Setting:“Interpreter of Maladies”

[Anthony Bizzaro]

Mar 21, 2022 20:09:39 GMT -8 Andrew Collard said:

In the Interpreter of Maladies the shift in setting from Mr. Kapasi’s car to the Sun temple communicates a shift in the story by giving Mrs Das a reason to think about the life that she has and its meaning to her. At the beginning, Mr. Kapasi’s car provides a topic of argument between Mr. and Mrs. Das, complaining about the overwhelming heat, "Isn’t this an air-conditioned car?" she asked, still blowing on her Hand. he responds "Quit complaining," Mr. Das said. "It isn’t so hot." The setting of the car is compact and emphasizes the uncomfortability that Mrs. Das feels around her husband. Mrs Das is really only able to think pessimistically and isn’t able to capture the true beauty of India around her and this portrays a very Americanized mindset as being inside the vehicle separates the family from the outside or diversified thinking. In relation to her marriage, she is only able to think about the absence of love but as they arrive to the Sun Temple and sees the “the countless friezes of entwined naked bodies, making love in various positions, women clinging to the necks of men, their knees wrapped eternally around their lovers’ thighs,'' it introduces her to a different culture’s view about marriage. The setting of the statues at the temple convey the importance of an everlasting bond between a man and a woman to Indian culture And this is evident when Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi are alone in the vehicle because she confides in him in a way that shows her distress, only after seeing the “friezes”, suggesting that Mr. Kapasi find her “some type of remedy.” Mrs. Das finds the only way to make herself feel better is to find her place in her family. Shown by her fear for Bobby as he was being surrounded by monkeys, even saying "Poor Bobby, Come here a second. Let Mommy fix your hair.” In the car Mrs. Das acted as if she had no attachment to her children, and this shift in setting shifts her perspective to one that sees the positive aspects of her relationship. Alternatively, we never see a great change in Mrs. Das, but the mother she portrays to be at the end of the story contradicts the role she played at the beginning.

I like how you point out that bobby, one of the original causes of the relationship's strain from Mrs. Das's cheating, is one of the driving forces that pulls Mrs. Das and Mr. Das back together. I think it leaves the ending open to whether or not actual change will happen while it points to it, based on Mrs. Das's past actions we can't be sure.

[Anthony Bizzaro]

Mar 21, 2022 21:16:35 GMT -8 Celina Espanta said:

The change in setting matches with the shift in the story as the more Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das spend more time with each other throughout the day, their perception of one another drastically differs. During the bright day, they begin to form a fondness for one another as Mr. Kapasi talks about his job as an interpreter to which Mrs. Das replies by calling it "romantic." Mr. Kapasi's interest in Mrs. Das was first shown when the text states, "The signs he recognized from his own marriage were there- the bickering, the indifference, the protracted silences." (19). Mr. Kapasi recognizes the difference in treatment from Mrs. Das to himself and her own husband, he takes note of how interested she seems as she listens to him attentively. Mr. Kapasi sees a connection with Mrs. Das as they are both in the same situation - an unsatisfying marriage. The text states, "Unlike the other women, who had an interest only in the temple, and kept their noses buried in a guidebook, or their eyes behind the lens of a camera, Mrs. Das had taken an interest in him." (23) Due to Mr. Kapasi's wife not paying any mind to him and his job, it is significant that another lady is giving him what he's been yearning for which creates a large infatuation in Mrs. Das. Though, as the darkness of night begins to replace the daylight, these bright perceptions of one another begin to shift into distasteful ones. After Mrs. Das shares a secret that she's never told anyone to Mr. Kapasi, it completely disintegrates his feelings for her as it states, "Mr. Kapasi felt insulted that Mrs. Das should ask him to interpret her common, trivial little secret." (27) It's revealed that each party saw the other in a different light. Mr. Das believed that they shared a common aspect that connected them together, while Mrs. Das saw Mr. Kapasi as someone who could help "cure" her problem.

I like the you draw parallels between Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das's relationship, it's interesting how while both may be in similar situations the story highlights Mrs. Das as more the bad guy when in actuality both Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das would equally be responsible for the situation between them.

