age@ she never thought for a moment that she would be separated from her family. 'hile
the reader sympathi+es with her plight, her stubbornness seems greater than it need be. "er
husband tries to accommodate her, the policeman does not arrest or fine her for the accident, and
the wor#ers at the fishmar#et put product on hold for her. In the end, it is Mrs. *en!s
responsibility to ma#e an effort. ;nli#e Mala in The Third and 0inal .ontinent M who was
e/ually distraught about leaving her family M Mrs. *en does not try to adust. *he is trapped in a
cage of her own ma#ing.
%s in *exy, the main characters have mirror images within the story. "ere, $liot and Mrs. *en are
/uite similar. "e is trapped in his life as well. The loneliness and distress that Mrs. *en expresses
are familiar emotions. "e has front row seats for his mother!s sadness. ;nli#e Mrs. *en, $liot is
unable to tell anyone about his plight because, again unli#e Mrs. *en, he is truly powerless. The
sympathy one has for $liot reflects harshly on Mrs. *en as one reali+es that she could try. The
symmetry is evo#ed in anecdotes, li#e the parties that Mrs. *en and $liot experience. Mrs. *en!s
lively party in .alcutta is contrasted with $liot!s story as $liot is only a witness and not a
participant.
-ac# of communication is employed once again in Mrs. *en!s to create a sense of tragedy.
Though it is unclear how much Mr. *en #nows of his wife!s displeasure, $liot seems to bear the
brunt of her tantrums. In the very least, Mr. *en does not broadcast his wife!s problems. %fter the
accident, he tells $liot!s mother that his wife is sleeping although $liot hears her crying. $liot is
witness to both Mrs. *en!s and his mother!s despondence. $liot!s mother tells Mrs. *en that she
ate a big lunch when refusing her Indian snac#s. $liot #nows it!s an excuse because she doesn!t
li#e the flavors and that she eschews lunch to feast on wine, bread, and cheese when she gets
home from wor#@ her white lie is twofold. %t the end of the story, $liot assures his mother that he
is o#ay though he is clearly troubled. In Mrs. *en!s, honesty is not the policy.
&ature has a voice in Mrs. *en!s. The grey waves outside $liot!s window as he tells his mother
he!s fine represent the truth of his inner turmoil. The *ensA trip to the shore at the beginning of
winter is mar#ed by a violent and exciting wind. Though it would seem that Mrs. *en would
react negatively to the wind and cold, she delights in it. There is a possibility of her assimilation
to %merica if she allows herself to enoy the world around her.
%s Mrs. *en places so much weight on artifacts from her life in .alcutta, -ahiri /uite deftly
expresses meaning through obects throughout Mrs. *en!s. "er #itchen blade, the tape of her
family!s voice, the aerograms, and her saris exist in star# contrast to her %merican world. The
#nife has a history and triggers many happy tales for Mrs. *en. $liot marvels at both the blade
and her s#ill, but Mrs. *en will not let him come near. The #nife is a representation of her
adherence to her old ways and also the looming danger of her attachment. Mrs. *en see#s solace
in both the aerograms and the tape, but they are poor facsimiles of what she truly craves M face-
to-face communication with her family. 1y the time the letter is read Fand rereadG, the events that
are detailed in them have already happened. This echoes -ilia!s sentiment about life happening
on the other side of the world and in a different time. %fter the death of her grandfather, the tape
with his voice no longer soothes her. It becomes a representation of all she is missing. 'ithin this
period of grief, $liot notices the lampshades wrapped in plastic, casting a temporary and deathly
pall over the home. $ven the fish is a symbol of Mrs. *en!s unwillingness to assimilate. The fish
caught in the %tlantic 8cean can never compare to the fish caught in .alcutta. 'ith a different
attitude, these obects can all be transformed as part of her new life in %merica.
Major Themes
The *mmigrant +'perience,Assimilation
The immigrant experience ta#es several forms in Interpreter of Maladies. 0or some characters,
li#e the narrator of The Third and 0inal .ontinent, the transition to a new life is challenging but
smooth. The narrator loo#s forward to the opportunity that the new country can afford. 0or -iliaAs
parents, the move to %merica also affords them a wealth of opportunity not open to them in
India, but the price is paid by -ilia in terms of connection to her culture. Mrs. *en flat-out
refuses to assimilate. 0or her, BeverythingB is in India and there is no reason to attempt to ma#e a
life in her new home. There is an emotional trade-off when moving to a new land. $ach character
in this collection wrestles with identity, whether newly displaced or descended from immigrants.
There is a longing felt for the place of oneAs birth, a fear of losing oneAs culture and fear of not
being accepted.
Marriage,-o$e
-ove and marriage are complicated in Interpreter of Maladies. % marriage is the beginning of a
new oint life for two people. In these stories, a marriage is an occasion of oy but also of secrets,
silences, and mysteries. Twin#le and *aneevAs relationship crystali+es the disparate attitudes and
attributes of marriage in -ahiriAs collection. %lthough they are both born in %merica and their
marriage is not arranged, Twin#le and *aneev are nearly strangers to one another. &o matter
what romantic feelings transpire within couples, each husband and wife in the stories remain
individuals, each with their own secrets and desires. *aneev doubts his love for his wife because
of this disconnect. 1ut, as is proved by the narrator of The Third and 0inal .ontinent, that
distance can be closed by shared experience. Marriage is not a solid institution but a fluid
invention. *hu#umar and *hoba are radically altered by the death of their child, and the toll is
ta#en on their marriage. They are no longer the same people as when they met. -ove is found in
unexpected places and can shift in the wa#e of experience. 1y reading *exy from the point of
view of a mistress, the reader also understands that each romantic connection is a uni/ue and
personal affair. There are no absolutes or strict moralities.
Communication
-ahiri has stated that much of her writing is concerned with communication and its absence.
Miscommunication or unexpressed feelings weigh on several characters, destroying their well-
being. % Temporary Matter is the best example of secrecy ta#ing its toll on a marriage. *hu#umar
and *hoba, lost in their own grief, cease communicating with one another. 1lac#outs allow them
the freedom to share secrets they have never shared. They are unfailingly honest and can no
longer maintain the illusion that their marriage is still viable. Mrs. Das tries to unburden herself
by telling Mr. Kapasi the secret of 1obbyAs conception. 1ut only Mr. Das can absolve her of her
guilt. %t the end of the story, nothing has changed in their marriage because she is not able to
communicate her lac# of love for her family to anyone other than a stranger. Twin#le and
*aneev have different outloo#s on life which cause initial discord between the newlyweds.
.ommunication is necessary to healthy relationships.
!arent,Child Relationships
%s children grow older, the relationship between them and their parents shift, becoming either
adversarial or enriched with understanding. During the bul# of 'hen Mr. 5ir+ada .ame to Dine
the narrator -ilia is 97 years old. *he brings a childli#e innocence to her relationship with Mr.
5ir+ada, who she thin#s is no different from her parents despite being a 5a#istani. -iliaAs parents
are frustrated by her ignorance of current events in their homeland - the byproduct of her
schooling in %merica. There is a disconnect between parents and children, both across
generational and cultural lines. There is an unspo#en truth between $liot and his mother. $liot is
#eenly aware of his motherAs sadness and also of his powerlessness to help. .onversely, the
narrator of The Third and 0inal .ontinent ta#es care of his mother when she is ill. "e is forced to
assume the role of the adult in their relationship. ,ohin is also #eenly aware of his motherAs pain
and the situation that has caused the pain. -ilia, ,ohin, and $liot all understand the grownupsA
sorrows and offer high-level observations on the nature of love and loss.
Religion and Tradition
Maintaining old traditions and customs while learning new ones is part of the assimilation
process for immigrants. Mr. 5ir+ada is pu++led by "alloween - the pump#ins, the costumes and
the candy all mystify him. In part, Mr. 5ir+ada worries enough over his daughters and the
thought of -ilia freely inviting danger is too much for him. Twin#le reassures *aneev that they
are Bgood little "indusB despite her affection for discovered .hristian iconography. 4ust because
she is charmed by the statuettes does not mean that she has forsa#en the customs of her
ancestors. Mrs. *en, unwilling to settle in %merica, obstinately upholds the patterns and routines
of her life in .alcutta. %dopting new customs is the mar# of a successful transition into a new
country. MalaAs effortless absorption of the %merican customs preferred by her husband indicates
that her assimilation will not be as painful as Mrs. *enAs.
!artition
5artition as a historical event and as a metaphor is employed by -ahiri. .haracters are divided
against others and also divided within themselves. Mr. 5ir+ada and 1oori Ma are victims of
5artition. 1oori Ma is a refugee who may or may not have lost her family and luxurious home in
the forced exile of "indus and Muslims from each otherAs territories. "er new life is in shambles
and she lives on the fringes of society. 1oori Ma represents the disastrous effects of the events of
9:<K. -iliaAs reaction to Mr. 5ir+ada is -ahiriAs criti/ue of the s#irmish between the two religions.
*he is unable to see any real difference between Mr. 5ir+ada and her parents. "er naivete taps
into an overarching humanism that 5artition erodes. *omeone li#e Miranda, who is neither
Indian nor Indian-%merican, is not immune to such a divide. Though she feels guilty about her
tryst with Dev, her desire for him lingers. In -ahiriAs fiction, each person is their own continent.
+n$ironment,.ature
The environment often reflects the inner turmoil of its characters. The rubble-filled *un Temple
that sits atop a dry river is indicative of the ruin of the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Das as
well as the well of disappointment that Mr. Kapasi carries with him. The gray waves outside
$liotAs window belie a sadness that he is unable to express. The snow that thaws only after
*hu#umar and *hoba return to honesty directly relates to the thaw between the characters. In The
Treatment of 1ibi"aldar, the changing seasons chart the life of the troubled main character. In
the fall, she is shunned and in the winter she is isolated. In the spring, she is pregnant and
emerges from her misery. There is a rhythm of life reflected in the changing seasons.
A Temporary Matter
*;MM%,?
"usband and wife *hu#umar and *hoba are notified that their electricity will be turned off at
N3775M for five evenings in a row in order to fix a power line. *hoba tells her husband this
news. "e loo#s at her, noticing that her ma#eup has run from her time at the gym. "e reminisces
about how she would loo# in the morning after a party in happier times. *hoba insists that the
electric company should wor# on the lines during the day. *hu#umar ta#es slight offense at this
idea@ since 4anuary, he has wor#ed at home on his dissertation. The outages begin that evening.
*ix months earlier, *hoba went into labor prematurely when *hu#umar was attending a
conference out of town. *hu#umar remembers the station wagon cab that too# him to the airport.
0or the first time, the images of parenthood that flashed through his mind M *hoba handing out
uice boxes to their children in the bac# seat of their own station wagon M were welcome. 'hile
out of town, *hu#umar was alerted of the labor complications, but by the time he arrived at the
1oston hospital, their child had died.
-ately, editor *hoba spends more time at wor#, leaving before *hu#umar wa#es and coming
home late. *hu#umar had been granted more time to wor# on his dissertation, but he finds
himself unable to wor#. "e and his wife have become strangers, experts in avoiding one another.
% half an hour before the lights are due to go out, *hu#umar continues coo#ing their dinner while
*hoba showers.
