Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri

 

A Temporary Matter
Shoba – rented her own apartment, did not tell Shukumar   Shukumar – working from home, held deceased baby, never told Shoba	Why did the darkness make such a difference in their relationship?   Do you think they stayed together?
When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine
Mr. Pirzada – wife and 7 daughters in Dacca which was invaded by Pakistan   Lilia Parents	What did the author want the reader to take away from this story?
Interpreter of Maladies
Mr. and Mrs. Das Children – Tina, Bobby, Ronny   Mr. Kapasi – tour guide, interpreter at doctor’s office	Why did Mrs. Das confide in Mr.  Kapasi?
The Real Durwan
Boori Ma – unofficial durwan of apartment building   Mr. and Mrs. Dalal – Mr. Dalal promoted, bought things for building   Mr. Chatterjee   Mrs. Misra	Why did the tenants blame Boori Ma for the damage done to the building?
Sexy
Laxmi – Indian   Miranda – American, Dev – affair with Miranda, married   Laxmi’s cousin – husband ran off with woman he met on airplane Rohin - son	Was Miranda’s behavior with Rohin appropriate?   Why did Miranda end her affair with Dev?
Mrs. Sen’s
Mother Eliot   Mr. Sen – professor Mrs. Sen – babysat Eliot in her home	Do you think Mrs. Sen will ever find happiness in America?   Would you have felt comfortable leaving your child with Mrs. Sen?
This Blessed House
Tanima “Twinkle” Sanjeev	Why was Twinkle so connected with the Christian items left in the house?
The Treatment of Bibi Haldar
Bibi Halder – coached by neighborhood women on how to be more feminine Son   Halder cousin – owner of cosmetics shop, blamed Bibi for daughter’s illness Wife Daughter	Why did Bibi’s cousin blame her for the daughter’s illness?   What do you think happened to Bibi that she was cured at the end of the story?
The Third and Final Continent
Narrator Mala – wife Son   Mrs. Craft - landlady Helen - daughter	This was the only story that tells the reader what happens in the end.  Is this a good story for the last one?  Did you find it satisfying?

 

For Discussion:

1.       In the Forward to the 20^th anniversary edition of the book, the reviewer wrote of the stories in the book, “their cohabitation makes perfect sense” (page xi).  Was there a theme or connection among all of the stories?

2.       What was your reading experience with short stories compared to novels?

3.       Did your feel connected with the characters or did you want to have them developed more fully?

4.       Did any of the stories help you to think differently or give you a greater understanding of someone living in a different country than where they were born?

5.       Why did this book win the Pulitzer Prize in 2000?

*****

First Semester Success, 2nd edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com and wordassociation.com.