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Unit 8: Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies: Detailed Study

the couple’s relationship. Shoba had always given the impression that their pantries were stuffed Notes
with endless supplies of food. When she begins to neglect this, Shukumar simply observes as the
food vanishes, cooking what he can of it using Shoba’s old recipes. He makes no moves to create a
new supply. In fact, he makes no move to cover up the signs of neglect throughout the house that he
holds Shoba accountable for when in fact his own apathy and grief are to blame as well. Likewise, he
does little to comfort Shoba in her grief, not quite realizing the seriousness of their relationship
problems. One day, they receive notice that their electricity will be out for one hour every night for
five days. They spend each of these nights in the dark sharing secrets with each other, things they
had never shared before. Each confession becomes more bold and reveals a larger flaw in their
marriage, until their impending separation becomes clear.
This Blessed House
Sanjeev and Twinkle, a newly married couple, are exploring their new house in Hartford, which
appears to have been owned by fervent Christians: they keep finding gaudy Biblical paraphernalia
hidden throughout the house. While Twinkle is delighted by these objects and wants to display them
everywhere, Sanjeev is uncomfortable with them and reminds her that they are Hindu, not Christian.
This argument reveals other problems in their relationship; Sanjeev doesn’t seem to understand
Twinkle’s spontaneity, whereas Twinkle has little regard for Sanjeev’s discomfort. He is planning a
party for his coworkers and is worried about the impression they might get from the interior decorating
if their mantelpiece is full of Biblical figurines. After some arguing and a brief amount of tears, a
compromise is reached. When the day of the party arrives, the guests are enamored with Twinkle.
Sanjeev still has conflicting feelings about her; he is captititsvated by her beauty and energy, but
irritated by her naivete and impractical tendencies. The story ends with her and the other party
guests discovering a large bust of Jesus Christ in the attic. Although the object disgusts him, he
obediently carries it downstairs. This action can either be interpreted as Sanjeev giving into Twinkle
and accepting her eccentricities, or as a final, grudging act of compliance in a marriage that he is
reconsidering.
Sexy
One of only two stories in this collection told by a non-Indian narrator, “Sexy” tells the story of a
young woman, Miranda, and her affair with a married Indian man named Dev. Aside from what she
hears from her one Indian friend at work, a woman named Laxmi, Miranda knows very little about
India and its culture. The first time she meets Dev, she is not able to discern his nationality. However,
she is instantly captivated by his charm and the thrill of being with an exotic, older man. The title of
the story refers to something he whispered to her in the Christian Science center’s Mapparium, a
moment that she would remember for its intimacy but would later come to be seen as a sign of an
unhealthy relationship. She has pangs of guilt because he is married, and this is highlighted by the
fact that Laxmi’s cousin has recently been abandoned by her husband for a younger woman. One
day, Laxmi’s cousin comes to Boston and Miranda is asked to babysit her seven-year-old son, Rohin.
Rohin ends up giving Miranda some insight into his mother’s grief and calls to her attention the
more unglamorous aspects of being the “other woman.” This experience eventually leads her to call
off her affair.
Analysis of A Temporary Matter, This Blessed House, Sexy
Lahiri’s objective in opening her collection with “A Temporary Matter” is to start from nothing; the
story is clearly about a failed relationship. By starting with a defeat, Lahiri seems to foretell that her
stories will be about the hardships of communication and relationships, but that each has the possibility
of success. Even in “Sexy,” where the featured couple ends up separating, Miranda is actually stronger
for ending her relationship with Dev because she can see that it has no potential. Food is also a
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common theme among the stories. In “A Temporary Matter”, the haunting absence of food in the
household is a parallel to the lack of affection in their marriage. In “This Blessed House”, Twinkle is
not at all the accomplished cook that Shoba is. Having grown up in California instead of in India like
Sanjeev, she doesn’t seem to have any background knowledge in Indian cooking. However, she
surprises Sanjeev with her spontaneous creative streak in the kitchen. Although he’s annoyed that

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