,eminded of a dentist appointment, *hu#umar brushes his teeth with a toothbrush purchased
long ago in case of overnight guests. *hoba was always prepared for what might happen.
Hroceries were purchased in bul#, Indian chutneys and marinades were prepared on the
wee#end, and dishes fro+en for future use. % lavish feast could be whipped up on a moment!s
notice. &ow, *hu#umar was wor#ing his way through their provisions, coo#ing dinner each
evening ust for the two of them to eat separately M *hu#umar in the study that was to become
the nursery and *hoba in front of the TO with her editing assignments spread out in front of her.
*hu#umar pretends to wor# when *hoba comes to visit each night, forcing herself to enter the
room. Tonight, in the dar#, would be the first time they ate together in months.
*hu#umar finds a half-empty box of birthday candles leftover from a surprise party *hoba had
thrown for her husband last spring. %t the party, she held his hand all night as they chatted easily
with friends they now avoid. The only visitor they!d had since their baby died was *hoba!s
mother, who somewhat blames *hu#umar for his child!s death. *hu#umar sets the table with a
potted ivy to hold the candles and glasses of wine. 4ust as the meat is ready, the house goes dar#.
'hen the power would go out while visiting relatives in India, *hoba!s family would share o#es
or poems.*hoba suggests they tell each other secrets in the dar#. 0irst, she confesses that when
they began dating, she loo#ed for her name in his phone boo# the first time she went to his
apartment. *hu#umar tells *hoba that he forgot to tip the waiter on their first date. "e was
distracted by the thought he might marry her.
The next night, *hoba comes home earlier so they can eat together before the lights go out. 'hen
they lose power, they decide to sit outside in the unseasonably warm winter night. *hu#umar
wonders what *hoba will tell him since he feels they #now everything about each other. *hoba
shares first. 'hen *hu#umar!s mother came for a visit, she lied about wor#ing late and went out
for a martini with her friend Hillian instead. *hu#umar remembers the visit, his mother still in
mourning for her husband twelve years after his death. 'ithout *hoba there to say the right
things, *hu#umar felt aw#ward with his grief-stric#en mother.
*hu#umar admits that, fifteen years ago, he cheated on an exam. "is father had died only a few
months earlier. *hoba ta#es his hand. They sit outside until the lights come on and then retreat to
their home, still holding hands. 'ithout spea#ing about it, their time in the dar# turned into an
exchange of confessions about how they had hurt or disappointed each other or themselves. 8n
the third night, *hu#umar tells *hoba that he returned the sweater vest she had given him for
their third anniversary. "e exchanged it for cash and got drun# in the middle of the day. *he tells
him that she once let him spea# to the chairman of his department with food on his chin. 8n the
fourth night, he admits he #ept a picture of a woman torn out of a maga+ine in his wallet while
*hoba was pregnant. The desire for the un#nown woman was the closest he ever came to
infidelity. *hoba tells him she never li#ed the only poem he had ever published.
*hu#umar and *hoba are able to be intimate in the dar#. 8n the third night, they #iss and on the
fourth night, they ma#e love. The next day, they receive a notice that the power line has been
repaired ahead of schedule. It is the end of their game. *hoba suggests they still light candles and
eat by their glow. %fter dinner, *hoba blows out the candles and opens a second bottle of wine.
*he turns the lights bac# on, telling *hu#umar that she wants to see his face when she tells him
her biggest secret. 1efore coming home that evening, she had signed the lease on her own new
apartment. *hu#umar is relieved but sic#ened. *hoba had been preparing for a life without him
and the game had been proposed so she could wor# up her nerve to brea# the news to him.
It is *hu#umar!s turn to spea# and he decides to confess something he swore he!d never tell.
'hen she was pregnant, *hoba wanted the gender of their child to remain a surprise until birth.
'hen the child died, she did not #now if they had lost a son or daughter. *hoba too# refuge in
that mystery, spared of that #nowledge. 'hen *hu#umar arrived at the hospital, *hoba was
asleep. The doctor suggested he hold the child before it was cremated in order to begin the
grieving process. *hu#umar recoiled, but then agreed. "e tells *hoba that he held their son. "e
describes what the child loo#ed li#e, how his fingers were curled ust as hers curl in the night.
*hu#umar ta#es their plates to the sin#, leaving *hoba alone in the living room. "e watches their
neighbors wal# arm in arm and the lights suddenly go out. "e turns to find *hoba at the light
switch. They sit together and weep for their new #nowledge.
%&%-?*I*
% Temporary Matter is a story about grief and the secrets people #eep from one another. "usband
and wife *hu#umar and *hoba are reeling from the loss of their child six months earlier. They
avoid each other and their friends, *hoba filling her time with wor# and *hu#umar
procrastinating in finishing his dissertation. % deus-ex-machina in the form of systematic power
outages allows for intimacy between the couple not achieved since the death of their son.
The importance of communication within a marriage is a prevalent theme in Interpreter of
Maladies. "ere the sorrow of the lost child causes a communication brea#down in the
relationship of *hu#umar and *hoba. This silence between them eventually destroys them
because, in their grief, *hu#umar and *hoba grow to become different people. *ince they no
longer share experiences, the couple grows apart. Their final secrets are painful ones M *hoba
intends to move out and *hu#umar violates the wishes of his wife by revealing the gender of the
child. *ecrecy eventually leads to bro#en trust. ;ltimately, it is the baby who will never cry who
tears the two apart.
% Temporary Matter is told from the third-person perspective of *hu#umar. Though the narrator
is omniscient, we understand the events in the story through his experiences. The story unfolds
largely in memory as each item *hu#umar touches triggers a memory to a happier time in the
couple!s life together. 0or instance, the birthday candles used during the blac#out remind him of
a surprise party *hoba threw for him. 8nly through *hoba!s confessions do we fully appreciate
her point of view in this story about the end of a marriage.
$nvironment plays a #ey role in the story. The dar#ness is both a metaphor for *hu#umar and
*hoba!s relationship and a safe space for the couple to bond. 1oth have been groping around in
the dar# for the sense of normalcy that was destroyed by the death of their child. The planned
blac#outs force an intimacy that the couple hasn!t #nown for a long time. 1y the second day,
they are so liberated by the dar#ness that they begin to anticipate it. 0inally, they turn off the
lights when the planned outages cease. Dar#ness ushers in intimacy, which allows the couple to
ma#e love for the first time since the child!s death. 1y the end of the wee#, the snow outside
begins to melt. This thawing mimics the freedom both *hu#umar and *hoba now feel from their
grief. Though both are now in pain stemming from the end of their marriage, they are feeling
once again.
0ood, an important part of Indian culture, also plays a significant role in this story. *hoba!s trips
to the mar#et are exhilarating for *hu#umar in the beginning of their marriage. In happier times,
*hoba would prepare lavish meals and a particular gourmet ca#e for his birthday. *hoba would
buy in bul# and prepare meals and chutneys that could be warmed and served in the matter of
moments. In this way, their home was always open to others and always filled with love. %fter
the baby!s death, *hu#umar started running through the provisions prepared by *hoba. This is a
symbol of their dwindling affections and the unpredictability of life. ;ltimately, *hoba is unable
to control or prepare for the worst.
/hen Mr. !ir0ada Came To Dine
*;MM%,?
In the autumn of 9:K9, Mr. 5ir+ada comes to -ilia!s house to dine each night. Mr. 5ir+ada is from
Dacca, then a part of 5a#istan. "e left behind his wife and seven daughters for a fellowship to
study the foliage of &ew $ngland. *ince his fellowship provided for only a meager dorm room,
he comes to -ilia!s home to eat with her parents and to watch the news of the Indo-5a#istan 'ar.
Dacca had been invaded by the 5a#istani army and torched and shelled. Thousands of people
were tortured or #illed. %lthough Mr. 5ir+ada writes a letter to his family each wee#, he had not
heard from them in six months.
-ilia is 97 years old, living with her parents near a university north of 1oston. "er parents,
originally from India, miss their homeland and see# out names similar to their own in the
university directory. This is how they found Mr. 5ir+ada. -ilia calls him (the Indian man,) but
her father explains that he is no longer Indian@ though he is 1engali, he is also a Muslim. In
9:<K, after winning independence from $ngland, the country was sliced in two. This partition put
"indus in India and Muslims in 5a#istan. -ilia!s father tells her that during 5artition, violence
erupted between Muslims and 5a#istan. -ilia can!t understand this. Mr. 5ir+ada spea#s the same
language as her parents, they tell the same o#es and eat the same food.
-ilia!s father complains to her mother that their daughter is unaware of the current events of
India and 5a#istan. -ilia!s mother is proud that their daughter was born in the ;nited *tates and
that she is an %merican. *he is assured a safe life, access to education and endless opportunities.
"er father is not pleased that she does not seem to learn about the world.
'hen Mr. 5ir+ada arrives, -ilia ta#es his coat and is rewarded with a candy. -ilia savors the
candy, storing the treats in a sandalwood box that belonged to a grandmother she never met. *he
eats the confections with ceremony, enoying one only after laying out her clothes for school the
next day. Mr. 5ir+ada and -ilia!s family eat in living room in front of the TO. -ilia, upon learning
that Mr. 5ir+ada is not an Indian, watches him carefully. "e ta#es out a silver poc#et watch that
is set 99 hours ahead M the time in Dacca. -ilia marvels that Mr. 5ir+ada!s family was already
wa#ing up the next morning. Theirs was the ghost life, lagging behind where Mr. 5ir+ada really
belonged. -ilia pays attention to the news broadcast, wondering if they would catch a glimpse of
Mr. 5ir+ada!s daughters waving from their balcony. 1ut only images of tan#s and clamoring
refugees fill the screen.
That night, -ilia eats a piece of candy, letting it melt on her tongue while saying a prayer for Mr.
5ir+ada!s family. *he falls asleep with sugar in her mouth, afraid to wash away the prayer by
brushing her teeth. %t school, -ilia is assigned a presentation on the surrender at ?or#town with
her friend Dora. 'hile at the library to read about the %merican ,evolution, -ilia!s teacher Mrs.
Kenyon catches her reading a boo# on 5a#istan. *he is chastised.
The news from 5a#istan dwindles as the reports are censored. % death toll is announced along
with only a recap of what is happening. More poets are executed and more villages set abla+e. In
spite of this, Mr. 5ir+ada often stayed until midnight playing *crabble, drin#ing tea and o#ing
about the spelling of $nglish words with -ilia!s parents. 8n the other side of the world, a nation
was being born.
In 8ctober, Mr. 5ir+ada as#s about the pump#ins he sees on the doorsteps of -ilia!s neighbors.
*he tells him that it is used to scare people. "e helps her carve a ac#-o!-lantern while a TO
reporter mentions Dacca. It appears as if India will go to war with 5a#istan. Mr. 5ir+ada!s #nife
slips, leaving a deep gash in the pump#in. The mouth is fixed so that it appears that the ac#-o!-
lantern is fro+en in astonishment.
-ilia dresses as a witch for "alloween with her friend Dora. It is the first year she is allowed to
tric#-or-treat unattended. Mr. 5ir+ada worries, as#ing her parents if there is any danger. -ilia!s
mother assures him that it is only an %merican custom. -ilia tells him not to worry. 8utside,
Dora as#s -ilia why Mr. 5ir+ada wanted to come with them. *he says his daughters are missing,
but immediately regrets it, as if saying it will ma#e it true. -ilia corrects herself, saying that the
girls are in another country and that their father misses them. 'hen -ilia arrives home later, she
finds their ac#-o!-lantern has been smashed.
