Interpreter Of Maladies

In Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri tells the story of a young Indian American family as they embark on a sightseeing tour in India with Mr. Kapasi, an overeducated driver-cum-tour guide resigned to the monotony of life. Through the unconventional portrayal of the men and women in the story, Lahiri subverts our expectations of traditional gender roles and ultimately, makes us question the value of conforming to these roles prescribed by society.
Lahiri’s depiction of Mrs. Das as an apathetic, irresponsible mother and wife defies the traditional role of a woman. Her reluctance to take her own daughter, Tina, to the toilet and the fact that she even asks her to “Leave [her] alone” (Lahiri 43) demonstrates her rejection of the idea of motherhood,

Das’s resentment towards her husband is evident in their interactions, where she openly belittles him, in addition to her dismissive attitude towards his requests. She displays an insensitivity that is traditionally indicative of men, defying society-imposed gender roles. Mrs. Das attributes her infidelity to the lack of an outlet to “confide in about [Raj] at the end of a difficult day, or to share a passing thought or worry” (63), suggesting the extent of the sense of isolation she feels from her marriage, which ironically, is the exact opposite of what a marriage should provide. The repetition of the word ‘terrible’ as Mrs. Das describes her anguish reinforces her status as a victim of society’s expectations of an ideal woman, one that she clearly does not live up to, and is reminded of whenever she sees her family. By showing the destructive effects of adhering to traditional gender roles on one’s self and family unit, Lahiri is criticising the need for the individual to fulfil societal roles imposed upon

Das’s assertiveness with Mr. Kapasi’s passivity, Lahiri paints a reversed portrayal of traditional gender roles. Following the reveal of her affair, Mrs. Das takes on the active role of questioning Mr. Kapasi, whom she believes holds the key to assuaging her pain. Her tone transforms from inquisitive to almost aggressive as she repeatedly presses him to “say the right thing” (65), despite his apparent lack of answers. On the other hand, Mr. Kapasi appears to be rather passive (an attribute often associated with women) in his responses to Mrs. Das’s demands for comfort, which comes mostly in the form of more questions or complete silence. While Mr Kapasi is the one who shoos the monkey away from Bobby, we should note that it is Mrs. Das’s cries for him to “Do something, for God’s sake, do something” (68) that set into motion his actions. This depiction of men in the story as compliant, almost subordinate to the women contradicts the traditional model of gender