Interpreter Of Maladies

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“Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri
1. Discuss the symbolism in “Interpreter of Maladies.” How do these symbols serve to develop the story’s plot?
1a. From what I grasped from "Interpreter of Maladies," Mr. Das' tour guide book is a symbol of ignorance, and Mrs. Das' sunglasses and her nail polish, I believe, are meant to symbolize the secret of one of her sons not being her husbands child. The tour guide book that belongs to Mr. Das has his attention for most of the story and keeps him from noticing what his family does, especially his wife. This develops the story by establishing the not-so-great relationship between Mr. Das and his wife. In addition, the symbols related to Mrs. Das also play a crucial role of developing the story. Since her sunglasses and nail polish symbolize Mrs. Das' secret that she is hiding, the more times she is mentioned using either also show the more she is having trouble hide said secret or keep it in. This would make sense since Mrs. Das eventually breaks down and reveals the truth to Mr. Kapasi.
2. What is the significance of the story’s …show more content…
The main role that culture plays in the development of this story is to show the differences and similarities between family structure. One of the biggest comparisons between Mr. Kapasi and the Das family is with the relationship between both the husband and the wife. Mr. Kapasi and his wife were arranged to be married and he, later in his life, realized that she truly was not in love with him nor her him. On the other hand, Mr. And Mrs. Das had known each other for years and had loved each other, but now, according to Mrs. Das, she is no longer in love with her husband. While they married differently, the outcome was the same. Before Mrs. Das even reveals it to him, Mr. Kapasi can infer that that was the situation and, as a result, further the justification of his attraction to Mrs. Das. That end result was essentially the entire role that culture played in this
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