Inside, -ilia!s parents sit on the couch. Mr. 5ir+ada!s head is in his hands. India and 5a#istan are
on the brin# of war. The ;.*.%. sides with 'est 5a#istan, the *oviet ;nion with India and what
will become 1angladesh. During the twelve days of the war, -ilia!s mother only coo#s boiled
eggs and rice. They lay out a blan#et for Mr. 5ir+ada to sleep on the couch. -ilia!s parents call
their relatives in .alcutta for updates. The house rings with fear.
In 4anuary, Mr. 5ir+ada flies home to what is left of Dacca. Dacca!s new leader is released from
prison and must lead its people through famine and unemployment and refugees returning from
India. -ilia imagines Mr. 5ir+ada when ga+ing at her parents! now out-of-date map. Months later,
-ilia!s family receives a letter from Mr. 5ir+ada. "e is reunited with his family who were #ept
safe from harm by his wife!s family. "e than#s their family deeply for their hospitality. -ilia!s
mother ma#es a special supper that evening, but -ilia does not feel li#e celebrating. *he misses
Mr. 5ir+ada. *ince he left in 4anuary, she continued to eat a piece of candy in prayer for his
family. 1ut now there was no longer a need. $ventually, she throws the rest of the candy away.
%&%-?*I*
The story is told from the first person perspective of -ilia, primarily in her 97th year. .hoosing
to tell this story through the eyes of a child somewhat mitigates the heavy topic. The war
between India and 5a#istan in 9:K9 is witnessed from a distance both geographically and
emotionally. 'hile -ilia!s parents fret over a s#irmish thousands of miles away, -ilia is more
concerned with her own life. The candy that Mr. 5ir+ada lavishes on -ilia becomes a prayer for
the safety of his daughters. "er awareness of the contrast between her situation and Mr. 5ir+ada!s
daughters opens her eyes to the complicated political struggle on a personal level. In this case,
the lessons learned by -ilia are the same learned by the reader but in a more literary, less didactic
way.
Time is an interesting construct in this story as well. -ilia remar#s that events are unfolding
eleven hours ahead of her time +one. *he feels as if the events are playing out in the future and
her life is somehow a ghost life. This has two separate meanings for -ilia. 0irst, there is a remove
between herself and the girls culturally as -ilia is a first-generation %merican born to immigrant
parents. *econd, since this is also a coming of age story, -ilia struggles for some semblance of
maturity. %s a child, she feels as if her life has already been experienced by others who have
gone before her. -ilia also narrates from the present, adding yet another layer of remove into the
story. %ll that is occurring in the time frame of the story actually has already happened. The facts
of the war, she says, were a (remote mystery with hapha+ard clues.) -ilia narrates the story from
the remoteness of childhood, only understanding after years have passed.
%ssimilation of Indians to %merica is one of the overarching themes in Interpreter of Maladies.
-ilia and her parents are on either side of a divide. Identity issues are typically compounded
generation to generation. Though -ilia!s parents remember their own experiences in India
vividly, -ilia is an %merican and therefore a step removed from the culture of her parents. -ilia!s
father is dismayed that she is ignorant of current events in India. -ilia does, in fact, attempt to
study the history of 5a#istan but she is unable to do so on school time. -ilia does have an interest
in her parents! world, but she is fully enmeshed in, to Mr. 5ir+ada, unthin#able customs.
"alloween, a purely %merican holiday, mystifies Mr. 5ir+ada.
.ustoms shared by -ilia and her parents are also shared by Mr. 5ir+ada. 0rom -ilia!s perspective,
the division of 5a#istanis and Indians is arbitrary. 'hen her father tells her that Mr. 5ir+ada is no
longer Indian, she inspects him and his actions for clues of difference. This echoes her own
relationship with her father, who worries that her %merican education is ma#ing her no longer
Indian. "owever, %merica allows for Mr. 5ir+ada and -ilia!s father to dine together, worry
together and laugh together. %ssimilation is seen as both positive and negative.
There is no mention of religion in -ilia!s family, though it can be assumed that her family is
"indu since they are unli#e Mr. 5ir+ada. 1ut -ili gives in to a secular type of prayer with the
candy that Mr. 5ir+ada gives to her. -i#e traditions, rituals can expose belief systems of a person.
*ince -ilia, who says she doesn!t pray, performs a ritual to #eep the 5ir+ada girls safe, it can be
assumed that she does not typically practice the religion of her parents. -ilia can be read as a
secular %merican, again removed from the culture of her parents.
A Real Dur#an
*;MM%,?
1oori Ma, an increasingly frail =<-year-old woman, is the durwan Flive-in door#eeperG to an
apartment building of .alcutta. $ach day, she trudges up the stairs, lugging her reed broom and
flimsy mattress behind her. %s she sweeps, her raspy voice details the losses she has suffered
because of 5artition. *he was separated from her husband, two daughters, and home. Tied to the
end of her sari is a set of s#eleton #eys belonging to coffer boxes that housed her valuables. *he
chronicles the easier times in her life, the feasts and servants and marble floor of her home. $ach
litany ends with the same phrase, (1elieve me, don!t believe me.)
The details of her ourney across the border shift in each retelling. 1ut her tales were so
impassioned that no one could dismiss her outright. $ach resident of the building had a different
interpretation of her tales. Mr. Dalal of the third floor can!t fathom how a landowner ends up
sweeping stairs, wives thin# she is the victim of changing times, Mr. .hatteree believes she
simply mourns her family and wraps herself in illusion. &evertheless, her tales harmed no one
and she was entertaining. 1est of all, she #ept the stairs spotlessly clean and the outside world at
bay. *he routed away any suspicious person with a few slaps of her broom. Though there was
nothing to steal from the apartments, the residents were comforted by her presence.
1oori Ma suffers from sleepless nights. Mrs. Dalal, who has a soft spot for 1oori Ma, comes to
the roof to dry lemon peels. 1oori Ma as#s her to inspect her bac# for the mites she assumes
torment her in her sleep. Mrs. Dalal finds nothing. 1oori Ma tal#s again about her lost comforts M
such comforts Mrs. Dalal can!t dream of. The women commiserate and Mrs. Dalal offers to buy
the woman new bedding. -ater rains turn 1oori Ma!s mattress into yogurt, so she focuses on the
offer of new bedding.
1oori Ma is allowed to wander in and out of the apartments, offered tea and crac#ers for help
with cleaning of children!s activities. *he #nows better than to sit on the furniture, so she
crouches in doorways and ta#es in life from a distance. *he visits The Dalals. Mr. Dalal as#s her
to help tote basins to his apartment. Mrs. Dalal is not pleased. % basin does not ma#e up for not
having a phone or a fridge, or other amenities promised but not delivered. The argument rings
through the building and 1oori Ma does not as# about bedding. *he sleeps on newspaper that
night.
Mr. Dalal installs one basin M the first of the building M in his home and another in the foyer for
all of his neighbors to use. Instead of being moved by the gesture, the residents of the building
are awash in resentment. 'hy did they have to share, why were the Dalals the only ones who
could improve the building, why couldn!t they buy their own basinsP To appease his wife after
their argument, it is rumored that Mr. Dalal purchased lavish shawls and soaps. "e ta#es her
away for ten days and Mrs. Dalal assures 1oori Ma that she has not forgotten her promise of
renewed bedding.
'hile the Dalals are away, the other wives plan renovations and the stairs become cho#ed by
wor#men. ;nable to sweep, 1oori Ma #eeps to her roof, #eeping an eye on her dwindling set of
newspapers and wondering when she had her last glass of tea. 'hen she grows restless of the
roof, she wanders around the town spending her life!s savings on treats. *he feels a tug at the end
of her sari and finds her purse and s#eleton #eys gone. 'hen she returns to the building, she
finds the basin has been torn out of the wall.
The residents carry her up to the roof and accuse her of telling robbers about the new basin. *he
tries to convince them, but after all of her lies, they say, how can they believe her nowP The
residents see# the advice of Mr. .hatteree. "e comes to the conclusion that the building needs a
real durwan to #eep their valuables safe. They toss 1oori Ma out of on the street muttering, as
her figure recedes, (believe me, believe me.)
%&%-?*I*
% ,eal Durwan is primarily a story about class and the resentment it can inspire. 1oori Ma, a
poor woman forced to sweep stairwells in her old age, comforts herself with tales of her previous
riches. 'hether or not these anecdotes are true, they have the same effect. They are an oasis for
her, a way to escape the reality of her life for ust a moment. 'hen the Dalals install the basins in
the building, their neighbors react with ealousy instead of gratitude. They rail against the Dalals
for trying to show up the rest of the building. Mrs. Dalal, it is rumored, doesn!t thin# the basin is
classy enough. %t the end, 1oori Ma is cast out of the building, blamed for the theft. Mr.
.hatteree says that they need a real durwan for their building@ his desire to promote the illusion
of the buildingAs upward mobility is a fatal punishment for 1oori Ma. *he is a reminder of their
true place in the social structure, and she is a reminder that her fate can await any of them.
.asting her out is casting out the truth of their meager lives. Dismissing her means they can
never be her.
5artition again is a theme here. In the exile of "indus from Muslim lands and vice versa,
millions of people were left homeless. 1oori Ma, though she may be lying about her previous
wealth, is proven to be a refugee by her accent. %s in 'hen Mr. 5ir+ada .ame to Dine, 5artition
feels arbitrary. 1y focusing in on the life of one person affected by the treaty, the reader can
glean the human toll. Though the caste system M the stratification of Indians into ethnic or class
categori+ations M and its notion of untouchables was banned in 9:J7, class and race made 1oori
Ma untouchable.
The structure of this story is built upon irony. %lmost as if in an 8. "enry story, 1oori Ma is
promised new bedding on the precise day that Mr. Dalal brings home the basin, and the precise
day that her old bedding is ruined. The basin and the ensuing fight between Mr. and Mrs. Dalal
pushes 1oori Ma!s needs to the side. Mrs. Dalal says that she has not forgotten about her bedding
before she leaves for her vacation but she does not arrive home in time to save 1oori Ma, let
alone to provide new bedding. ?es, Mrs. Dalal is considered fla#y, but 1oori Ma is cast out when
she is out of town and unable to protect her. The irony here less a dramatic device than a
comment on the fic#le nature of life.
,umor and gossip also shape the story. 1oori Ma!s insistence that she is telling the truth, despite
the details she changes at will, is at first a source of comedy for the residents. They thin# that she
is entertaining even though the tales are sorrowful. 'hen the Dalals buy the basin, their
neighbors gossip about the fights that ta#e place behind closed doors. ,umor becomes fact when
the Dalals leave for vacation. This blurring of lines between truth and gossip can be blamed for
1oori Ma!s punishment at the end. *ince the wisest man in the building, Mr. .hatteree, has not
pic#ed up a newspaper in decades, word of mouth and hearsay are ta#en as gospel. In a way, this
is a reflection of society as the truth is often elusive.
