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Unit 9: Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies: Discussion on all Important Spheres of the Text Questions

narrative is not generally as rigidly structured as a novel would be. Successful short stories usually Notes
contain several particular features. Unlike the longer novel form, they must contain an idea that can
be worked through within a restricted word limit. Although this does not allow for the creation of an
extended psychological study of a character, let alone a number of characters, it is surprising how
much information can be conveyed to readers about a character by using deft short phrases instead
of extended description.
Story structure
The short story’s internal structure determines the significance of both its technical and artistic elements,
such as themes, symbols and images. The introduction must immediately draw the reader in and
pique their interest by establishing the emotional tone of the narrative, setting the scene, creating the
atmosphere and locating the characters in a specific time and place. One of the most prominent
features of Lahiri’s stories is her short, to the point opening sentences, which immediately introduce
information that is crucial to the rest of the narrative. Take the opening to ‘A Temporary Matter’, for
example – ‘The notice informed them that it was a temporary matter’ (p.1). While this immediately
prompts the question of what this ‘temporary matter is – in this case, the electricity being cut off – it
also clues us into the wider issue of the estrangement that exists between the married couple Shoba
and Shukumar.
The body of the story is where the ‘plot’ of the story unfolds. Short stories require an organising
principle; for example, all of Lahiri’s characters are Indian, or of Indian extraction, and thus share
similar concerns and values.
Many of Lahiri’s plot lines seem trivial, such as the story ‘This Blessed House’, about Twinkle’s
preoccupation with the Christian artefacts left behind by their house’s previous owners – an interest
which her husband Sanjeev finds annoying. More important, though, is the way that the discovery of
each relic sheds new light on the marriage of these seemingly incompatible characters. A deft
development of character and plot is central to the short story, and is focused on the conflict around
which the story is based. This conflict could be between characters, between characters and their
society, or within the psyche of the main character. ‘Mrs Sen’s’, for example, concerns an Indian
woman who is unable to assimilate into her adopted country, in contrast to her more socially adept
husband. Her friendship with an American boy becomes an opportunity for each to experience the
other’s alternative culture.
The climax results from the convergence of the separate elements in the story, and the ending generally
comes from the falling action after the climax.
Lahiri’s endings are highly varied: they can often be abrupt, can be either positive or negative, and
are often tangential or ambiguous. ‘The Treatment of Bibi Haldar’, for example, ends with a sense of
the mystical because the main character has a baby without ever, to our knowledge, having any
association with the opposite sex even though she desires marriage above all things. Equally magically,
the pregnancy cures her of epilepsy. Lahiri’s endings do not necessarily round off the story neatly.
Instead, they encourage us to contemplate the ordinary lives of others and, by doing so, provide us
with a possible moment of insight or revelation about our own lives.
The significance of titles
Titles are important in any text, but Lahiri’s carefully-chosen titles often provide clues as to the stories’
content, as well as important information about character; they can also lead directly to the substance
of the narrative. The title ‘Sexy’, for example, keys us into a character’s fundamental misunderstanding
of the precise meaning of this word, while ‘A Temporary Matter’ refers to the event that sets the
central plot in motion.

Language and narrative point of view
Lahiri’s precise and spare prose is stripped of any florid phrases, and the adjectives and adverbs
provide specific details rather than merely embellishing her writing. She has said that ‘I just want to
get it less – get it plainer. When I rework things I try to get it as simple as I can’ (Chotiner 2008, p.3).
While the language in this short story collection is functional, it still creates a sense of beauty and
wholeness.

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