[Makayla Hernandez]

In “Interpreter of Maladies,” the different settings add onto the relationship between each of the characters. When we as readers are first introduced to the Das family, consisting of Mr. Das, Mrs. Das, and their three young children–Tina, Bobby, and Ronny, a chaotic, odd interaction is observed between them all from Mr. Kapasi, who is their personal driver as the Das family goes on the trip. He even observes them as a classic American family from television, bickering being a new concept between two parents in front of their children. From the tea stall to the car, the obvious avoidance of the responsibilities within Mr. Das and Mr. Das still stay consistent, which reveals that even out in public, they still try to do the bare minimum. Seeing such an odd sight through Mr. Kapasi’s thoughts furthermore isolates the parenting techniques of Americans as a whole; in Asian cultures, it is a given that guardians guide their offspring in order to assure that they will be well-off on their own (even to the extent of being “helicopter parents”). From the view outside the bus and when they go down to see monkeys, Mr. Das is glued to the setting around him, taking photos of everything. Although, he fails to acknowledge the other individuals around him, neglecting his sons and wife. Mrs. Das similarly shows the same attitude towards her daughter when she “pulled out a bottle of colorless nail polish… [and t]he little girl stuck out a hand, [saying, ‘]Mine too. Mommy, do mine too[‘]” but she continued to reply with "Leave me alone…You’re making me mess up’" (15). The neglect from her own husband has been projected onto her children, since he too puts forth the same attitude, and redirects it towards her flirty conversation with Mr. Kapasi, learning that she may be deprived of affection and is not ready to fulfill her parenting duties.

[Anshul Joshi]

In the short story, "Interpreter of Maladies" the author uses shifts in character and setting to reveal otherwise hidden emotions within the Das' and Mr. Kapasi. To start, the first shift seen in the text can be a shift in dialect from Mrs. Das. This shift can be seen when she talks to Mr. Das compared to Mr. Kapasi. When talking to Mr. Das, her replies seem to be hostile, short and uninterested as if she is dreading the conversation with him. On the other hand, when talking to Mr. Kapasi, her replies are a lot more attentive and she pays more attention to the things he is saying while asking more questions to get to know him more. Another shift that can be seen is a shift in setting, going from the tea stall to the car ride. The tea stall started some of the tension, however, when in the car, all they did was bicker with one another. Mr. Kapasi noted them to be behaving like older siblings rather than mature parents. Then going to sun temple, both parents not only neglect one another, but their kids as well. They act as if they are completely over them and want nothing more to do with them. They are both absent from each others lives and put their attention towards other things which causes problems in the relationship.

[Carl Yin]

In the story of "Interpreter of Maladies' ', the author starts the story with an argument between Mr. and Mrs. Das in a RV. This is shown when he says that "At the tea stall Mr. and Mrs. Das bickered about who should take Tina to the toilet" (12). After the introduction we know that the story is taking place in a car and Mr. and Mrs. Das are irresponsible parents because they are both unwilling to take their own child to the toilet. Moreover, when Mr. and Mrs. Das were on a tour guided by Mr. Kapasi, they had numerous arguments. On the way to the temple, the temperature in the car is high. Mrs. Das complains that ""Isn’t this an air-conditioned car?" (16). Mr. Das replies that "'Quit complaining,' Mr. Das said. 'It isn’t so hot' (16). Mrs. Das shouts to Mr. Das that ""I told you to get a car with air-conditioning,' Mrs. Das continued.
'Why do you do this, Raj, just to save a few stupid rupees. What are you saving us, fifty cents?'" (16). Throughout this intense argument, it is clear that the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Das is on the edge of breaking up. There's no tolerance, respect, and no romance in this relationship, which the bad relationship is a foreshadow for the following plot that Mrs. Das would flirt with Mr. Kapasi and cheats on Mr. Das.

[Megyn Salley]

Within "Interpreter of Maladies," the shift within setting works to convey the relationships and dynamics between both Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das as well as the family as a whole. The first scene of Mr. Kapasi picking the Das family up for the first time is used as a sort of introduction, using the thoughts of Mr. Kapasi to thoroughly describe the features and actions that he observes of them. This quickly intensifies when Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das start to interact in the car-- which serves as a transition point not only between places but between shifts in relationships. This is where they start to get close, and where Mr. Kapasi starts to think romantically of Mrs. Das. As we get to the Sun Temple, their dynamic quickly intensifies and we can see the growing interest between Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das as well as the dullness between the actual couple of Mr. and Mrs. Das. Finally, when they get to the area with all of the monkeys, Mrs. Das opens up and becomes vulnerable to Mr. Kapasi, almost treating him like a parental figure whom she's using for advice. This quickly changes everything the plot line has lead up to in terms of the dynamic between Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das, but it gives insight to what's truly happening within the Das family itself. Thus, the setting is thoroughly used to show shifts in characters and interactions, and it also advances and flips the storyline at points where the tension has built up. The setting is used to emphasize important events, but also give privacy to the intimate conversations between the characters.