8bects ta#e on important meaning in % ,eal Durwan. The basin becomes a symbol of both
wealth and resentment. The s#eleton #eys tied to the end of 1oori Ma!s sari are both
remembrances of her past life and a totem of her strength. They reassure her. 'hen they are
stolen, she is thrown out shortly thereafter. 1oori Ma!s bedding, she believes, is full of mites that
#eep her up at night. Though the mites are a figment of her imagination and a manifestation of
her worries, the bedding can be read as her livelihood. 8nce destroyed, her life slips away.
Se'y
*;MM%,?
Miranda is a young, somewhat aimless, woman who wor#s in fundraising for a public radio
station in 1oston. "er cowor#er -axmi, already married and settled despite being only a few
years older than Miranda, alerts Miranda to a personal disaster. "er cousin!s husband had a life-
changing conversation on an airplane and has left his family. -axmi doesn!t blame her cousin for
ta#ing to bed, but her grief has made her unable to care for her son. ;sually, -axmi doesn!t need
to tell Miranda family gossip, as Miranda can hear -axmi!s phone calls through her cubicle.
Today, however, Miranda is engrossed in her own phone call. *he tal#s with her married lover
Dev.
-axmi!s nephew is a genius and part 1engali, li#e Dev. %t first Miranda thought it was a religion,
but Dev pointed out the 'est 1engal state on a map of India. "e brought the map, printed in an
issue of the $conomist, to show where his father had been born. 'hen she as#s about the article
it appears in, he taps her playfully on the head with the maga+ine. "e says it!s nothing she!ll ever
need to worry about. 1ut later, when he leaves, she pulls the article from the trash and loo#s for
photos of where Dev was born.
They met a wee# before at a ma#eup counter in a department store in 1oston. %s she paused to
smell a fragrance card, her eyes found Dev, an elegant man, purchasing toiletries for a woman.
Miranda engages a saleswoman so she can stay near to Dev. "e watches her as the woman
applies cream to her face. *he tries to place his accent, guessing he is -ebanese or *panish. They
meet at the exit and Miranda in/uires about the creams. They are for his wife M who will be
leaving for India for a few wee#s.
Those few wee#s, Miranda and Dev spend nearly every night together at her apartment. Dev
races bac# to his home in the suburbs in the early mornings for a pre-arranged daily phone call
with his traveling wife. "e calls fre/uently, leaving his voice on her answering machine. "e is
charmed by her tiny apartment, and her bravery in moving to a city where she #nows no one, and
also by her long legs. Miranda and Dev both admit to their loneliness and Miranda thin#s he
understands her. Dev is the first man she has dated who is thoughtful, romantic, and chivalrous.
Miranda #eeps Dev a secret, only occasionally wanting to tell -axmi.
Dev shows Miranda his favorite parts of 1oston, including the Mapparium M a domed building
with a room that loo#s li#e you are standing inside a globe, with glowing stained glass panels
that loo# li#e the outside of a globe. Dev!s voice echoes alluringly as he shows her details of the
world. The acoustics ma#e each sound feel as if a whisper in her ear. "e stands across the room
from her and whispers into the corner of a wall. *he feels his voice under her s#in. *he says
("i,) and he responds, (?ou!re sexy.)
It was the first time she!d been told she was sexy. "earing his voice in her head, Miranda goes
bac# to the department store and buys clothes she thin#s a mistress should have M seamed
stoc#ings, blac# heels, a blac# slip, and a silver coc#tail dress. *he imagines wearing the
ensemble at dinner with Dev. 1ut when his wife returns, he appears at Miranda!s in gym clothes,
having told his wife he was out running. The lingerie remains unworn at the bac# of her drawer,
and the silver dress often slips off its hanger and falls to the floor of her closet.
1ut the affair continues. Dev shares more about his life and as#s Miranda about her own. "e
ta#es naps during their trysts, accustomed to ta#ing them during hot summers as a boy. Miranda
doesn!t sleep, but studies his body during, what Dev calls, (the best twelve minutes of the wee#.)
%fter wa#ing up, he goes home to his wife.
Miranda recalls the Dixits, an Indian family who moved into her neighborhood when she was a
child. "er peers would ma#e fun of their name and frown upon their differences. Miranda went
over to their house once for the daughter!s birthday and was so frightened by a painting of the
fierce goddess Kali, that she never returned. &ow, Miranda is ashamed of her behavior. 'hen not
with Dev, she wal#s to an Indian restaurant and tries to remember "indi phrases from the bottom
of the menu. *he even tries to learn how to write her name in 1engali.
Miranda!s boredom wanes during the wee#, but her guilt rears its head when -axmi tal#s about
her cousin. 8n *undays, Dev would come. *he as#s him what his wife loo#s li#e and he
responds that she loo#s li#e an actress, Madhuri Dixit. 0or a moment, Miranda!s heart stops. *he
#nows she could not be the girl from her childhood, but it still spoo#s her. Miranda finds her way
to an Indian grocery that rents videos, on the hunt to find out what Madhuri Dixit loo#s li#e. %
1ollywood video plays in the deli, and she #nows she must loo# li#e one of those women.
1eautiful. Miranda notices a snac# that -axmi eats and the grocer tells her it!s too spicy for her.
-axmi!s cousin comes to 1oston to get away from her drama. -axmi treats her to a spa day,
as#ing Miranda to babysit the cousinAs son for the day. ,ohin comes to Miranda!s apartment with
a bac#pac# full of boo#s and a s#etchpad. 0or a boy of K, he loo#s haggard and weary. ,ohin
demands Miranda /ui+ him on world capitals, as he is having a competition with another student
to memori+e them all. "e announces he will win. "e is precocious and ma#es more demands of
Miranda throughout the afternoon. 0or coffee, to watch cartoons, to loo# through her toiletries
and to draw a picture of their day together. "e says, with a precision that startles Miranda, that
they will never see each other again.
,ohin drags himself to her room and starts going through her closet, finding the silver dress on
the floor. ,ohin as#s that she put it on. Miranda #nows she will never wear it on a date with Dev.
&ow that his wife is bac# in town, she is nothing but a mistress. *he ma#es ,ohin wait outside,
latching the door to ma#e sure, while she changes. "is eyes open wide when he sees her. ,ohin
tells her she!s sexy. %fter her heart s#ips a beat, Miranda as#s him what it means. The boy
blushes and finally admits that it means loving someone you don!t #now. "is father had sat down
next to someone sexy on a plane and now loves her instead of his mother. Miranda goes numb.
,ohin curls up for a nap and Miranda ta#es the dress off. 1ac# in her eans, she lies down next to
the boy and imagines the arguments his parents must have had. Thin#ing about her own
situation, she begins to cry.
'hen she wa#es up, ,ohin is holding the issue of the $conomist. "e as#s who DevitMitra is.
Miranda doesn!t #now what to say. The next time Dev calls, she tells him not to come. *he as#s
him what he said to her in the Mapparium, but he answers incorrectly. The following *unday, it
snows. The *unday after that, Miranda ma#es plans with -axmi and he doesn!t as# her to cancel.
The third *unday, she wal#s alone to the Mapparium and studies the city.
%&%-?*I*
*exy is a story that is centered on gender and race and the confusion they can inspire. Miranda,
the main character, is having an affair with Dev, an older, married Indian man. *he is attracted to
Dev, it is suggested, for two primary reasons M his age and his race. Dev is the first adult man
that Miranda has dated. "e is mature, wealthy, and complementary to Miranda in a way that she
has not #nown before. Dev is also exotic to her. 'hen they first meet, Dev remar#s that part of
her name is Indian F(Mira)G and she is entranced by this. Dev can open up another world for
Miranda.
1ut appearances fall flat. Miranda decides to purchase a silver dress, blac# stoc#ings and slip and
high heels, fantasi+ing about the restaurant Dev will ta#e her to. In a way, Miranda is playing
dressup. *ince she tal#s about the high school and college boys she!s dated, we assume that she
has recently graduated from college herself and is somewhat aimless. Dev represents an adult,
masculine world that Miranda wants to understand. 1y buying clothes suitable for a mistress, she
intends to play dressup as a woman. The clothes, and the fantasy surrounding them, represent the
tropes of gender that Miranda believes in. 'earing the dress, li#e dating Dev, will ma#e her an
adult.
Dating Dev will also broaden her world. "er cowor#er -axmi tac#s a photo of herself and her
husband at the TaMahal to her cubicle. -axmi says it is the most romantic place on earth.
Miranda fantasi+es that she and Dev are in the photo and she secretly yearns to tell -axmi about
the affair. To Miranda, Dev is exotic and worldly. Dating him will transfer those experiences to
her own life. *he moved alone from the Midwest and her isolation is coupled with a feeling of
inexperience. *he tries to learn 1engali, write her name in Dev!s language, try more Indian
cuisine and recalls with shame an incident of mild xenophobia from her childhood. *he is
ashamed that she was not more understanding with the Dixit family and dating Dev can absolve
her of that shame. "owever, she loves Dev for what she #nows about him M which is not much.
In the end, she reali+es that she has fallen for the surface and not the person. 'hen the grocer
tells Miranda that the "ot Mix that -axmi eats is too spicy for her, she is dismissed with an
appraisal of her race. Though she is attracted to Dev, she practices a version of exoticism that is
e/ually damaging.
There is a balance to *exy that is created by characters that are mirror images of one another.
-axmi!s cousin is on the receiving end of infidelity. It is through her stories that Miranda!s guilt
first comes to pass. Through these two women, we see the opposite sides of an affair M the
mistress and the wronged wife. In this way, we do not need exposition of Miranda!s guilt because
the uncomfortable situation puts the reader in discomfort as well.
.hildren in -ahiri!s stories have definitive points of view and can affect the narrative in
important ways. -ilia, the main character of 'hen Mr. 5ir+ada .ame to Dine, possesses a
childli#e innocence that expresses the theme of 5artition and its indictment. $liot in Mrs. *en!s is
a conduit for the loneliness of both his mother and Mrs. *en. ,ohin in *exy is Miranda!s
conscience. The simplicity of his definition of (sexy) is remar#ably prescient. -oving someone
you don!t #now is precisely what Dev, Miranda, and his father are doing. In his phrase, Miranda
understands both that she is drawn to Dev for his surface value and also that Dev does not love
Miranda for who she is. $ven without the dress, she is simply a mistress M not a woman. That
Dev can!t remember what he told her at the Mapparium is the death #nell for the affair.
Mrs. Sen(s
*;MM%,?
*ince the beginning of his school year, $liot has been going to Mrs. *en!s house after school.
Though he is 99 and can ta#e care of himself, $liot!s mother wants an adult around to supervise.
"owever, Mrs. *en doesn!t #now how to drive. %t their first meeting, $liot is ta#en abac# by the
pile of shoes by the door and the carefully covered furniture. "is mother is the one who loo#s
odd, $liot thin#s. Mr. *en, a mathematics professor, assures $liot!s mother that she will be able
to drive by December. Mrs. *en responds that she is a slow learner and that she had a chauffeur
at home. $liot!s mother as#s if she means India and the word alone releases emotions in Mrs.
*en. *he says, ($verything is there.)
