Interpreter Of Maladies By Jhumpa Kapasi

Cultural Clash “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri recounts the excursion of an American family to India through the eyes of its driver, Mr. Kapasi. The bicultural family represents an affluent yet ultimately miserable lifestyle. Mr. and Mrs. Das are a young couple with severe marital issues, with their carelessness most manifest in how they treat their children. By contrast, Mr. Kapasi sacrifices his career aspiration to pay for his son 's medical bills and remains faithful to his wife, despite their loveless marriage. As the story progresses, Mr. Kapasi’s initial desire for an intimate relationship with Mrs. Das transforms into disenchantment as he perceives the unbridgeable gap in cultural values. Lahiri highlights the disconnect

Mrs. Das watches others through the tint of her sunglasses, barring people from taking a look at her eyes. Mrs. Das 's glasses serve as a means to conceal her guilt about her affair and maintain a distance from her family. Additionally, Mr. Kapasi observes Mrs. Das through the rearview mirror, which prevents him from looking at her directly. His distorted vision, caused by infatuation and romanticization of a friendship with Mrs. Das, enables him to find Mrs. Das attractive despite her recklessness. Though Mr. Kapasi notices that Ronny bears a striking resemblance to Mr. Das and that Mr. Das and Bobby have little in common, he never suspects of Bobby 's illegitimate birth, because his notion of family distorts reality. Puffed rice that Mrs. Das does not "[offer] to anyone" symbolizes her selfishness and mistake. At the monastic dwellings, Mrs. Das leaves a trail of puffed rice and continues to walk obliviously. Her carelessness eventually brings danger upon her son when a group of monkeys surround him. Even when Mrs. Das realizes that Bobby may be harmed by the monkeys, she does not take any responsibility for the situation, mirroring her refusal to acknowledge any guilt about her love affair. Lahiri explains through symbols Mr. Kapasi 's initial attraction to Mrs. Das that ultimately vanishes when he becomes