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

Main Theme—Interpretation/Seeing Notes
Mr. Das views the world through the lens of his camera (one of the symbols in the story). Since his
camera is always around his neck, he sees even tough realities through the lens of his camera, which
is blinded to other characters. For example, he takes pictures of the starving peasant, and doing so
openly ignores the peasant’s fundamental reality. Mrs. Das, always wearing her sunglasses, sees
others through their tint and this blocks others from seeing her eyes. Furthermore, when in the taxi, her
window does not roll down, so she can not directly see the world outside. Mr. Kapasi watches Mrs. Das
through the rearview mirror, which distorts his view of her and prevents him from looking at her
directly. Mr. Das and Ronny closely resemble each other, whereas Mr. Das and Bobby have little in
common. Mr. Kapasi simply observes this fact but draws no reference from it, even though this simple
fact is a hint to the deeper truth. Because Mr. Kapasi sees the Das family as a unit, he never suspects the
simple truth that Mr. Das is not Bobby’s father. His idea of family deforms the reality of the situation.

In the story of “Interpreter of Maladies” each character has a deformed way of viewing
each other.

A Real Durwan
Boori Ma is a feeble 64-year-old woman from Calcutta who is the stair-sweeper, or durwan, of an old
brick building. In exchange for her services, the residents allow Boori Ma to live on the roof of the
building. While she sweeps, she tells stories of her past: her daughter’s extravagant wedding, her
servants, her estate and her riches. The residents of the brick building hear continuous contradictions
in Boori’s storytelling, but her stories are seductive and compelling, so they let her contradictions
rest. One family in particular takes a liking to Boori Ma, the Dalal’s. Mrs. Dalal often gives Boori Ma
food and takes care of her ailments. When Mr. Dalal gets promoted at work, he improves the brick
building by installing a sink in the stairwell and a sink in his home. The Dalal’s continue to improve
their home and even go away on a trip to Simla for ten days and promise to bring back Boori Ma a
sheep’s hair blanket. While the Dalal’s are away, the other residents become obsessed with making
their own improvement to the building. Boori Ma even spends her life savings on special treats while
circling around the neighborhood. However, while Boori Ma is out one afternoon, the sink in the
stairwell is stolen. The residents accuse Boori Ma of informing the robbers and in negligence for her
job. When Boori Ma protests, the residents continue to accuse her because of all her previous
inconsistent stories. The residents’ obsession with materializing the building dimmed their focus on
the remaining members of their community, like Boori Ma. The short story concludes as the residents
throw out Boori Ma’s belongings and begin a search for a “real durwan.”
The Treatment of Bibi Haldar
Analysis of A Real Durwan and The Treatment of Bibi Haldar
“A Real Durwan” and “The Treatment of Bibi Haldar” are both examples of the effects of globalization
in India. Globalization has caused many women to be or to be on the path to poverty. Although the
Indian government officially eliminated the caste system in 1949, it is still a part of the social structure
in India because of its deep-rooted tradition in history. Because a person is usually born into a caste,
the caste rarely changes from generation to generation. Most women in poverty are in lower castes.
The women who are lucky to be employed are paid poorly and exploited for their long hours of
labor. Women are seen as “replaceable and disposable”. Many women enter the “unorganized,
underground economy”. In this type of economy, there are extended hours, horrible conditions,
poor wages, and they are treated unfairly. Both Boori Ma and Bibi Haldar were a part of the
unorganized, underground economy because they were paid in food and shelter instead of legal,
monetary compensation. Boori Ma was thrown out of her building because the community saw her
as inferior and unequal. Furthermore, women’s poverty is a direct link to the lack of access to education
and legitimate healthcare.

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