Page 144 - DENG201_ENGLISH_II

English - II

Notes Matter’) graduate dormitory; brick walkways; white pillared buildings; pickled mangoes, cupped
fish, sprawling orange diamond; compact man; a generous moustache; flattened raisins;
cinnamon hearts; a lagging host; an immovable expression; fan shaped sails; coffee coloured
reveres; a barricaded university; penciled inscriptions; leisurely meals; geometric gaze stocky
fingers; rustling apparel ; single silence (‘When Mr. Pirzada came to Dine’( flashing silver wires;
sunburnt scalps; butter-scotch complexion; elephant god; dull scissors; unlined brow; horizontal
eyebrows; silver bodies; hairless knees; luxurious poses; topless women; elongated eyes; crisp
navy suit; zigzag trail; (‘Interpreter of Maladies’)
• Marjorie Boulton says that words cannot be substituted. She adds:
“… rhetoric may be used simply to adorn speech and writing. Figures of speech may not be
necessary to clarify, or to stimulate emotion, but may still be sued for the sheer pleasure they
give.”.
• These metaphors have woven a delicate but colorful density of thoughts. They are used to
characterize happiness, unhappiness, joy-sorrow, failure-success, beauty-ugliness, misery and
anguish. These have added power to expression driving thoughts with much speed and pleasure.
• Lahiri’s art seemed but patient, arduous observation reflecting in between lines. The heart and
the soul are the tools with which the layers of reality are introduced, irony & pathos are its
resultant by-products with stream of thoughts stimulating a probe into trials behind.
Uncomplicated plots characters and styles further add to easy accessibility to ideas. The universal
appeal of the stories rests in these out and out ‘Lahiri’ traits.
• Analysis of the Text
Again, communication is the main theme of this story. Mr. Kapasi works as an interpreter of
symptoms for Gujurati-speaking patients. He enables remedies to be administered. Mrs. Das
considers this both romantic and necessary, but Mr. Kapasi is disappointed by the path his life
has taken. He had dreamed of being a translator for diplomats. For him, cracking a translation
proved that all was right with the world. Both he and Mrs. Das silently bear marriages that do
not work. Mrs. Das recognizes his loneliness and seeks his opinion on her secret affair. However,
Mr. Kapasi cannot cure Mrs. Das. Guilt can only be absolved by communicating with one’s
partner.
• Mr. Das is oblivious to his wife’s affair and dwindling affection. Though he carries a camera
around his neck and snaps frequent pictures, there is irony in his choice of accessory. Just as the
innocence of the strawberry appliqué on Mrs. Das’s shirt is misleading, the camera gives the
impression of perception where there is none. It could also be considered that Mr. Das, who met
his wife very young and is content with his life, is ignoring obvious problems either for the sake
of the children or his own happiness. Mr. Kapasi is also trapped in a loveless marriage, but his
endurance stems from a place of duty and custom.
• The theme of cultural differences between Indians and Indian-Americans is another important
component in this story. At first glance, the Das family appears to be Indian, but Mr. Kapasi
knows them to be tourists. Their manner of dress and attitude give them away despite their
skin tone. Mr. Kapasi is reminded of the televison show Dallas when his fares speak. Lahiri
points out the guidebook held by Mr. Das labeled simply INDIA, suggesting he is looking for
his own culture. Mrs. Das’s coolness towards her own children astonishes Mr. Kapasi.
• The Das’s also appraise Mr. Kapasi. Mrs. Das’s insistence on the romance of his job smacks of
exoticism. It was a simple, humble job taken to support himself, and Mr. Kapasi is startled that
his duty would elicit such a response. In a way, Mrs. Das is searching for an experience that is
separate from her own mundane existence. Thus, half a world away, she decides to share her
secret with a stranger. The false togetherness Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das briefly share is built
upon misunderstanding and exoticism of their respective cultures.
• There are many symbols at work that bear the weight of the inner life of the characters. Mrs.
Das’s puffed rice snack is an extension of herself. She shares the snack with no one in the car
just as she withholds attention from her daughter. After the reveal of her secret and her

138 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY