Setting:“Interpreter of Maladies”

[Akash Surendran]

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 with the idea that being in an eastern city could cause Mrs. Das to feel as if her life is only becoming more difficult, contrary to what vacations are usually meant to be for. I disagree with the interpretation that she is seeking an affair with Mr. Kapasi. She only showed interest in him once she knew of his job as an interpreter, so I feel that she was only acting to whole time to seek out his advice.

[Akash Surendran]

Mar 23, 2022 10:42:11 GMT -8 eric kimmm said:

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.

The idea that the changes in setting gradually brought them closer to the normal image of a family is very insightful and not something I noticed when reading. However, I'm not sure if her conversation with Mr. Kapasi gave Mrs. Das an epiphany of sorts. What I think is that she realized that he could not help her, and simply brushed him off afterwards as he was "not important enough" (28).

[Emily Willett]

In the short story “Interpreter of Maladies” there are several changes in setting as the characters are touring different sightseeing places in India. One example of a change in setting is when they went from the temple in Konarak back to the car where they decide to take a detour on the way back. This indicated a shift in the story because in Konarak, Mr. Kapasi was excited about thinking Mrs. Das was genuinely interested in him and the things that he liked but when they switch to the car, Mrs. Das is overwhelmed by guilt of her past cheating and dumps this onto Mr. Kapasi. Outside at the temple, they were out in the fresh air where they were able to feel free. On top of this, the temple represents a connection to other worlds and reality, which Mr. Kapasi reflected as he was thinking about Mrs. Das was interested in him and he wanted a relationship with her. However, a relationship between these two would have to be in another reality because Mrs. Das was married and wasn’t truly interested in Mr. Kapasi. Then, the setting switches from this perception of being in another reality to the tight confines of the small, hot car. The car represents suffocating Mrs. Das with her feelings of regret and guilt about her cheating on Mr. Das. This contradicts the previous setting that was more freeing while this new setting of the car is restrictive and suffocating. Even more, the setting of the temple at Konarak reveals Mr. Kapasi’s issues with his own marriage. At the temple the narrator says “Though Mr. Kapasi had been to the temple countless times, it occurred to him, as he, too, gazed at the topless women, that he had never seen his own wife fully naked.” This reveals that Mr. Kapasi didn’t even take the time get to know his wife as well as he got to know the history of India’s tourism sites and even Mrs. Das. There is a lack of deep connection that he has with his own wife that led him to be so interested in his perceived connection with Mrs. Das.

[Emily Willett]

Mar 22, 2022 20:03:49 GMT -8 Lilith Zapata said:

In 'Interpreter of Maladies' the shift in setting from the car ride with Mr. Kapasi and the Das family signifies a turning point in the story because of the nature in which Mrs. Das behaves towards her family and the stark contrast of her behavior towards Mr. Kapasi. Mr. Kapasi notes that "Mr. Das should refer to his wife by her first name when speaking to the little girl." This simple lack of affection of calling her Mom or another loving name is one of the first indications of what is to come. Mrs. Das is not content with her family, she complains about the two hour car ride when most would not mind spending quality time with their loved one. Ignoring her children, seemingly annoyed by her husband, her focus shifts to her driver and on the topic of his second job. Mr. Kapasi is particularly shocked at her sudden interest in him, and he comments that it is "intoxicating" since most women did not pay him any mind. The arrival towards Sun Temple is a slow one that reveals Mr. Das' lack of attention and involvement with his own children. Her lack of attention towards her husband and a sudden interest in Mr.Kapasi alludes to her lack of commitment that is confirmed later in the story. Mrs. Das is more drawn to a complete stranger than her husband, the love and desire that she is missing in her life has shaped her into a disinterested mother and wife. While her husband, Mr. Das, is not as involved with his children as he should be. A present father, but an absent one at the same time. He is more preoccupied with taking photos, a superficial memory of a trip to India.

I agree with Mrs. Das not being very interested or caring towards her family, but I think that her sudden interest in Mr. Kapasi is more of a distraction from her marriage. She clearly has a disinterest in her own husband and he seems to be very limiting to her so I think that she is just searching for an escape from these limits. At the end, we see that she really does care for her children but she struggles so much to feel free in her marriage that she will distract herself with other men to ignore her marriage problems.