$liot would often watch Mrs. *en prepare meals. "e is ta#en with a curved blade brought from
India that Mrs. *en would use to expertly carve vegetables in seconds. *he doesn!t allow $liot to
go near her in the #itchen, afraid for his safety. *he tells $liot that there is a #nife in every
household and a retinue of women would gather to prepare feasts for weddings. &o one could
sleep over the din. "ere, Mrs. *en says, is too /uiet. $liot also disli#es his home. "e and his
mother live alone in a beach house. &ow that the weather has turned cold, the beach is desolate
and forbidding.
Mrs. *en as#s $liot whether, if she started screaming, anyone would come. %t home, people
would come running at the slightest commotion to share oy or grief. $liot remembers a party
that was thrown by a neighbor@ he and his mother were not invited. $liot decides that someone
might call to complain. "e understands that (home) to Mrs. *en means India and not the house
they!re presently in. "e as#s Mrs. *en about the vermillion powder used to create a red part in
her hair. *he says it is li#e a wedding ring, but one that won!t get lost in the dishwasher.
'hen $liot!s mother arrives, Mrs. *en offers her a snac#. $liot!s mother #nows she doesn!t li#e
the tastes and also that she has not ta#en a late lunch M her excuse for ta#ing only one or two
bites. %t home, $liot!s mother pours glasses of wine and eats bread and cheese, sometimes so
much that she is not hungry for the pi++a they order for dinner most nights.
Mrs. *en waits for $liot at the bus stop each day and each day they go directly to her car so she
may practice her driving. "e #nows that Mrs*en ta#es $liot driving because she is afraid. *he
as#s if everything will improve when she gets her license, as Mr. *en says. $liot responds that
she can go places. Mrs. *en then as#s how long it would ta#e to get to .alcutta M 97,777 miles at
J7 miles per hour. Mrs. *en is easily distracted behind the wheel, getting nervous by the main
road. $verything is too much for her.
Two things ma#e Mrs. *en happy M a letter from her family and fish from the seaside. 'hen a
letter arrives, Mrs. *en calls her husband and reads the contents word for word. The letters ma#e
her restless, and she ta#es $liot for a wal# around the campus. *he laments the birth of her
sister!s child as the girl will not #now her aunt for at least three years. Mrs. *en as#s if $liot
misses his mother these afternoons. The thought hadn!t occurred to him. *he says he is wise M he
already tastes the way things must be.
Mrs. *en calls the local fishmar#et each day to re/uest a whole, fresh fish that her husband will
pic# up. *he is a regular, #nown by the mar#et. %gain, she compares the fish available here to
those in .alcutta and declares them inferior. 8ne day the mar#et puts a fish on hold but Mr. *en
refuses to pic# it up. Mrs. *en begins to weep and then ta#es $liot into her room. *he flings her
beautiful saris on the bed. *he has nowhere to wear them, no pictures of her life she wants to
send to her family bac# home. Mr. *en begrudgingly arrives to ta#e her to the fish mar#et. Mrs.
*en refuses to drive. %t the mar#et, $liot watches her chat with the wor#ers.
Mrs. *en becomes despondent. *he refuses again to drive, she doesn!t prepare any lavish meals,
she switches on the television but doesn!t watch, and she lets tea grow cold on the counter. *he
plays a sad raga for $liot and then a tape of her family cataloguing the events of the day she left
India. *he identifies each family member and then translates the mundane events. The next day,
she repeats the tape but stops when her grandfather spea#s. $liot learns the man has ust died.
% wee# later, Mr. *en ta#es $liot and his wife bac# to the fish mar#et where they purchase a
large /uantity of fish. It is getting cold and the blustering winds ma#e Mrs. *en shiver with
delight. This is a good day. *he laughs at everything Mr. *en says and even allows for a
photograph to be ta#en. Mr. *en tells her to drive home and it is a disaster. *he goes too slowly,
becomes distracted by the radio, and finally pulls over to the side of the road. *he hates driving
and refuses to drive again.
Mrs. *en learns the bus route and begins to ta#e $liot to the shore herself. 1ut the passengers
complain about the smell of the fish, and Mrs. *en is confronted and embarrassed by the bus
driver. % few days later, when the next fish arrives, Mrs. *en tells $liot to put on his shoes. They
pile into the car and Mrs. *en attempts to merge onto the main road.
The accident happens /uic#ly. *tartled by another driver, Mrs. *en drives the car into a telephone
pole. 1oth she and $liot have minor scrapes and pains. Mr. *en is called and he reasons with the
police officer, explaining that she doesn!t have a license. "e ta#es them bac# to the *ens. Mrs.
*en prepares a snac# for $liot and then retreats to her bedroom. $liot can hear her crying. 'hen
his mother arrives, Mr. *en explains what happened and offers to reimburse her for the month.
0rom that day on, $liot wears a string around his nec# with his house #ey. "e was no longer to
be watched by a babysitter. 'hen his mother calls and as#s if he is o#ay, he stares out at the
choppy grey waves and declares he is fine.
%&%-?*I*
The process of assimilation if very difficult for Mrs. *en. ;nli#e the narrator of The Third and
0inal .ontinent or even -ilia!s parents, Mrs. *en finds it impossible to integrate into her new
country. "er refusal to learn how to drive is the culmination of her distress. "er frustration is
voiced loudly only to $liot, who is dealing with his own distress. There is a childish, tantrum-
li#e angle to Mrs. *en!s complaints. *he even remar#s to $liot that he is much wise than she was
at that age@ she never thought for a moment that she would be separated from her family. 'hile
the reader sympathi+es with her plight, her stubbornness seems greater than it need be. "er
husband tries to accommodate her, the policeman does not arrest or fine her for the accident, and
the wor#ers at the fishmar#et put product on hold for her. In the end, it is Mrs. *en!s
responsibility to ma#e an effort. ;nli#e Mala in The Third and 0inal .ontinent M who was
e/ually distraught about leaving her family M Mrs. *en does not try to adust. *he is trapped in a
cage of her own ma#ing.
%s in *exy, the main characters have mirror images within the story. "ere, $liot and Mrs. *en are
/uite similar. "e is trapped in his life as well. The loneliness and distress that Mrs. *en expresses
are familiar emotions. "e has front row seats for his mother!s sadness. ;nli#e Mrs. *en, $liot is
unable to tell anyone about his plight because, again unli#e Mrs. *en, he is truly powerless. The
sympathy one has for $liot reflects harshly on Mrs. *en as one reali+es that she could try. The
symmetry is evo#ed in anecdotes, li#e the parties that Mrs. *en and $liot experience. Mrs. *en!s
lively party in .alcutta is contrasted with $liot!s story as $liot is only a witness and not a
participant.
-ac# of communication is employed once again in Mrs. *en!s to create a sense of tragedy.
Though it is unclear how much Mr. *en #nows of his wife!s displeasure, $liot seems to bear the
brunt of her tantrums. In the very least, Mr. *en does not broadcast his wife!s problems. %fter the
accident, he tells $liot!s mother that his wife is sleeping although $liot hears her crying. $liot is
witness to both Mrs. *en!s and his mother!s despondence. $liot!s mother tells Mrs. *en that she
ate a big lunch when refusing her Indian snac#s. $liot #nows it!s an excuse because she doesn!t
li#e the flavors and that she eschews lunch to feast on wine, bread, and cheese when she gets
home from wor#@ her white lie is twofold. %t the end of the story, $liot assures his mother that he
is o#ay though he is clearly troubled. In Mrs. *en!s, honesty is not the policy.
&ature has a voice in Mrs. *en!s. The grey waves outside $liot!s window as he tells his mother
he!s fine represent the truth of his inner turmoil. The *ensA trip to the shore at the beginning of
winter is mar#ed by a violent and exciting wind. Though it would seem that Mrs. *en would
react negatively to the wind and cold, she delights in it. There is a possibility of her assimilation
to %merica if she allows herself to enoy the world around her.
%s Mrs. *en places so much weight on artifacts from her life in .alcutta, -ahiri /uite deftly
expresses meaning through obects throughout Mrs. *en!s. "er #itchen blade, the tape of her
family!s voice, the aerograms, and her saris exist in star# contrast to her %merican world. The
#nife has a history and triggers many happy tales for Mrs. *en. $liot marvels at both the blade
and her s#ill, but Mrs. *en will not let him come near. The #nife is a representation of her
adherence to her old ways and also the looming danger of her attachment. Mrs. *en see#s solace
in both the aerograms and the tape, but they are poor facsimiles of what she truly craves M face-
to-face communication with her family. 1y the time the letter is read Fand rereadG, the events that
are detailed in them have already happened. This echoes -ilia!s sentiment about life happening
on the other side of the world and in a different time. %fter the death of her grandfather, the tape
with his voice no longer soothes her. It becomes a representation of all she is missing. 'ithin this
period of grief, $liot notices the lampshades wrapped in plastic, casting a temporary and deathly
pall over the home. $ven the fish is a symbol of Mrs. *en!s unwillingness to assimilate. The fish
caught in the %tlantic 8cean can never compare to the fish caught in .alcutta. 'ith a different
attitude, these obects can all be transformed as part of her new life in %merica.
This %lessed &ouse
*;MM%,?
'hen moving into a new house, newlyweds Twin#le and *aneev find .hristian icons
everywhere. The first is a porcelain effigy of 4esus found next to a bottle of malt vinegar left in
the #itchen by the previous owners. *aneev tells his wife to throw both away, reminding her that
they are not .hristian. "e feels that he has had to remind Twin#le of the obvious several times
when moving in. 1ut Twin#le is attached to the figurine and places it on the mantle M which
*aneev notices needs dusting. 8ver the course of the wee#, Twin#le finds more items and places
each on the mantle. *aneev doesn!t understand why his wife is so charmed by the snow globes,
statuettes and >D postcards.
1y the end of the wee#, Twin#le grows dismayed that no other obects are hiding about. Then
she finds a tac#y poster of a crying 4esus and, with delight, announces she will hang it up.
*aneev, unpac#ing while listening to Mahler, puts his foot down. Twin#le pushes bac# and
decides to hang the poster in her study behind the door so it will remain hidden during their
housewarming party. *aneev sighs and thin#s about the piece he is listening to M a testament to
love. 0rom the bathrrom, Twin#le tells him she finds the music boring.
They bic#er about the mantle on their way to Manhattan for a night, Twin#le in high heels and
now taller than *aneev. "e doesn!t understand why she is content and curious about everything.
"e doesn!t understand why she doesn!t unpac# or clean or dust as she is home all day wor#ing
on a dissertation. Three days later, he comes home to a delicious fish stew concocted out of thin
air and with the vinegar *aneev implored Twin#le to throw away. The bread bas#et is covered
with a cloth bearing .hrist!s image. Twin#le calms him by saying that the house is blessed.
*aneev marvels at her behavior. &ic#named after a nursery rhyme, she has yet to lose her
childli#e endearment. They had only #nown each other for four months. Their parents, old
friends, arranged a meeting at the birthday party of one of the daughters in their circle. *aneev,
in .alifornia on business, began an intense long-distance relationship with Twin#le after that
night. They married in India shortly thereafter and Twin#le moved to .onnecticut M where she
#new no one. *aneev found the house before leaving for the wedding and determined that he
and his bride should live there forever.
% wee# before the housewarming party, Twin#le and *aneev ra#e the lawn of the golden leaves.