[Anuthmi Waas]

In the "Interpreter of Maladies'' the shift in setting within the story from the car to the Sun Temple and to watch the monkeys reveals the true nature of Mr. and Mrs. Das' relationship and their family relationship as well as the subtle development that Mrs. Das undergoes. At the beginning when they first enter the car, Mrs Das complains "Isn't this an air-conditioned car" to which Mr. Das tells her to stop complaining. This small conversation is very reflective of Mr. and Mrs. Das' time in the cab, as they seem to merely tolerate each other. Complaining about something that Mr. Das purchased, the tour displays Mrs. Das' disapproval of Mr. Das and even further shows their complex relationship. This disapproval from Mrs. Das seems to extend further than her own husband, as in the cab, she is very short and somewhat ignorant towards her children. In fact, she only seems to show some friendliness inside the cab when talking to Mr. Kapaski. Initially, this reveals that the family is not close and is likely very fractured. Once the setting changes to the Sun Temple, Mrs. Das seems to spend more time with Mr. Kapaski than her family as "She was lost behind her sunglasses, ignoring her husband’s requests that she pose for another picture, walking past her children as if they were strangers." Even at the sun temple, Mrs. Das appears to be separate from her family. This represents how the relationship between Mr and Mrs Kapaski is not well and continually fractured. However, at the final setting in the short story, Mrs Das runs to her family to console her son who is hurt. This represents how fractured the family and Mr and Mrs Das' relationship seems, they will ultimately come back to one another. This is reaffirmed as Mr. Kapaski's phone number and address float away, while the family is all together and taking care of one of their own. This also shows the growing of Mrs. Das as she realizes her family may not always be constant and is something she should appreciate and love.

[Anuthmi Waas]

Mar 23, 2022 7:14:05 GMT -8 Anshul Joshi said:

In the short story, "Interpreter of Maladies" the author uses shifts in character and setting to reveal otherwise hidden emotions within the Das' and Mr. Kapasi. To start, the first shift seen in the text can be a shift in dialect from Mrs. Das. This shift can be seen when she talks to Mr. Das compared to Mr. Kapasi. When talking to Mr. Das, her replies seem to be hostile, short and uninterested as if she is dreading the conversation with him. On the other hand, when talking to Mr. Kapasi, her replies are a lot more attentive and she pays more attention to the things he is saying while asking more questions to get to know him more. Another shift that can be seen is a shift in setting, going from the tea stall to the car ride. The tea stall started some of the tension, however, when in the car, all they did was bicker with one another. Mr. Kapasi noted them to be behaving like older siblings rather than mature parents. Then going to sun temple, both parents not only neglect one another, but their kids as well. They act as if they are completely over them and want nothing more to do with them. They are both absent from each others lives and put their attention towards other things which causes problems in the relationship.

I fully agree with Anshul's post, I think the shifts in setting heavily display and represent the nature of the Mrs. Das and Kapaski's relationship, and that it does this by drawing to light the contradiction in the relationship of Mr and Mrs Das and their bickering, arguing relationship. This relationship is displayed as very heavy on bickering whereas her conversations with Mr. Kapaski are confiding and almost sweet. This may show how Mrs. Das wants something different that she does not have in a relationship.