[Emily Willett]

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 agree with these different perspectives Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das have of each other. I think Mr. Kapasi falsely assumed that Mrs. Das felt a genuine interest and connection with him because of how she acted towards him. He took this assumption and then started picturing a life where they regularly wrote each other letters and had a relationship. However, Mr. Das really just acted like this to feign interest in him as a distraction from her marriage. She didn’t really have a connection with him.

[Ryan Huynh]

In “The Interpreter of Maladies” the Das family, who are Indian, take a trip to India. Along the way, the setting shifts from the car to the tea stall to the temple to the hills. Each time there is a shift from a destination to the car to the destination and so forth, we see changes within the story as well. During the drive, most of the interacting between the characters are done, even though they haven’t reached the destination. This creates a bigger emphasis on the journey and not the destination. Also, one big contradiction is between the temple, where a woman is seen as high and mighty, and the hills, where monkeys are present. This serves as an analogy for Mrs. Das throughout the story. At the temple, Mr. Kapasi deeply admires Mrs. Das, while at the hill, after the conversation they shared, Mr. Kapasi realized that Mrs. Das is like everyone else with flaws. Essentially, Mrs. Das went from a goddess admired by Mr. Kapasi to a monkey that acts like every other monkey. Also, although the Das family and Mr. Kapasi share a certain cultural heritage, they experience of the world is very different. The Das family were quickly seen as outsiders since they lived in America, while Mr. Kapasi was comfortable since he lived in India. Lahiri highlights contrast between the wealthy and very American Das family and their Mr. Kapasi to suggest cultural tensions and differences between Indians and Americans. While cultural history can influence one's self-concept, the story shows that despite identity being primarily shaped by environment and social status, people aren’t always who we think they are.

[Ryan Huynh]

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 agree that Mrs. Das had a noticeable shift when she was at the Sun Temple, but Mr. Kapasi had one as well. Mr. Kapasi would fall deeper for Mrs. Das, solidifying his feelings when he sees the artwork and this would cause him to prolong the tour and eventually lead up to Mrs. Das confession.

[Ryan Huynh]

Mar 23, 2022 10:42:11 GMT -8 eric kimmm said:

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.

I never saw it this way, but I like this perspective. The trip as a whole was a vacation meant to bond the family together, but, instead, Lahiri establishes an irony by making the family dysfunctional and actually grow farther apart as the tour goes on. Tagging on to what I mentioned before, as Mrs. Das leans more towards Mr. Kapasi and vice versa, the family, or, more specifically, Mrs. and Mr. das, grow farther apart.

[Kyle Cantiller]

Changes in setting for “Interpreter of Maladies” symbolize the changes in the character’s mindsets of relationships, specifically Mrs. Das, and by interacting with these settings, we truly understand how strong Mrs. Das can be as a parent who provides for her kids. The first change in setting, from the tea stand to the car, reveals Mrs. Das’s current motives in her relationship with Mr. Das: she hates this relationship. She doesn’t reflect motherly love to her kids and gets into petty arguments with Mr. Das. In the car, Mrs. Das On the way to the temple, they decide to go get lunch, and it is further revealed that Mrs. Das has taken interest to Mr. Kapasi, yet we don’t know why. At the temple, Mrs. Das further hints on the concept that she’s uninterested in her family and more interested in Mr. Kapasi, abandoning her family as they explore the temple and wanting to spend time to talk with Mr. Kapasi. Further discussions with Mr. Kapasi at a later time in the car reveal that Mrs. Das is guilty of not being able to be a proper mother to her kids because of her quick and overwhelming marriage. After revealing this, Mrs. Das gets out of the car and tends to her son with a sense of motherly love. The settings here show a pattern: the car is a private area where Mrs. Das is able to reveal her problems and motives to Mr. Kapasi, while the settings in which Mrs. Das interacts with after leaving the car (eg: tea stall, lunch area, monkey area) manifest her motives into actions. The fact that Mrs. Das reveals to Mr. Kapasi that she isn’t mad but guilty shows her potential to be a great parent. Mrs. Das chose to stay in this family, but she shut herself out of it because she was afraid of becoming a worse parent because of it.

