The Paradox of Trust and Fidelity

Although the subtle symbols can be easily overlooked, they serve to embellish the exposition of Jhumpa Lahiri’s ideas, themes, and plot within her short story. With the abundance of symbols, I feel as if I am a psychoanalyst examining the clues that underline the relationships of Mr. Kapashi and Mrs. Das. “The Interpreter of Maladies” evolves around trust, curse of temptation, and fidelity between married couples that are not directly stated, but implied. Through analysis of each character and subtle symbols, we can discern the purpose and meaning of this short story.


I find it is fun to study the theme of this novel like a reader response critic because I enjoy discovering the meaning behind the numerous subtle symbols. Something appearing very obvious such as the dried rice snacks makes me wonder what the other meaning Lahiri implied as she incorporated it in the novel. It is apparent that Mrs. Das does not share it with her family; but further reading suggests that it also represents her seclusion and disconnection with her husband and children. As she begins applying nail polish, we again notice that she is in her own world and does not want to take care of her own children. We can see her incoherence with her family as she argues with her husband if she would take her daughter to the bathroom, her refusal to take a family picture, and bitter attitude towards her husband. Throughout the novel, we see Mrs. Das’ dissatisfaction of her husband. Although they seemed to have a happy childhood, their adult lives appear to have been destroyed by their arranged marriage because they are not compatible mates. As they grow older, their parents expect their happy childhood lives continue; however, as Mr. Kapashi points out that Mr. and Mrs. Das remain immature, behaving much like their children.


Although the monkeys are used to fill the plot at the end of the story, they serve to convey to readers a meaningful theme about the dynamic of Das’ family. As I mentioned in class, it is very important to note that Lahiri intended to use the monkeys to represent Mrs. Das’ naiveté and immaturity, but also to give a sense of parallelism in Mr. Kapashi’s relations with her. The children constantly want to look at the monkeys like Mr. Kapashi discreetly admiring Mrs. Das’ beauty in the car and throughout the tour. When the monkeys follow the trails of Mrs. Das’ rice cracker crumbs, it seems to resemble Mr. Kapashi who finds an interest and desire to pursue a temptation in Mrs. Das. At the Udayagirian hills, the monkeys form a ring around Mr. Das and the kids to symbolize the family’s cohesiveness and separation from their mother as well as Mrs. Das’ trust in Mr. Kapashi. Before Bobby is attacked, he exchanges a broken branch with a monkey, representing Mrs. Das’ revealing and sharing the secret of Bobby’s illegitimate father. Since the monkey attack is unexpected, Mr. Kapashi explains, “They are more hungry than dangerous.” Such an episode represents the shell-shocked feeling that Mr. Kapashi experiences as Mrs. Das unveils for the first time the story about Bobby. I also like how Lahiri slyly hints that Mrs. Das is not a responsible mother when she does not fend off the monkeys. As she urges Mr. Kapashi to intervene and help, it is indirectly stated that Mrs. Das lacks the instincts of a mother to defend her children from danger.


By examining the Temple of the Sun, the readers experience the Das family’s anguish that such a structure resembling a circle of trust and marital vows are deteriorating. We experience the same shock when we learn about Mrs. Das’ infidelity, which insidiously erodes her happiness. We perceive when love is absent, it is almost like the inscrutable woman figures that have withstood years of weathering. In our class discussion, I enjoyed learning about the representation of the dried up river along with the rubble that suggest a failed and incompatible marriage that contains lives destined for further emotional deterioration. Mr. Kapashi’s favorite figure, the Astachala-Surya contains a tired figure surrounded by women. As all things must come to an end, I believe that this setting-sun figure foreshadows his final positive opinion of Mrs. Das as the day transitions into night. This is the last time he admires her beauty because their next conversation reveals her tarnished history--he later does not feel their previous emotional affinity.

Though this is a short story, it contains all the necessary points and clues to invigorate the readers’ minds. The length of the story allows us to focus on the smaller portions of the novel and serves to expand the themes into a broader perspective. Implied within different parts of the story are symbols that present it in a different manner. After re-reading and analyzing the points such as those above, I am convinced to have accomplished in grasping the meanings of Lahiri’s intentions. (827)