[Anuthmi Waas]

Mar 22, 2022 20:44:29 GMT -8 Makayla Hernandez said:

In “Interpreter of Maladies,” the different settings add onto the relationship between each of the characters. When we as readers are first introduced to the Das family, consisting of Mr. Das, Mrs. Das, and their three young children–Tina, Bobby, and Ronny, a chaotic, odd interaction is observed between them all from Mr. Kapasi, who is their personal driver as the Das family goes on the trip. He even observes them as a classic American family from television, bickering being a new concept between two parents in front of their children. From the tea stall to the car, the obvious avoidance of the responsibilities within Mr. Das and Mr. Das still stay consistent, which reveals that even out in public, they still try to do the bare minimum. Seeing such an odd sight through Mr. Kapasi’s thoughts furthermore isolates the parenting techniques of Americans as a whole; in Asian cultures, it is a given that guardians guide their offspring in order to assure that they will be well-off on their own (even to the extent of being “helicopter parents”). From the view outside the bus and when they go down to see monkeys, Mr. Das is glued to the setting around him, taking photos of everything. Although, he fails to acknowledge the other individuals around him, neglecting his sons and wife. Mrs. Das similarly shows the same attitude towards her daughter when she “pulled out a bottle of colorless nail polish… [and t]he little girl stuck out a hand, [saying, ‘]Mine too. Mommy, do mine too[‘]” but she continued to reply with "Leave me alone…You’re making me mess up’" (15). The neglect from her own husband has been projected onto her children, since he too puts forth the same attitude, and redirects it towards her flirty conversation with Mr. Kapasi, learning that she may be deprived of affection and is not ready to fulfill her parenting duties.

Makayla, I really enjoyed your post and think it is quite a unique and insightful portrayal of the story. As you mentioned, this story does bring to light the apparent differences in parenting within different cultures and how Mr and Mrs Das were not necessarily ready to be parents and for that responsibility. Even further to your idea, I think it displays how the Das family, despite being ethnically Indian are American in nationality. In the beginning of the story Me Das proudly exclaims that both he and his wife were born in America, and I think he does this as he believes there is a superiority in being American. This may transfer into how they parent, as they shed their Asian heritage in order to adopt a more western one.

[garrettd]

Setting in “Interpreter of Maladies” is shown to be quite important as shifts in this drive the rising action and eventual climax of the tale. The initial setting of the tea stall introduces the Das family and Mrs. Das, the mother who “did not even hold her [her daughter’s] hand as they walked to the bathroom.” This immediately sets up the family as dysfunctional. Further proven on the car ride to the Sun Temple, with Mrs. Das hiding behind her “pinkish brown sunglasses” and “painting her nails” while her sons and daughter gawk at monkeys along the road. It is this car that “drives” the rising action of the story, with Mrs. Das finally breaking her cold demeanor and expressing an odd interest in Mr. Kasapi’s, their driver’s, work as an interpreter in a hospital for the doctors to properly communicate with their patients. The “romantic” nature that Mrs. Das describes his work as signals to the reader her interest in him not only as an interpreter but as a person different from her life as a wife and mother. It is not until the family and Mr. Kapasi take a detour to “the hills at Udayagiri and Khandagiri” that the story reaches its peak, hinted at by the setting, and the infidelity of Mrs. Das is finally revealed. This peak is quite unexpected, much like their detour to these hills, and just goes to prove the foreshadowing that the setting of the story has, hinting at the rising or falling action and what kind of issues are about to be presented.

[garrettd]

Mar 20, 2022 22:10:59 GMT -8 Emily Jane Morrow said:

The change in settings from the United States and India communicate a shift in the story by drawing parallels with returning to the start, source, or origins of things. On a literal level, Ms. Das's family is from India and she is returning to the country of her ancestors. During her conversation with Mr. Kapasi, Mrs. Das reveals that one of the times she felt frustrated with her marriage was when she couldn't have lunch or shop in Manhattan" (26) with her friends since she had to watch the baby all of the time. Manhattan is on the East coast of the United States and Puri, their current location, is on the East coast of India. So on a figurative level, the change in setting represents her returning back to a difficult time in her life and reacting in an extreme way. Before, she was having an affair. In Puri, she confesses to Mr. Kapasi said, “Eight years I haven’t been able to express this to anybody” (25). The primary contrast in the setting are the two countries that are referenced in this story and the difference between the culture in India, and the culture in America communicate different values of the characters that come from their respective countries. The cultural values that the setting of India provides are conservatism, high respectfulness of age, and holding marriage and raising children to a high regard. The cultural values that the setting of the United States provides are frequent divorces, not always putting children first, and not being conservative. Mrs. Das holds the American values while Mr. Kapasi holds the Indian values and the main idea that is conveyed by this is that people never truly change. For example, Mr. Kapasi had always been married to his wife and although their marriage had been very distant, as Mrs. Kapasi “had little regard for this career as an interpreter” (19), he moved past his temptation to have an affair with Mrs. Das. Mrs. Das on the other hand, will be someone that is always looking for another romantic partner and an affair. Although keeping her first affair caused her to be “in pain eight years” (27), she still flirts with Mr. Kapasi. Mrs. Das’s most dramatic interaction with her environment is when her son Bobby, can’t be found, causing her to “sharply”(28) tell her children “What’s wrong with all of you”(28)? When they find Bobby, he is being attacked by monkeys, “over a dozen of them, pulling at his T-shirt with their long black fingers” (28). When Mrs. sees this, she demands that Mr. Kapasi does something, and he is luckily able to diffuse the situation. Mrs. Das' interaction with nature to protect her son reveals that still feels extremely guilty about her affair. Throughout the entire story, she barely paid attention to her children, making this event stand out so much. The reason why she cared so much that Bobby was safe is that if he were to die, Mrs. Das would have to grieve, believing that Bobby is his son, making her feel even worse. Alternatively, this could also reveal that she pities her son. I believe the reason why she cares for him more is that she feels bad that Bobby came out of a bad situation and won’t know the truth.