[Kyle Cantiller]

Mar 23, 2022 18:56:34 GMT -8 Ryan Huynh said:

In “The Interpreter of Maladies” the Das family, who are Indian, take a trip to India. Along the way, the setting shifts from the car to the tea stall to the temple to the hills. Each time there is a shift from a destination to the car to the destination and so forth, we see changes within the story as well. During the drive, most of the interacting between the characters are done, even though they haven’t reached the destination. This creates a bigger emphasis on the journey and not the destination. Also, one big contradiction is between the temple, where a woman is seen as high and mighty, and the hills, where monkeys are present. This serves as an analogy for Mrs. Das throughout the story. At the temple, Mr. Kapasi deeply admires Mrs. Das, while at the hill, after the conversation they shared, Mr. Kapasi realized that Mrs. Das is like everyone else with flaws. Essentially, Mrs. Das went from a goddess admired by Mr. Kapasi to a monkey that acts like every other monkey. Also, although the Das family and Mr. Kapasi share a certain cultural heritage, they experience of the world is very different. The Das family were quickly seen as outsiders since they lived in America, while Mr. Kapasi was comfortable since he lived in India. Lahiri highlights contrast between the wealthy and very American Das family and their Mr. Kapasi to suggest cultural tensions and differences between Indians and Americans. While cultural history can influence one's self-concept, the story shows that despite identity being primarily shaped by environment and social status, people aren’t always who we think they are.

I feel like this could be expanded on a little bit more, but I see the ideas that you have. For instance, what does the high and mighty woman mean? What do the monkeys around the woman mean? What does the journey mean in terms of each of the characters?

[Kyle Cantiller]

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.

Great analysis, but I have a question: Does the reveal of the hidden emotions change your perspective of each of the characters? You should probably expand on that more, but otherwise, the evidence is top notch!

[srinidhimuralidhar]

The story starts out in the Sandy Villa Hotel which represents a general hub for foreigners who are just beginning to explore. The Das family is heading to the Sun Temple in the Hills of Konarak, which represents the rich culture of India and the religious heritage of the nation. In the context of the Das Family, these places represent a culture that they are not part of. Even though they are Indian, they do not harbor any of the culture presented in the places that they visit in the story. The shift from the hotel to the sun temple in the story reflects the importance of heritage and highlights the contrast between the Das Family and the values of Indian heritage. All the settings mentioned in the story are peaceful places which are ironic since the Das family is everything but peaceful. They are disorganized and internally conflicted. The places visited in the text are foils to represent the shortcomings of the Das Family: a detachment from the culture and heritage of their home and a lack of peace and harmony in their lives. Since they want to visit the sun temple, we can see that they are somewhat still culturally attached to their home country but their arguing and bickering represent their discontent with their family dynamic. This overshadows their visit to India throughout the story.

[srinidhimuralidhar]

Mar 23, 2022 19:53:35 GMT -8 Kyle Cantiller said:

Changes in setting for “Interpreter of Maladies” symbolize the changes in the character’s mindsets of relationships, specifically Mrs. Das, and by interacting with these settings, we truly understand how strong Mrs. Das can be as a parent who provides for her kids. The first change in setting, from the tea stand to the car, reveals Mrs. Das’s current motives in her relationship with Mr. Das: she hates this relationship. She doesn’t reflect motherly love to her kids and gets into petty arguments with Mr. Das. In the car, Mrs. Das On the way to the temple, they decide to go get lunch, and it is further revealed that Mrs. Das has taken interest to Mr. Kapasi, yet we don’t know why. At the temple, Mrs. Das further hints on the concept that she’s uninterested in her family and more interested in Mr. Kapasi, abandoning her family as they explore the temple and wanting to spend time to talk with Mr. Kapasi. Further discussions with Mr. Kapasi at a later time in the car reveal that Mrs. Das is guilty of not being able to be a proper mother to her kids because of her quick and overwhelming marriage. After revealing this, Mrs. Das gets out of the car and tends to her son with a sense of motherly love. The settings here show a pattern: the car is a private area where Mrs. Das is able to reveal her problems and motives to Mr. Kapasi, while the settings in which Mrs. Das interacts with after leaving the car (eg: tea stall, lunch area, monkey area) manifest her motives into actions. The fact that Mrs. Das reveals to Mr. Kapasi that she isn’t mad but guilty shows her potential to be a great parent. Mrs. Das chose to stay in this family, but she shut herself out of it because she was afraid of becoming a worse parent because of it.

