Interpreter of Maladies: Superficiality of romanticism

Like some of the other stories in Jhumpa Lihiri’s short story collections, “The Interpreter of Maladies” consists of themes that relate to miscommunication and ethnic differences, but this story’s main focus lies in the superficiality of romantic dynamics, as the two main characters find attraction in an unknown ideal and later the shattering of their respective romantic hopes in the other. Lihiri succeeds in her purpose to demonstrate the flimsiness of romance through clichés, irony, and symbols that aptly describe the character’s truths.

The story begins with a slew of clichés in the character’s descriptions. Written in third narrative in the point-of-view of Kapasi, Mr. and Mrs. Das are described as typical, rude western tourists. Mr. Das appears to be a hard-working professional who simply wants to relax while on vacation. He is like any other dad intent on capturing family moments with his tourists’ camera, and he is dressed like any American on vacation. Mrs. Das’ description is ever more clichaic and unkind; she comes across as coolly rude in her sunglasses as she nibbles on her rice cakes, which she offers to no one. Her dialogue is also curt and impolite to both Mr. Kapasi and to her family. Finally, Mr. Kaposi, too, displays redundancy – he is a typically poor native working several jobs, dreaming of a better life such as those of his tourism clients. As such, Lihiri offers entertaining, if not insightful, descriptions of her characters.

The more interesting, and the insightful, elements of the story appears in the sudden ironies. The main contradictions occurs when, after both Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das’ see the other as clichés, the two characters are attracted to each other. The turning point, of course, is when Mrs. Das exclaims that Mr. Kapasi’s job is romantic. At this point, Lihiri is in full control. At this point, Lihiri begins to unwrap the profundity of her intension, because the reader can only understand Mrs. Das’ meaning after the character has made her sympathetic plea to Mr. Kapasi. But not before Mr. Kapasi has also fallen for Mrs. Das, for before she tells her story, Mr. Kapasi believes that her rude apathy is the result of her boring American housewife’s life, which is similar to his life of broken dreams. Thus, with one ironic word, “romantic”, Lihiri has transformed a routine story about differences in culture into a profound explanation of the fragility of attractions.

Had the author ended the story by allowing Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das to run away together – as it seemed until Mr. Kapasi’s own singular comment –  the story would have ended just as it began, predictably. Yet, because of Mr. Kapasi’s honest comment that Mrs. Das feels guilt, the reader can clearly see how the symbols that magnify the deep meanings of Lihiri’s prose. Mrs. Das cannot see the truth that she should feel guilt, because “guilt” is not the response she is expecting from Mr. Kapasi, when she believed could understand other people’s “maladies”. Rather, she is revolted enough to leave the car, as the rice cake crumblings follow her to the story’s conclusion. The rice cake crumblings symbolize the guilt that she rejects, and the monkeys that attack Bobby then represent the fear she had been hiding. Perhaps, she may never tell her husband about her adultery, but what happens to Bobby and her horror at seeing the attack represent perhaps the imaginations if Mr. Das comes to his sense. As for Mr. Das, in many ways, his camera ironically symbolizes his provineial attitude concerning his family. The camera captures memorizes and visual truths, but Mr. Das only sees what is in front of him: in his mind, a typical American family. The story, then, consists of a surprising ending, not at all like the predictable beginning; but it is an appropriate conclusion given the symbolic clues Lihiri has offered.

“The Interpreter of Maladies” certainly consists of more than an ethnic lesson. Although Jhumpa Lihiri initially establishes a typical narrative that seems to consist of cultural themes, the story becomes much more profound and universal.

Jinhyung Cho