Interpreter of Maladies Essay - 1637 Words

Symbolism is an important factor in many stories. In â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies†, the author, Jhumpa Lahiri, uses the symbol to represent her idea. In the story, the main character, Mr. Kapasi, is an Indian tour guide who accompanies the Das family on their way to see the Sun Temple at Konarak. Mr. Kapasi is an intelligent and knowledgeable man. He was once fluent in many languages but now speaks only English. He wanted to be a diplomat once but now he works as an interpreter in a doctor’s office. Mr. and Mrs. Das are young couple with three kids. Mr. Kapasi feels that they are more likely to be brother and sister to the kids than parents. The story’s central conflict focuses on the marriage situation because both the protagonist, Mr.†¦show more content†¦His arranged marriage is struggling because his wife cannot recover from her sorrow over the loss of their young son. Mrs. Das’s sudden interest in his job makes him start his romantic imagina tion journey. When the Das family has lunch, Mr. Kapasi is invited to join with them. Then, they take the photograph which Mr. Kapasi happens to sit next to Mrs. Das. At the time, Mr. Kapasi feels that he is the best match with Mrs. Das as both of them have the same maritally unsatisfied circumstances. Mrs. Das asks for Mr. Kapasi’s address to send the photograph that they have taken. For her, asking Mr. Kapasi’s address is nothing, but for Mr. Kapasi, writing his address on the scrap paper becomes the way to begin his romantic relationship. The scrap paper also represents the future communication for Mr. Kapasi to have relationship affair with Mrs. Das. Effective communication is an important characteristic to build a strong and happy family. However, Mr. Kapasi has lost his ability to communicate with his wife. The narrator indicates that Mr. Kapasi has to spend his evening with enjoying â€Å"the evening newspaper and a cup of tea that his wife would serve him in silence† (554). As Mr. Kapasi’s marriage is not a happy marriage, he was thinking that the world is not fair for him as he has to drink his tea in silence and he is in a loveless marriage. Similarly, Mrs. Das also doesn’t want to communicate with herShow MoreRelatedInterpreter Of Maladies1587 Words   |  7 Pagesauthors; Interpreter of Maladies by Jumpa Lahiri (1967) and Imaginary Homelands by Salman Rushdie (1947). Jhumpa Lahiri is an Indian descent, born in London and raised by Bengali parents. Salman Rushdie is a British-Indian nove list who was born in Bombay, India. All his writing inspiration came from traveling experience. His books have been translated into over forty languages and he has received many awards for his books and novels. Summary of the Interpreter of Maladies â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies†Read MoreConflict In Interpreter Of Maladies774 Words   |  4 PagesSydney Goren Miss Holmes English II 20 October 2017 Conflict in Interpreter of Maladies Many of the stories in Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri include a fundamental composition of literary elements, such as conflict which readers see in both â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† and â€Å"A Temporary Matter†. Lahiri shows the difficulty of communication which overtime turn into the destruction of the entire relationship. For instance, readers see difficulty in communication when Shukumar and Shoba becomeRead MoreInterpreter Of Maladies Summary1556 Words   |  7 Pagessupport each other; and it allows us to organize our lives and make decisions. Effective communication is based on the way we talk and listen, how we respond and our body language. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories â€Å"A Temporary Matter† and â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† lack of communication has taken place in both of the couples relationships. In both short stories the couples has a misconception about someone that leads to unhappiness. The misconception of the relationships is portrayed in both the storiesRead MoreInterpreter Of Maladies1268 Words   |  6 Pagesstories of Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. Human vulnerability glimmers in the dark, while harsh public facades gloom over the daylight. Lahiri utilizes darkness to display true selves, personalities the individual desires to be seen are showcased using light. These devices are especially relevant in the text which is a tribute to human emotion and interaction as well as the power knowledge as on the heart. Two stories this is mainly true in are â€Å"A Temporary Matter† and â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies†Read MoreInterpreter Of Maladies Essay1398 Words   |  6 Pagesdespite him being married to another women. Mr. Kapasi in â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† found affection towards a woman who was cold towards her family, but was warm and showed great interest in him. He had started to believe she was different and admired her interest in him. However, like many times in literature, all seemingly good things take an unexpected turn for the characters learn from. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s works â€Å"Sexy† and â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies,† both leading characters felt deceived at the end ofRead MoreInterpreter of Maladies Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pagesof Marriage Communication is one of the most important things to us keep connected to other people. If we fail to communicate with others, we will fail in many ways such as failure in romance. In the book Interpreter of Maladies with the tittle â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† by Jhumpa Lahiri, the difficulty of communication becomes one of the problems. Mr. Kapasi feels lonely in his life and in his marriage because he lost his ability to communicate with his wife. However, Mrs. Das is a selfishRead MoreThe Interpreter Of Maladies By Jhumpa Lahiri870 Words   |  4 Pagesthese two stories gave one a very good perspective on what immigrants have to endure in order to achieve success in a new place. Two of the best representations of how Americans are observed when in a foreign country. The author of â€Å"The Interpreter of Maladies is Jhumpa Lahiri. Born in London and raised in Rhode Island, Jhumpa, whose real name is Nilanjana Sudheshna Lahiri. Jhumpa is a nickname given by he r family. â€Å"Jesus Shaves† author David Sedaris comes from a his middle-class upbringingRead MoreInterpreter Of Maladies By Jhumpa Lahiri1284 Words   |  6 Pagesfor couples to share the blame for issues that arise. However, through the stories in Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri it becomes clear that there is often one one individual who insights these problems. In â€Å"A Temporary Matter†, the main character, Shukumar, is mourning the his child who was stillborn and allowing his insecurities to distance him from his wife, Shoba. The story â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† describe the crisis of a middle aged man, Mr. Kapsi, whose unsupportive marriage causesRead MoreInterpreter Of Maladies By Jhumpa Lahiri2176 Words   |  9 PagesIn â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies†, Jhumpa Lahiri uses both art and language as symbols of the difficulty of belonging when stuck between two or more cultures. Born in London from Indian parents, then raised in t he United States, Lahiri puts in this story her own feeling or removal into the characters: The Das, visiting a country that has become more foreign than homely; and Mr. Kapasi, who struggles to claim his identity through language and translation. Bilbro argues that a lot of Lahiri scholarhipRead MoreInterpreter Of Maladies By Jhumpa Lahiri1609 Words   |  7 Pagesliving or interacting in a new environment surrounded by unfamiliar and distinct people, one may feel culturally out of place. That is exactly the theme Jhumpa Lahiri describes in each of her stories, â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies,† â€Å"Mrs. Sen’s,† and â€Å"The Third and Final Continent.† In â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies†, we get a clear picture that the Das family, who are Indian-American, are the ones displaced here. We can see this throughout the behaviors that the Das family expresses in their trip around India