Interpreter of Maladies in Comparison with Marriages

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Interpreter of Maladies is just one of the many short stories written by Jhumpa Lahiri. Interpreter of Maladies is the story of an American family and an Indian tour guide, Mr. Kapasi. Driving from location to location, Mr. Kapasi revealed his second job as a translator of symptoms of patients who speak a different language than the doctor. Mrs. Das declared his job romantic. Mr. Kapasi became smitten with the woman because he himself suffered from a broken marriage. Seeking help from Mr.Kapasi, Mrs. Das wanted a remedy for her malady; therefore, Mrs. Das admitted that her middle child wasn’t conceived by her husband. However, Mr. Kapasi could not find a solution to her problem. He could only diagnose her with the feeling of guilt. There are many themes that contribute to Interpreter of Maladies including the importance of communication, broken marriages, and infidelity.

Communication is a very important aspect in one’s everyday life, yet, miscommunication is one of the most overlooked complications in today’s society. “Communication is a basic requirement for the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships (Senn).” The story portrays the significance in communication with one another. Mr. Kapasi lost his ability to communicate in some of the languages he learned as an adolescent; in addition, he lost his ability to communicate with his wife. As a result, he would drink tea in silence at night and ended up with a loveless marriage. The Das family also had a terrible time communicating, which led to Mrs. Das committing adultery, and having no compassion for her husband or children.

Communication is one of the most important variables in keeping a healthy marriage. Without healthy communication, marriages could e...

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