This is a very good analysis of how shifting setting illuminates the character and motives of Mrs. Das throughout the story. Each of the settings seem to provide readers with more information about the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Das. Specifically when she spoke to Mr. Kapasi in the car, she revealed a lot about her past that she would have otherwise not revealed. The shifts in setting that happen as the party travels represent the journey that readers take in being exposed to the many inner makings of Mrs. Das as a character. Great Job. 

[Grace Su]

The change in setting communicates a shift in the story as the characters in “Interpreter of Maladies” interact with their surrounding environment. For example, the short story starts off in a small restaurant, where Mr. Kapasi is starting the tour. The setting changes when the family enters the car, and goes sightseeing the monkeys, and the Sun temple. The focus of their conversations change as they talk about the views, and the story connects the surroundings with details about the characters. When the Das family visits the Sun Temple, Mr. Kapasi notices the status of women, and his thoughts drift to his own family, and his wife. He recalls that his marital relationship with his wife is strained, similar to that of Mr. and Mrs. Das, and how he has never seen his wife shirtless, and starts to notice Mrs. Das even more. Due to this shift in setting, the audience is able to learn about Mr. Kapasi’s relationship with his wife, and gain insight into the cultural aspects of the story, now that two marital relationships have been introduced. The Kapasi and Das couples both do not have a strong relationship, almost as if they are staying together out of a sense of duty. Both couples are unsatisfied with their lives: Mr. Kapasi unsatisfied with his work/job, and how his career as a interpreter has declined, and Mrs. Das is unsatisfied with her life and husband. We also see a contrast between Mr. Kapsi and Mrs. Das in their interaction with the Sun Temple: Mr. Kapsi admires and walks around the statues, while Mrs. Das walks around, eating her puffed rice. These details illustrate even more about the two characters, as Mr. Kapasi is still trying to make the most out of his life despite his shortcomings, and how Mrs. Das has completely given up on being happy. The setting brings out the element of their characters even more, without the need to explicitly state this in the text, illustrating the characters’ values.

[srinidhimuralidhar]

Mar 23, 2022 18:56:34 GMT -8 Ryan Huynh said:

In “The Interpreter of Maladies” the Das family, who are Indian, take a trip to India. Along the way, the setting shifts from the car to the tea stall to the temple to the hills. Each time there is a shift from a destination to the car to the destination and so forth, we see changes within the story as well. During the drive, most of the interacting between the characters are done, even though they haven’t reached the destination. This creates a bigger emphasis on the journey and not the destination. Also, one big contradiction is between the temple, where a woman is seen as high and mighty, and the hills, where monkeys are present. This serves as an analogy for Mrs. Das throughout the story. At the temple, Mr. Kapasi deeply admires Mrs. Das, while at the hill, after the conversation they shared, Mr. Kapasi realized that Mrs. Das is like everyone else with flaws. Essentially, Mrs. Das went from a goddess admired by Mr. Kapasi to a monkey that acts like every other monkey. Also, although the Das family and Mr. Kapasi share a certain cultural heritage, they experience of the world is very different. The Das family were quickly seen as outsiders since they lived in America, while Mr. Kapasi was comfortable since he lived in India. Lahiri highlights contrast between the wealthy and very American Das family and their Mr. Kapasi to suggest cultural tensions and differences between Indians and Americans. While cultural history can influence one's self-concept, the story shows that despite identity being primarily shaped by environment and social status, people aren’t always who we think they are.

I love how you identified patterns in the way that the settings change from one instance to another. Specifically, the way that you pointed out that there is a shift from destination to car to destination again establishes a pattern of events to note. These events are usually the ones in which there is a lot of information about main characters that is revealed. Well done, great analysis.