Interpreter of the Maladies

Rizvi, Samon
Neal
AP English 6th
5 October 2012
Interpreter of Maladies
      Communication is one of the most important virtues that humans are honored with. But murky communication can lead to misunderstandings and unwonted errors. In the short story titled “Interpreter of Maladies,” Jhumpa Lahiri discusses the effects of miscommunication and how it can lead to failure to express love. Lahiri does a brilliant job in elaborating the use of symbolism and characterization in this literary work.
    In the short story, all the characters find themselves in different situations that manifest solely because of the covert lives that they live. It mentions the hollow relationship that Mr. and Mrs. Das share; they have everything that completes their lives they live in New Jersey, they have lovely children and are living a contended life, at least apparently. On the other hand Mr. Kapasi lives a lonely life and his marital issues do not work out very well because of his failure to communicate with his wife.
        Kapasi is not charmed by his work; he had bigger dreams for himself. “He had dreamed of being an interpreter for diplomats and dignitaries, resolving conflicts between people and nations settling disputes of which can alone understand both sides”(Lahiri 146).   His avid ambitions were blown away because of the unwonted circumstances in his life. He was forced into marriage but his wife did not appreciate his work and found it too vague and uninteresting. When he hears Mrs. Das saying his job is so ‘romantic’ he couldn’t help but feel that the job that had been tagged lame and useless is appreciated by someone using passionate verbiage. This feeling makes him more intrigued with Mrs. Das.

         
     

Mr. Kapasi lives a lonely life and his marital issues do not work out very well because of his failure to communicate with his wife. However, Mrs. Das is a selfish woman who hides behind her sunglasses most of the time. She wears a...