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

disappointment in Mr. Kapasi, she joins her family at the monastic dwelling. She leaves a trail Notes
of puffed rice behind her and monkeys gather. When she finds her family, Mrs. Das is shocked
to see Bobby – the child conceived in the affair – surrounded by vicious creatures. It is her guilt
and mistake that invites trouble.
• The environment is also rife with representations of thematic and narrative points. Their
destination, the Sun Temple of Konark, is filled with rubble and can no longer be accessed. The
monument once stood at the shore of a river but it has long since dried. This is indicative of the
crumbling marriage of the Das’s. The monkeys are also harbingers of chaos. At first they are
playful, but eventually threaten the family’s safety. Mrs. Das’s secret and guilt operate much
like the monkeys – an ever present force that can turn dangerous in an instant.
• The book was a critical and commercial success, and was lauded for the powerful storytelling
and elegant themes of the work. Lahiri writes eloquently about the immigrant experience and
about the divide between cultures, examining both the difficulties and joys of assimilation.
These immensely personal stories form, in one critic’s opinion, a story cycle. Overarching themes
and narrative styles culminate in an exploration of the Indian and Indian-American experience,
through the eyes of a multitude of characters grappling with themes of identity, ethnicity, love,
and culture.
• Lahiri’s other major works, The Name sake and Unaccustomed Earth, draw upon similar themes
of assimilation and love. Her work paints a comprehensive portrait of the varying experiences
of people everywhere who grapple with their identity.

8.4 Key-Words

Almari —A wooden cabinet
Assiduously—carefully, diligently
Bengali—refers to an ethnic community of people from the region of Bengal, which is now divided
between Bangladesh and India.
Cistern—A waterproof receptacle that holds water, like an artificial reservoir.
Coffer boxes—A watertight box holding valuables or money.
Defile—A narrow, often steep-sided, passage that can be ascended in single file.
Frieze—A wide section of an architectural structure that contains carved figures or designs.
Ghazal—A poetic form developed in 10th Century Persia consisting of five to fifteen rhyming couplets
and a refrain. The subject matter is usually loss or love in spite of pain.
Gujurati—referring to either an ethnicity or a language of people emanating from the state of Gujurat
in Western India.
Jain—An Indian religion that stresses non-violence.
Parapet—A wall-like barrier around the edge of a roof.
Plinth—The base or platform on top of which a column, statue or other architectural or sculptural
form rests.
Prow—The most forward part of the boat that cuts through the water as it sails.
Raga—In Indian classical music, a raga is a series of five or more notes that comprise a melody. There
are different ragas for different times of day, seasons, and occasions.
Rice Ceremony—also known as Annaprashan. In Hindu culture, the rice ceremony occurs in the
sixth or seventh month of a baby’s life. The child eats his or her first taste of solid food. It is a celebration
for the extended family.
Rogan josh—an aromatic dish of lamb created in the Kashmir region of the Indian subcontinent
Shalwar Kameez—A traditional two-piece garment worn by men and woman in Southeast Asian
cultures. The pants are wide on top and narrow at the ankle and paired with a loose tunic.

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