%cross the yard, Twin#le screams and *aneev runs over, thin#ing she has found a dead animal
or sna#e. Instead, she has found a bust of the Oirgin Mary. *he screams with delight and insists
on #eeping it on the property. 1ut *aneev is worried about what the neighbors will thin#, as they
are "indu and not .hristian. Twin#le doesn!t understand. *aneev, feeling as if he is getting
nowhere with this woman he barely #nows and yet shares his life with, wonders if they love one
another. *aneev only #nows for certain that love is not what he had in his old life M full of
ta#eout meals and classical .Ds arriving by mail. -ater, with Twin#le in the bath, *aneev
declares he is going to throw out the statue. *he rises up and marches downstairs in a towel. *he
tells *aneev she hates him, then collapses in his arms in tears. The statue ends up in an alcove
out of sight from the main road but still visible to all who visit their home.
The night of the housewarming party, Twin#le avoids removing the obects from the mantle and
*aneev hopes his guests M mostly colleagues M will notice the bones of the house more. 'hen
the guests arrive, Twin#le charms them easily. *aneev is as#ed if he is .hristian, but it is not as
big of an issue as it appears. "is friends are impressed by Twin#le, but he still feels a bit lost. "e
steals a moment alone in the #itchen. ,eplenishing the champagne from the cellar, he hears
Twin#le explain the figurines and how each day is li#e a treasure hunt.
*oon, she mobili+es the party to search the attic, much to *aneev!s dismay. 'hile everyone is in
the attic, he fantasi+es removing the ladder and truly having the house to himself. "e thin#s of
sweeping the figurines off of the mantle and into the trash in silence. *aneev finds Twin#le!s
discarded shoes and places them in the doorway of their master bedroom. 0or the first time since
they married, the shoes create a pang of anticipation in *aneev. "e thin#s of Twin#le slipping
her soles into the shoes, touching up her lipstic# and rushing to hand out their guests! coats at the
end of the night. It reminds him of the anticipation he would feel before one of their long tal#s
when she was still living in .alifornia.
Twin#le!s voice rings out. The party has found an enormous silver bust of 4esus in the attic. *he
as#s if they can put it on the mantle, ust for the night. *aneev hates it, especially because she
loves it so much, and he #nows it will never find a home in her study as she promises. "e #nows
she will have to explain to their guests to come, in their many years together. *he reoins the
party and he follows.
%&%-?*I*
This 1lessed "ouse is another exploration of love and marriage and the effects of
communication. *aneev and Twin#le are newlyweds who have #nown each other for only a
short time. Though their marriage is not an arranged one in the traditional sense, they are
matched by their parents and wed after only a brief, long-distance courtship. It is this long-
distance aspect to their relationship that both helps and hurts the marriage. Twin#le and *aneev
do not #now each other that well and both fail to live up to the other!s expectations of what a
husband or wife should be. Marriage in Interpreter of Maladies is often fraught with loneliness.
"ere, the communication brea#down that happens between the couple exacerbates *aneev!s
loneliness.
;ltimately, the pangs of anticipation that *aneev feels when she would visit from .alifornia are
revealed to be the spar#s of love at the end of the story. Throughout, *aneev doubts their
connection, commitment, and even the nature of love. 1ut he is a person who has never
experienced love and, in some ways, his story is his coming of age. Twin#le is more open to
contentment and wonder M which *aneev labels as (childish.) The fight that Twin#le initiates
actually starts a dialogue. In the end, there is acceptance on *aneev!s behalf of his wife!s
idiosyncrasies and one feels that they have happy years in their future, li#e Mala and her husband
and unli#e Mr. and Mrs. Das.
The religious iconography ir#s *aneev for several reasons. 0irst, Twin#le!s obsession with them
signifies their differing personalities. 0or Twin#le, the (treasure hunt) is a game of discovery.
0or *aneev, the leftover artifacts are mere trash. *aneev is concerned about how the pieces will
reflect on him. Trying to impress his cowor#ers is made difficult when he is concerned about
what the items say about him. *aneev bristles a bit when he has to explain that there are
.hristians in India. "e does not want to have to explain things relating to his culture as he is
trying to assimilate. "e introduces his wife under her given name of Tamina rather than Twin#le
because he is embarrassed to appear as anything other than a responsible %merican. In the end,
his acceptance of the items signal an acceptance of his wife, her idiosyncrasies, and the cultural
differences that should be celebrated rather than hidden.
%ll manner of Indian cuisine carry different emotions in This 1lessed "ouse. The stew that
Twin#le concocts using the vinegar that *aneev urges be thrown out ends up delicious M
evidence that her way of doing things may not be wrong after all. This meal can be compared to
the ta#e-out Indian meals that *aneev would pic# up in his bachelorhood. Those meals were
both comforting and lonely. %t the housewarming party, *aneev!s Indian male friends oin him
in the #itchen to snac# on the trays of homemade rice that he has prepared. That togetherness
occurs over food #nown to all is indicative of the comfort factor of one!s native food as seen in
-ahiri!s stories.
8bects also carry significance and reflect the emotions throughout the story. In particular, the
weeping 4esus poster that Twin#le insists on #eeping is a hit at the party. Twin#le does
compromise and hangs the poster on the bac# of the door to her study but then ends up pointing
the poster out to guests, to *aneev!s dismay. "er willingness to compromise is undone by her
going against his wishes. The Oirgin Mary statue found in the garden precipitates a fight between
the couple. Twin#le!s poetry boo# falls in to the bath, signifying both her carelessness and her
upset. 1ut the fight does unloc# the stalemate between the two.
The Treatment of %ibi&aldar
*;MM%,?
6:-year-old 1ibi "aldar is gripped by a mysterious ailment. Myriad tests and treatments have
failed to cure the woman. *he has been told to stand on her head, shun garlic, drin# egg yol#s in
mil#, to gain weight and to lose weight. The fits that could stri#e at any moment #eep her
confined to the home of her dismissive elder cousin and his wife. 1ibi #eeps the inventory of her
brotherAs cosmetics stall and is watched over by the women of their community. *he is provided
only meals and a room and a length of cotton to replenish her wardrobe each year. 1ibi sweeps
the store, wondering loudly why she was cursed to this fate, to be alone and ealous of the wives
and mothers around her.
The women come to the conclusion that she wants a man. 'hen they show her artifacts from
their weddings, 1ibi proclaims what her own wedding will loo# li#e. 1ibi is inconsolable at the
prospect of never getting married. The women try to calm her by wrapping her in shawls,
washing her face or buying her new blouses. %fter a particularly violent fit, her cousin "aldar
emerges to ta#e her to the polyclinic. % remedy is prescribed M marriage. (,elations will calm
her blood.)
1ibi is delighted by this news and begins to plan and plot the wedding and to prepare herself
physically and mentally. 1ut "aldar and his wife dismiss this possibility. *he is nearly >7, the
wife says, and uns#illed in the ways of being a woman. "er studies ceased prematurely, she is
not allowed to watch TO, she has not been told how to pin a sari or how to prepare meals. The
women don!t understand why, then, this reluctance to marry her off if she such a burden to
"aldar and his wife. The wife as#s who will pay for the weddingP
8ne morning, wearing a donated sari, 1ibi demands that "aldar ta#e her to be photographed so
her image can be circulated among the bachelors, li#e other brides-in-waiting. "aldar refuses. "e
says she is a bane for business, a liability and a loss. In retaliation, 1ibi stops calculating the
inventory for the shop and circulates gossip about "aldar!s wife. To /uiet her down, "aldar
places an ad in the paper proclaiming the availability of an (unstable) bride. &o family would
ta#e the ris#.
*till, the women try to prepare her for her wifely duties. %fter two months of no suitors, "aldar
and his wife feel vindicated. Things were not so bad when 1ibi!s father was alive. "e created
charts of her fits and wrote to doctors abroad to try to cure her. "e also distributed information to
the members of the village so they were aware of her condition. 1ut now only the women can
loo# after her while being than#ful, in private, that she is not their responsibility.
'hen "aldar!s wife gets pregnant, 1ibi is #ept away from her for fear of infecting the child. "er
plates are not washed with the others, and she is given separate towels and soap. 1ibi suffers
another attac# on the ban#s of the fish pond, convulsing for nearly two minutes. The husbands of
the village escort her home in order to find her rest, a compress, and a sedative tablet. 1ut "aldar
and his wife do not let her in. That night, 1ibi slept in the storage room.
%fter a difficult birth, "aldar!s wife delivers a girl. 1ibi sleeps in the basement and is not
allowed direct contact with the girl. *he suffers more, unchec#ed fits. The women voice their
concern but it goes unheeded. They decide to ta#e their business elsewhere and the cosmetics in
the stall soon expire on their shelves. In autumn, "aldar!s daughter becomes ill. 1ibi is blamed.
1ibi moves bac# into the storeroom and stops sociali+ing M and stops searching for a husband.
1y the end of the year, "aldar is driven out of business and he pac#s his family up and moves
away. "e leaves 1ibi behind with only a thin envelope of cash. There is no more news of them
and a letter written to 1ibi!s only other #nown relative is returned by the postal service. The
women spruce up the storeroom and send their children to play on their roof in order to alert
others in the event of an attac#. %t night, however, 1ibi is left alone. "aggard, she circles the
parapet but never leaves the roof.
In spring, vomit is discovered by the cistern and the women find 1ibi, pregnant. The women
search for traces of assault, but 1ibi!s storeroom is tidy. *he refuses to tell the women who the
father is, only saying that she can!t remember what happened. % ledger with men!s names lay
open near her cot. The women help her carry her son to term and teach her how to care for the
baby. *he ta#es "aldar!s old creams and wares out of the basement and reopens his shop. The
women spread the word and soon the stall is providing enough money for 1ibi to raise her boy.
0or years, the women try to sniff out who had disgraced 1ibi but to no avail. The one fact they
could agree upon is that 1ibi seemed to be cured.
%&%-?*I*
The malady that afflicts 1ibi"aldar has many possible interpretations. The undiagnosed ailment
sounds li#e epilepsy but also references female hysteria, a diagnosis of emotional imbalance in
women common in the Oictorian era, that would be remedied by sexually stimulating the patient.
0emale hysteria has long been discredited as based on misogynist interpretations of women!s
physical and emotional states. The cure that is ultimately suggested for 1ibi - (relations) -
echoes hysteria in both the treatment and diagnosis. That she is not diagnosed with epilepsy
signifies the poor health care that a woman in her position can receive. *he is paid only in room
and board and neglected by her cousinEboss. 1ibi!s class ma#es comprehensive health care
unattainable.
That the child (cures) 1ibi is an interesting notion. It gives legitimacy to the claim that she needs
(relations,) but it could also be interpreted in another way. %t first, 1ibi is viewed as not able to
ta#e care of herself. *he is given meager tas#s and not seen as worthy of marriage. 'hen she is
abandoned, first she withdraws. %fter the child, 1ibi has no choice but to put her life together in
order to ta#e care of her child. 1eing given responsibility for the first time in her life, 1ibi ta#es
control and proves her cousin wrong. %ll 1ibi needed was a chance and some trust. It is a
testament to the power of the individual and also the power of the women.
Hender roles are explored in The Treatment of 1ibi"aldar. The opinion that 1ibi can be cured
not by medicine but by a man is indicative of the male dominance in the town where 1ibi resides
and the anti/uated mentality of the villagers. There is much discussion about how 1ibi is not a
woman. 1iology is trumped by the learned activities relating to caring for men and children.
