“Pleasure may come from illusion but happiness can come only of reality.” –Anonymous. Although finding pleasure by means of illusion may be effective temporarily, a relationship is incapable of flourishing without the assistance of reality. In the book Interpreter of Maladies, there are constant battles of characters escaping illusion involving Indian culture, told through short stories. Indifferent relationships will cause a couple to stray from reality and separate themselves from reaching mere happiness. In the stories, “A Temporary Matter” and “Interpreter of Maladies,” the use of alliteration and symbolism emphasize the failing relationships of Shukumar and Shoba and the two marriages of Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi with the common theme of …show more content…
reality to represent the unhappy arranged marriages of the Das Family and the Kapasi Family, and the miscommunications that come of them. For instance, Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das make eye contact in “the rearview mirror: pale, a bit small, their gaze fixed but drowsy” (50). The rearview mirror constantly symbolizes the couple's diminishing relationships and the past differences within each pair. Looking into the rearview mirror displays the illusion that Mr. Kapasi reflects onto the factitious relationship between him and Mrs. Das. Furthermore, the Das Family appears unified for their Christmas picture although they are quite the opposite: “But we could use one of these pictures for our Christmas card this year. We didn’t get one of all five of us at the Sun Temple” (61). This emphasizes the ‘perfect family’ fantasy that the Das’s are trying to parade. Hiding from the truth, the Das Family continuously turns away from the fact that they are all miserable. Inversely, Mr. Kapasi’s dream of him and Mrs. Das pursuing to talk after their visit gets destroyed when “the slip of paper with Mr. Kapasi’s address on it fluttered away in the wind” (69). By the end of this short story, the reality of Mr. Kapasi’s dream to end up with Mrs. Das is exposed when this paper flies up with the monkeys. While this illusion is overcome with the truth, the forged relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Das remains a
All through the times of the intense expectation, overwhelming sadness, and inspiring hope in this novel comes a feeling of relief in knowing that this family will make it through the wearisome times with triumph in their faces. The relationships that the mother shares with her children and parents are what save her from despair and ruin, and these relationships are the key to any and all families emerging from the depths of darkness into the fresh air of hope and happiness.
Through Rachel Getting Married, Demme was able to truthfully display the pain and misery that family members are able to inflict upon each other, even during an event that is presumed to be celebrating family. The film miraculously captured that intangible quality many of us can recognize with: the happiness of being around loved ones we see too rarely and the high of having everyone together in the same place. The center of the celebration was two sisters, Kym and Rachel. Both of complete opposites: one with a Ph.D. in psychology and one self-destructive addict. Our first introduction to Kym didn’t present us with an exactly positive image: she’s a caustic young woman with a history of drug-addiction, run-ins with the law, selfishness and
In “Interpreter of Maladies,” lonely Mr. Kapasi acts a guide for the Das family of tourists. His intrigue in Mrs. Das is not due to her particular beauty, but rather from the minimal attention she gives him. The car rides from one tourist attraction to another represent both Mr. Kapasi’s and Mrs. Das’s subtle desire for control in their lives, he with his need for passion and she with her selfish secrets. Additionally, the car ride in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” also in some way represents control, as exhibited in Arnold Friend’s sway over young Connie. The flashy gold paint on the old model car is representative of Arnold himself and the persona he is wishing to portray. Furthermore, the sexual energy of the car rides is presented in the two stories as both pathetic (a married man’s lust), and nefarious (Arnold’s fetishization of fifteen-year-old Connie). The commonality of specious appearances is what really links the two works, with both Mrs. Das and Mr Kapasi not being quite what they seem, and Connie and Arnold’s desire to play a different character than their own, despite the contrast of innocence and
Searing the mind with stunning images while seducing with radiant prose, this brilliant first novel is a story of damaged lives and the indestructibility of the human spirit. It speaks about loss, about the urgency, pain and ultimate healing power of memory, andabout the redemptive power of love. Its characters come to understand the
Each window Jeffries observes contains a plot which portrays a different view of marriage. At first, the newlyweds show a relationship full of joy and happiness with much hope for the future. The husband is shown as he carries his bride over the threshold as they enjoy their first moments together in their new home. Then the blinds are pulled and thus sexual relations are implied. As ti...
Initially, Desai uses the duality of human nature by the two different ages in A Devoted Son. Th...