I agree that the setting of India marks a stark chang with these characters as they are outside of the usual surroundings and therefore comfort zones. I would also say that the drive to the hills that they unexpectedly take can also he interpreted as the drive to the climax of the story, with Mrs. Das expressing her infidelity to Mr. Kapasi.

[Thomas Lee]

Setting plays an influential role in the development of the text but also presents a deeper understanding of a character's internal struggles and conflicts that will ultimately influence the plot and overarching theme of the text. In the "Interpreter of Maladies," the internal struggles of Mrs. Das are highlighted by the shifts and constant settings. One of the most prevalent and lasting settings throughout the short story is the presence of the vehicle that is used to travel and tour the locations of India. Mrs. Das is within the bounds of the car for the majority of the story which presents a similar reflection to Mrs. Das's internal struggle with her marriage and happiness in general. We as the readers understand her life is bound by the early marriage to Mr. Das where she explains to Mr. Kapasi that she is unhappy with her marriage and that she was tempted to throw everything out the window. Another aspect of the car is when she was in the car alone with Mr. Kapasi looking out at the rest of her family which reveals multitude of perspectives of the relation of the setting to Mrs. Das. For one, the reader could see that she is looking out at the family showing a sense of distance with the rest of her family and husband where the closest she is is with the tour guide Mr. Kapasi. Another perspective of this setting is Mrs. Das's heart, she is constantly having a struggle throughout the text and holds this discontent but only lets Mr. Kapasi know which is the only one she has opened her heart to while the rest of her family is outside and she becomes a closed shell to them. Another aspect of setting is a less prevalent one where she is at the rest stop with Mr. Kapasi taking a picture together. The children are gone and Mr. Das is behind a camera where the setting once again is where Mrs. Das is alone with Mr. Kapasi. This is similar to a temptress conflict where the setting constantly allows Mr. Kapasi to be alone with Mrs. Das where Kapasi continuously has an infatuation towards Mrs. Das. This conflict ends however, at the end of the story where the paper with his address is floated away as no one notices signalling the end of their relation with a reunification of her family. All of which is demonstrated by minor shifts in setting and by doing so adds an additional layer of complexity to the text.

[garrettd]

Mar 23, 2022 8:51:57 GMT -8 Anuthmi Waas said:

In the "Interpreter of Maladies'' the shift in setting within the story from the car to the Sun Temple and to watch the monkeys reveals the true nature of Mr. and Mrs. Das' relationship and their family relationship as well as the subtle development that Mrs. Das undergoes. At the beginning when they first enter the car, Mrs Das complains "Isn't this an air-conditioned car" to which Mr. Das tells her to stop complaining. This small conversation is very reflective of Mr. and Mrs. Das' time in the cab, as they seem to merely tolerate each other. Complaining about something that Mr. Das purchased, the tour displays Mrs. Das' disapproval of Mr. Das and even further shows their complex relationship. This disapproval from Mrs. Das seems to extend further than her own husband, as in the cab, she is very short and somewhat ignorant towards her children. In fact, she only seems to show some friendliness inside the cab when talking to Mr. Kapaski. Initially, this reveals that the family is not close and is likely very fractured. Once the setting changes to the Sun Temple, Mrs. Das seems to spend more time with Mr. Kapaski than her family as "She was lost behind her sunglasses, ignoring her husband’s requests that she pose for another picture, walking past her children as if they were strangers." Even at the sun temple, Mrs. Das appears to be separate from her family. This represents how the relationship between Mr and Mrs Kapaski is not well and continually fractured. However, at the final setting in the short story, Mrs Das runs to her family to console her son who is hurt. This represents how fractured the family and Mr and Mrs Das' relationship seems, they will ultimately come back to one another. This is reaffirmed as Mr. Kapaski's phone number and address float away, while the family is all together and taking care of one of their own. This also shows the growing of Mrs. Das as she realizes her family may not always be constant and is something she should appreciate and love.