.oo#ing, sewing, pleasing a man and his family constitute (a woman.)
1ibi!s story is narrated by the women in her village who loo# after her. This compounds the
theories on gender roles present in the plot. 'omen have the authority in the narrative even if
they do not in their village. The women do wield whatever power they have. In retaliation of the
treatment of 1ibi, they withdraw their business from "aldar!s cosmetics shop, ruining him. 1ut
they only act collectively, not as individuals. The only men who are referenced are 1ibi!s
dismissive cousin and the mystery man who impregnates 1ibi. In the end, the childAs lac# of a
father is made irrelevant by the childAs whole village of mothers.
The narrative carefully avoids any implications regarding 1ibiAsimpregnancy. 'as she raped or
otherwise coerced into intercourse, by a stranger or potentially by her cousinP There is no
evidence to suggest so. There is also no evidence to suggest otherwise. 'e, and the women of the
town, are given no information with which to draw conclusions or even suspicions about the
babyAs father. It is as though the pregnancy were spontaneously generated. %s far as the
pregnancy as a narrative device is concerned, it was.
In its place in the story cycle, The Treatment of 1ibi"aldar har#ens bac# to % ,eal Durwan.
1oori Ma and 1ibi"aldar are similar characters M women who exist on the fringes of society and
blamed for events beyond their control. ;nli#e 1oori Ma, 1ibi is able to find a place for herself
in the world after the birth of her baby. 1ibi has the benefit of a village of support. 1ibi"aldar!s
neighbors do not suffer from class resentment and help her more than 1oori Ma!s.
The structure of The Treatment of 1ibi"aldar follows the natural rhythm of the yearly seasons.
1ibi!s attempts to find a husband occurs in the summer M when her father had determined her
worst attac#s occur. In the autumn, 1ibi is cast out when her niece falls ill. In the winter, she is
abandoned entirely. 1y the spring, she is pregnant and gives birth during the summer. The spring,
a time of rebirth, mar#s a new chapter in 1ibi!s life.
The title of the story contains a pun. 1ibi"aldarAs BtreatmentB refers both to the BrelationsB
prescribed to cure her condition, and the way she is treated by her cousin and by her community.
'e are as#ed to determine whether her treatment is ust better treatment.
The Third and )inal Continent
*;MM%,?
In 9:=<, an Indian man leaves his native country to sail to -ondon. "e studies at the -ondon
*chool of $conomics, sharing an apartment with a group of other expatriate 1engalis. 0ive years
later, at age >=, the man gets a ob offer from a library at MIT. %round the same time, his
marriage was arranged so he flies first to his wedding in .alcutta and then onwards to 1oston.
"e reads a guideboo# warning that %merica is less friendly than 1ritain. 8n the plane he learns
that two men have landed on the moon. "e studies the differences and expectations and finds a
cheap room at the ?M.% in .entral */uare for his first wee#s in the country.
The fist meal he has in %merica is a bowl of cornfla#es. "e is on a budget, resolving to spend
little money until his wife arrives, but the noise of Massachusetts %venue outside his window is
too much to bear. "e spends each day drin#ing tea out of a newly purchased thermos, reading the
1oston Hlobe cover to cover and then sleeping fitfully in his room. "e comes across an ad for a
room for rent and calls. "e is told the room is only rented to boys from "arvard or Tech FMITG.
"e ma#es an appointment for the following day.
"e finds the house with the room for rent on a pretty, tree-lined street. It would be the first
detached house he lived in, and the first home without Indians. The woman who owns the house
is the /uite old Mrs. .roft. *he is dressed as if she lived in the turn of the century. They tal# of
the moon landing and Mrs. .roft demands that the man call it (splendid.) The man is baffled, but
clearly she is impressed that he is punctual, that he declares the event (splendid,) and that he
does indeed wor# for MIT. "e moves in. warned against (no lady visitors.)
"e thin#s about his wife Mala in .alcutta awaiting her green card. %fter their wedding, she wept
every night thin#ing of her family only five miles away. "e reflects on the death of his mother,
which happened in the same bed, years before. *he had gone cra+y after the death of her husband
and it fell to the narrator to ta#e care of her and light her funeral pyre.
'hen the narrator moves in, he finds Mrs. .roft sitting on the piano bench. *he slaps the seat
next to her, imploring him to sit down. This becomes a routine, the pair sitting together for 97
minutes a day and declaring the moon wal# splendid. "e does not have the heart to tell her that
there is no longer a flag on the moon M that the astronauts too# it with them when they flew bac#
to earth. 'hen rent is due, instead of putting it on the ledge above the piano as re/uested, he
hands the envelope stuffed with dollar bills to Mrs. .roft. *he is confused and doesn!t ta#e it at
first. That night, when he returns from wor#, she is still holding the envelope. They do not tal#
about the moon wal#. *he tells him that what he had done was very #ind.
Mrs. .roft!s daughter "elen, dressed in modern clothes, comes to visit and to bring her mother
food. "elen tours the narrator!s room and they chat. *he says he is the first boarder her mother
has called a gentleman. Mrs. .roft yells for them to come downstairs and they fear the worst. 1ut
Mrs. .roft chides them for the indecency of a man and woman sharing a room without a
chaperone. The narrator helps "elen carry the groceries to the #itchen. The narrator is shoc#ed to
learn that Mrs. .roft is 97> years old. The piano, "elen explains, was the source of income when
Mrs. .roft was widowed. The narrator thin#s of his own mother, destroyed by her widowhood.
*ix wee#s are spent with the narrator worrying about Mrs. .roft!s health, but, ultimately, he has
no obligation to her. "e prepares for his wifeAs arrival from .alcutta, anticipating it as if simply
another season. "e sees an Indian woman wal#ing in .ambridge, an overcoat fastened over a
sari. % dog tugs at the free end of her sari and the narrator thin#s of Mala and the protection she
will need in her new home. "e moves into a furnished apartment found through the housing
office at MIT and says goodbye to Mrs. .roft without ceremony. .ompared to the century she
has lived, his six wee#s with her are a blin# of an eye.
The narrator meets Mala at the airport, also without fanfare. "e spea#s to her in 1engali M the
first time in %merica M and he ta#es her home. *he presents him with two blue sweaters she has
made him, but they fit poorly. It ta#es time for him to get used to having someone there,
anticipating his needs. "e and Mala are li#e strangers. "e reluctantly gives her a few dollars,
thin#ing only that it is a duty and, when he returns, he finds more #itchen tools and a tablecloth.
Mala is ma#ing the apartment their home. *till, they tal# little.
8ne day, the narrator suggests they go out. Mala dresses in a beautiful sari and parts her hair in
an elegant fashion. The narrator regrets the suggestion immediately, as she is overdressed. 1ut
they go wal#ing out into the balmy night. 0inding himself on her street, the narrator ta#es Mala
to Mrs. .roft!s house. "elen answers the door. "e is alarmed to reali+e that Mrs. .roft has
bro#en her hip. *he tells the narrator that she called the police and he responds (*plendidQ) Mala
laughs. Mrs. .roft tells Mala to stand up. Mrs. .roft appraises her and the narrator wonders if
she had ever seen a woman in a sari. 1ut Mrs. .roft is pleased M Mala is a ladyQ The narrator
laughs now, and he and Mala share a smile, the first real intimacy they!ve shared.
0rom that moment on, Mala and the narrator explore 1oston with each other and fellow
1engalis. The time is li#e a honeymoon. Month later, Mala consoles the narrator when he learns
that Mrs. .roft has died. *he is the first person he mourns in %merica. It is a sad milestone.
The narrator continues to present day, when he and Mala have been married for decades and can
barely remember a time when they didn!t #now each other. They have a son who attends
"arvard. They haven!t strayed much farther than 1oston, living outside of the city and still
remembering important landmar#s from their lives despite the changing city. "e and Mala have
chosen to live their lives in this country. The narrator #nows he is not the first person to see#
fortune in another country, another life. 1ut he still marvels at the distance traveled.
%&%-?*I*
%s the final story of Interpreter of Maladies, The Third and 0inal .ontinent leaves the reader
with a decidedly positive notion of the immigrant experience in %merica. The narrator recalls his
school days in -ondon, rooming with other expatriate 1engalis, with a wistful tone. %fter his
wedding, the narrator sits in bed poring over a guideboo# of the ;*%, excited about his future in
a new country. The only negative experience he has is at the ?M.%. The narrator cannot adust
to the noise outside of his window. It is a moment that recalls Mrs. *en!s line ($veryone, this
people. Too much in their world.) ,ather than hiding his head in the ground, however, the
narrator tries to ma#e good of it.
The narrator!s distress with the noise drives him to see# another residence. This leads her to Mrs.
.roft!s boarding house. Mrs. .roft ends up being the first person the narrator mourns in %merica.
.oupled with his ambivalence about Mala!s arrival, Mrs. .roft!s acceptance gives the narrator a
hope for his new country. %fter the death of his widowed mother, there is nothing that draws the
narrator to India. %gain, this is a contrast to both Mrs. *en and -ilia!s father. "e does not mourn
his past and his homeland and the family he has left behind. "e is more li#e -ilia!s mother who
understands that the opportunities afforded by a move to %merica outweighs the pull of the
homeland.
In The Third and 0inal .ontinent, positive assimilation occurs hand in hand with a healthy
marriage. %t first, Mala, li#e Mrs. *en, weeps for her family when she moves ust five miles
outside her ancestral home. 1ut when she arrives in .ambridge, she comes with two sweaters for
her husband. %lthough they do not /uite fit, Mala is ma#ing an effort. *he as#s for money and
spruces up the apartment and, importantly, adapts to her husband!s adherence to %merican
practices, foods, and customs. ;nli#e Mrs. *en, Mala is willing to put in an effort.
'hen the narrator ta#es his wife out for a day, he is at first dismayed at her dress. ,ather than
dressing casually, Mala puts on a beautiful sari, parts her hair in a special way, and applies
ewelry fit for a night at a nice restaurant. The narrator feels a bit of unease in his relationship. It
was an arranged marriage, and the two are strangers. "e thin#s only of the burden of ta#ing care
of her and of educating them both in %merican custom. 8n their time out, the narrator suddenly
wants to show Mala his old haunts@ he wants her to understand his past. %t Mrs. .roft!s, the two
share their first meaningful glances and laughs. These moments of shared experience create
intimacy and their marriage truly begins in Mrs. .roft!s home.
Mrs. .roft also calls Mala a (perfect lady.) Mrs. .roft, born in the 9N77s, has anti/uated views
of how women should dress. %t first, the narrator is worried about what Mrs. .roft will thin# of
his wife M as *aneev worries about his colleagues! reaction to Twin#le. 1ut Mrs. .roft finds her
elegant and appropriately dressed. This moment of acceptance is an important one in the overall
arc of assimilation. 1eing accepted by someone with even outdated opinions can lead one to
believe that they will be accepted by everyone. It helps that the narrator and his wife live in
(international) .ambridge, but it is crucial that they are open to this acceptance, lest they end up
li#e Mrs. *en.