Against the backdrop of a brand-new liberalized world, Kapur sketches out Shagun’s boredom, Raman’s hurt and the confusion of their children, Roohi and Arjun, who are batted back and forth between parents and across chapters. The two new partners in the equation, boss man Ashok and divorcee Ishita, struggle to woo their step kids while supporting
This metaphor showcases how the wife tries to conceal her unloving marriage from the world in hope that it will be resolved, yet she still suffers from the way the man treats her. The small candle on the cake is another metaphor used to portray the loneliness of the wife. This feeling is a common emotion felt by many victims of a detached relationship. The description “...one pink candle burning in the center”, gives the candle a feminine trait which reflects the wife. The cake, which the candle was used for was not well received by the husband and the celebration comes to a halt. Then, the cake is ignored and the candle burns in loneliness. Similar to the cake and the candle, the wife and her efforts have never been appreciated or respected by her husband. Much like the cake, the wife is ignored, and she lives her life in desolation and solitude. Lastly, the setting symbolises the wife’s lack of importance to her husband. The setting is described as “a little narrow restaurant” and with a few
The high level of expertise by the author using the third person narrative of the view of the protagonist husband shows that he was oblivious to the fact that his wife was ver...
Both the woman in San Francisco and Shiva are affected by their loneliness and the unwillingness of their lovers. The men in these women’s life are not willing to fight for them. While their circumstances differ, they are hurt because of the same reason. These women only want their husband’s presence in their life.
Some people believe that opposites attract. Others believe that people who are more similar will have a better relationship. Some prefer relationships with older people, and some prefer them with younger people. Jhumpa Lahiri, author of the short story collection Interpreter of Maladies, explores the dynamic of relationships in her works. In her short story “Interpreter of Maladies” a married woman confesses a secret to a man she barely knows. In her story “This Blessed House” a couple fights over the religious relics they find in their new home. While one reads Lahiri’s stories, a theme begin to emerge that shows the woman of the relationship behaving like an adolescent and the man behaving like her father due to the internalized idea of
... This book deals with the past and present, and it is also about reality that suggests an impressive reflection of what we might learn about each other. At the end of the story the narrator made an unexpected conclusion, by having those experiences that show up in his own personal thoughts. The personal nature is one reason that the book’s ending holds such important meaning. For the reader, the story is illustrated in the way that the text deals with the themes that are very close to some of the people in this world.
The tragedy in the novels of middle phase rises from the intimate interactions of the expatriate women with the Indians in post – independence era since there is no more any shielding protection of the colonial officialdom of British imperialism. The brutal rape of Lee, the seduction of Olivia and her step – granddaughter are some symbolic portrayals of the disparity between the romantic illusions that in turn could provide them nothing but sexuality betrayal and falsehood. In portraying the subjugation of the European women by Indian lover’s husbands or the spiritual gurus Jhabvala hints at the moral and spiritual degradation in modern India. The search of the expatriate women for love beauty or spirituality ends in their victimisation at the hands of male rapacity and they are in a predicament of self – destructive commitments or flight for survival.
Many individuals spend countless hours pondering the meaning behind the author’s words. With the use of this essay, the message behind “Tsotsi” can be easily understood. This essay will gather information to prove, what it believes the authors is trying to convey. The novel, “Tsotsi”, by Athol Fugard shows how characters struggle and change to fit in with individuals they have chosen to surround themselves with. This can be seen through multiple scenarios, which unfold throughout the book. These scenarios are expressed through the use of many literary devices that help explain the message. These devices include but are not limited to imagery, motif, and similes.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy tells the story of the communist state of Kerala and the forbidden love between two castes, which changes the lives of everyone. In the novel an ‘Untouchable’, Velutha is a carpenter and works at Paradise Pickles and Preserves for much less than he deserves because of his status as an Untouchable in the caste system. Velutha falls into a forbidden love with a divorced woman, Ammu who is associated with an upper caste Syrian Christian Ipe family. Marriage was the only way that Ammu could have escaped this life, but she lost the chance when marrying the wrong man, as he was an alcoholic and this resulted in them getting a divorce. Ammu breaks the laws that state ‘who should be loved, and how and how much’, as their affair threatens the ‘caste system’ in India, which is a hierarchal structure and social practice in India in which your position in society is determined and can’t be changed. Arhundati Roy portrays the theme of forbidden love within the caste systems and shows how they are t...