I agree with the contradictions of this story and Mrs. Das’ character. With her seemingly running in different directions. I think that I just goes to show her selfishness and she runs from what no longer pities her or puts up with her victim mentality, shown when Mr. Kapasi shows no remote for her so-called pain that she has suffered through when really she has just been silent about her problems and upset that those around her cannot read her mind.

[eric kimmm]

There are a few settings in "IM" that emphasize significant change and progression in story,
alongside character development. From our graph, we marked 4 significant settings in "IM". The
four are:
1. The teatime before the drive
2. Driving
3. Sun Temple
5. Group photo time
Proceeding chronologically, the teatime break signifies the first impressions Mr. Kapasi gains off
of the Das family, which was a rather puzzling one considering how Mr. and Mrs. Das weren't
able to figure who would be escorting their child to the restroom. A feud over minor situations
like that was a precedent to how Mr. and Mrs. Das basically treated their relationship, which also
is ironic in that they planned this trip, and usually going on a trip/vacation is a symbol of
relaxing, not stressing and arguing.
Driving to the Sun Temple further demonstrated to Mr. Kapasi the tension and disassociative
outlook the parents to each other and their children. Key moments like Mr. Kapasi wondering
why Mr. Das calls his wife by her first name when talking to the kids and Mrs. Das neglecting the
daughter's want for nail polish and selfishly applying it to just herself gave further information to
Mr. Kapasi that this family is dysfunctional. Normally in a time for excitement when arriving to
their destination, the atmosphere from the Das family instead invoked isolation and solitary, like
as if the purpose of the trip was to escape from each other, not their homeland.
The arrival at the Sun Temple was like the true time to bond together, but since the relationship
was pretty sour, the arrival mostly just meant that the family can fulfill their own accords
temporarily without the interference of another, such as Mr. Das photographing, the kids playing
and watching monkeys, and then Mrs. Das continuing the conversation with Mr. Kapasi to the
eventual time she rants about her life. Nonetheless, this setting was the closest the family
achieved to what a normal family does on a trip. Lastly, the group photo was basically after Mrs. Das had an epiphany from Mr. Kapasi's wise words and began looking beyond just her own outlook/perspective, returning back to a value of family.

[Akash Surendran]

In the short story "Interpreter of Maladies," Mrs. Das's interactions with the setting and her behavior reflect her motivations and attitude at their respective times at the Sun Temple and the family's detour to the hills at Mr. Kapasi's suggestion. At the temple, he notes how "it appealed to Mrs. Das. She stopped every three or four paces, staring silently at the carved lovers, and the processions of elephants, and the topless female musicians beating on two-sided drums" (22). Mrs. Das has clearly taken an interest in the temple, as she cares enough to stop frequently and admire the architecture. However, this contradicts her previous actions in the story, where she would be uninterested and irritable. Although, in the larger context of the story, where she feigns interest in Mr. Kapasi to get closer to him, it can be inferred that this act has been going on since the temple, and she is simply feigning interest to appeal to Mr. Kapasi. When they begin to leave the temple, her act changes as they go "to the left" (24). This change in setting mirrors her change in attitude through Mr. Kapasi's perspective. He describes the temple in great detail, showing lots of admiration and respect, while he describes the hills very briefly, instead focusing on Mrs. Das. In the same way, she drops any interest she had in her surroundings as the move from one place to another, verifying that everything really was an act to help her strike a private conversation with Mr. Kapasi. This can be interpreted as the story going to "left field," or taking an unexpected turn of events, through the change in setting.