Mrs. .roft marvels at the thought of an %merican flag on the moon, prompting the narrator to
respond (splendid) every time the subect is mentioned. 1eing born in the 9N77s, Mrs. .roft has
seen an incredible amount of progress and human achievement unfold in front of her eyes. The
moon wal# to her is unthin#able. The coda at the end of The Third and 0inal .ontinent reveals
the narrator is now an older man choosing to grow old with Mala in &ew $ngland rather than
return to India. They have a son who attends "arvard@ their life is in %merica. To the narrator, the
achievements of his own life are ust as extraordinary as &eil %rmstrong!s. "e says he #nows he
is not the first person to see# a new life in a new land, but every life is a miracle. This coda
leaves the reader with a satisfied and optimistic view of life following some tragedies both maor
and minor. -ahiri!s ultimate message is that life is unpredictable, carrying great sorrow and love,
but special and extraordinary.
The !artition of *ndia, 1234
%t midnight on %ugust 9Jth, 9:<K, 5a#istan was created. 'ith the Indian Independence %ct of
9:<K, the release of control by the 1ritish would also split what was #nown as 1ritish India into
two distinct countries whose borders were determined by the religious groups that most densely
populated the areas. The ;nion of India Flater ,epublic of IndiaG would be secular but with a
"indu maority and Muslims would control the Dominion of 5a#istan Flater divided further still
into 5a#istan and 1angladesh.G The states of 1engal and 5unab were also sliced in two along the
,adcliffe -ine, as well as the %rmy, Treasury, &avy, and ,ailway industry.
Hrowing tensions between "indus and Muslims throughout the 9:<7s precipitated the desire for
a Muslim state. Muhammad %li 4innah, who is regarded as the father of 5a#istan, believed that a
unified nation would only lead to marginali+ation of Muslims and, eventually, violence and civil
war. %n independent state seemed a solution to this danger.
"owever, the division of the country led to the displacement of millions of people. "indus and
Muslims who suddenly found themselves in different countries on %ugust 9Jth fled their home in
fear of violence. The refugees were housed in military barrac#s. The population of cities li#e
Delhi swelled with the influx of "indus. *uddenly people had to choose how to define
themselves - by their homeland or their religion. ;prooted from their homes, refugees were
forced to ma#e a new life in a fledgling country. Many became homeless overnight.
*everal conflicts and wars have followed 5artition and tensions between the countries seem to
escalate every year. $xplosions of violence happen periodically, as they have in the more than J7
years since 5artition, including the orchestrated attac#s in Mumbai in &ovember of 677N.
5a#istani extremists claimed responsibility for the attac#, targeting a railway station and hotels
and cafes fre/uented by foreigners. &early >77 people were #illed.
.onceived to prevent sectarian violence, 5artition instead sto#ed flames between "indus and
Muslims by forcing a division between them.
BMy whole soul rebels against the idea that "induism and Islam represent two antagonistic
cultures and doctrines. To assent to such a doctrine is for me a denial of Hod.B
- Mohandas HandhiAs reaction to the proposal of a separate Muslim state.
In the collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, 4humpa-ahiri uses food and dining as a
vehicle to display the deterioration of familial bonds, community, and culture through the
transition from Indian to %merican ways of life. This is most evident in the short stories (%
Temporary Matter,) ('hen Mr. 5ir+ada .ame to Dine,) and (Mrs. *en!s.)
In (% Temporary Matter,) *hoba and *hu#umar have grown estranged from one another, despite
being married and living together. They no longer eat meals together or coo# together, until they
receive a notice that repair wor#ers will cut their power for an hour every night, which forces
them to eat together by candlelight3 (Tonight, with no lights, they would have to eat together.
0or months now they!d served themselves from the stove, and he!d ta#en his plate into his study,
letting the meal grow cold on his des# before shoving it into his mouth without pause, while
*hoba too# her plate to the living room and watched game shows, or proofread files with her
arsenal of colored pencils at hand) F-ahiri NG. -ahiri uses this as an example to show how
modern %merican relationships often fall apart, partially as a result of For resulting inG the lac# of
family dinners. In M.*.%. ,ao!s contributions to 0ood, *ociety, and .ulture, he states, (if a shift
in residence occurs across the cultural regions, then the /uestion whether the migrants retain the
same food habits or change in favor of the dietary style of the locals in the new place of
residence, becomes a significant one) FKhare and ,ao 966G. In this story, *hoba, more than
*hu#umar, appears to have adopted a relatively local dietary habit.
The first night with no power, *hu#umar puts out placemats, ma#es an expansive dinner, brea#s
out a bottle of wine, and lights candles. *hoba shows surprise at this when she sees it,
compliments his wor#, and than#s him. This enforced dinner brings the two of them closer
together than they have been for months, and the resulting conversation is therapeutic to their
relationship. %s the wee# goes on, they both loo# forward to these meals@ *hoba comes home
earlier than usual, *hu#umar goes to the mar#et to pic# up special food items, and their
conversations deepen. -ahiri demonstrates here how their relationship improves with the time
spent together over these meals.
-ahiri also uses the preparation of food in (% Temporary Matter) as a measure of one!s affection
for another. *hu#umar dutifully coo#s dinners for *hoba, noting (if it weren!t for himR*hoba
would eat a bowl of cereal for her dinner) F-ahiri NG. This is a demonstration of his concern for
*hoba!s health, as he ma#es certain that she eats complete meals, even though he could easily
ma#e cheap microwave dinners or ust leave her to her own means. -ater, he reminisces that
(for their first anniversary *hoba had coo#ed a ten-course dinner ust for him) F-ahiri 9NG, while
for their most recent anniversary she bought him a sweater. -ahiri shows here that the time and
effort put into preparing a meal for a loved one helps to #eep the relationship strong.
In ('hen Mr. 5ir+ada .omes to Dine,) even -ilia!s initial description of Mr. 5ir+ada shows how
integral food is in Indian culture. *he notes that he carries a photo in his wallet of his daughters
(at a picnic, their braids tied with ribbons, sitting cross-legged in a row, eating chic#en curry off
of banana leaves) F-ahiri 6<G. Throughout her relationship with him, -ilia associates Mr.
5ir+ada with the sweets he always brings her when he comes to dine, and describes his gifts as a
(steady stream of honey-filled lo+enges, raspberry truffle, CandD slender rolls of sour pastilles)
F-ahiri 6:G. *he considers these candies highly valuable, and (inappropriateRto consumeRin a
casual manner) F-ahiri 6:G.
-ilia also describes the lengths to which her mother went to prepare meals3 (0rom the #itchen
my mother brought forth the succession of dishes3 lentils with fired onions, green beans with
coconut, fish coo#ed with raisins in a yogurt sauce) F-ahiri >7G. -ahiri uses this to expand upon
dining traditions in India, where every meal was important and re/uired hours of wor#. -ilia
mentions early on that her mother complains about neighbors never dropping by, and that her
parents would hunt through the phone boo# for Indian surnames to find potential friends of the
same heritage. This is attributable to the fact that ac/uaintances held dinners more often in
India. In The Migrant!s Table, Krishnedu ,ay!s study of 1engali-%merican households, he
notes3 (women do express and maintain their social position in the community through food
wor#. They #eep account of friends and neighbors who have invited them for dinner and the
number of times they have been invited)
%dditionally, one of the few %merican traditions that -ilia!s family adopts is that of "alloween3
one involving food li#e pump#in seeds and candy. %t the end of the story when -ilia!s family
receives word from Mr. 5ir+ada that he had reunited with his family and all of them were well,
-ilia!s family commemorates the occasion with food. *he notes that3 (to celebrate the good
news my mother prepared a special dinner that evening, and when we sat down to eat at the
coffee table we toasted out water glasses) F-ahiri <6G. -ahiri uses -ilia!s family and Mr. 5ir+ada
to show the vital role that food and dining plays in Indian culture.
In (Mrs. *en!s,) dining yet again plays a central role. Mrs. *en constantly labors away over
meals, a mar# of her dedication to her family and the little boy under her charge. $liot finds this
the most fascinating thing about her3
("e especially enoyed watching Mrs. *en as she chopped things, seated on newspapers on the
living room floor. 0acing the sharp edge Cof the bladeD without ever touching it, she too# whole
vegetables between her hands and hac#ed them apart3 cauliflower, cabbage, butternut s/uash.
*he split things in half, then /uarters, speedily producing florets, cubes, slices, and shreds. *he
could peel a potato in seconds) F-ahiri 99<G.
The blade mentioned in this scene plays a very important role in Mrs. *en!s culture. *he tells
$liot of its significance in India during weddings or large celebrations3 (all the neighborhood
womenRbring blades ust li#e this one, and then they sit in an enormous circle of the roof of our
building, laughing and gossiping and slicing fifty #ilos of vegetables through the night) F-ahiri
99JG. 'ith this, -ahiri shows that such strong sense of community is lost in %merica, as Mrs.
*en chops her vegetables alone and painfully misses her country. This point is reinforced by
$liot!s mention of Mrs. *en insisting that (his mother sit on the sofa, were she was served
something to eat3 a glass of bright pin# yogurt with rose syrup, breaded mincemeat with raisins, a
bowl of semolina halvah) F-ahiri 99NG. This #ind gesture from Mrs. *en is a mar# of her
courtesy, and of her loneliness, that she has no guests to coo# for other than the mother of the
boy she watches. ,ay states in The Migrant!s Table that the results of a survey conducted
indicated (many of the female respondents considered dinner2the most labor-intensive part of
the daily meal cycle2to be very important in a #eeping the family together) F96JG. Mrs. *en
embodies this consideration perfectly. -ahiri also comments here on the distant nature of
%merican mothers3 (the first thing she did when they were bac# at the beach house was pour
herself a glass of wine and eat bread and cheese, sometimes so much of it that she wasn!t hungry
for the pi++a they normally ordered for dinner) F-ahiri 99NG. -ahiri uses $liot!s mother and her
failure to prepare a proper meal for her son as an example of a careless parent.
-ahiri also uses Mrs. *en to show how important food is to Indian culture, by the lengths to
which Mrs. *en is willing to go to ac/uire it. 'hen the man who runs the fish mar#et calls to
say that he has a whole fish for her, she is delighted and flattered. 'hen her husband will no
longer go to the mar#et to retrieve it for her, she steps out of her area of comfort and ta#es a bus
out to the seaside. %fter receiving an unpleasant experience on the bus, Mrs. *en wor#s past her
fear and hatred of driving to try to ma#e it to the fish mar#et on her own. The importance of this
particular dish to her is enough to bring her to this desperate act, despite the fact that she has no
license. It is also worth noting that Mrs. *en #eeps her free+er stoc#ed with popsicles, perhaps
because ice cream and sorbets are a novelty in India FOisser 6NN-6N:G.
Throughout the entirety of Interpreter of Maladies, 4humpa-ahiri uses the food customs and
dining traditions of her Indian-%merican characters to illuminate the importance of family and
community. ,ay /uotes %lice 'aters, a chef and culinarian in The Migrant!s Table3 S(If you see
the same ingredients every place you go you lose a sense of time and place. Then nothing is
special!) F,ay 9>6G. "e explains, (that is exactly why immigrants crave some of the distinctive
products of their homeland, notwithstanding time or place) F,ay 9>6G. -ahiri shows how
immigrants! assimilation into the fast-paced, time-consuming, and generally demanding
%merican society can create a struggle to retain a sense of culture and identity2 a sense strongly
reinforced by the presence of traditional foods and dining customs.