A Temporary Matter

The complex infrastructure of romantic relationships is a topic that has been intensely scrutinized and evaluated for the entirety of its existence. Despite this profound analysis, the intrinsically elusive answers to one persistent question remain: what factors most contribute to the prosperity of a relationship? While there are certainly a myriad of possible responses to this proposition, a prevalent explanation can be found in the basic enabler of biological interaction: communication. In Jhumpa Lahiri's collection Interpreter of Maladies, in the stories "This Blessed House" and "A Temporary Matter", Lahiri provides powerful evidence that communication determines the success or failure of relationships, because communication promotes social

Following the death of their stillborn baby, Shoba and Shukumar diverge emotionally, physically and romantically. The death of their baby results in differing emotional responses: Shoba is drastically disturbed and upset, whereas the death “did not haunt [Shukumar] the way it haunted Shoba.” These differences propagate to other areas of their relationship. They become “experts at avoiding each other”, consciously and purposefully “spending as much time on separate floors as possible” (Lahiri 4). Confronted with the placement of his new office, Shukumar sets up his desk far away from Shoba “deliberately, partly because the room soothed him, and partly because it was a place Shoba avoided”. Even during “the one time in the day [Shoba] sought him out”, Shukumar had “come to dread” their communication (Lahiri 8). Naturally, romantic intimacy becomes an ancient memory as their love for each other dies away. Separated from each other to this extent, Shoba and Shukumar are unable to adequately communicate their emotions, and cannot bond socially or romantically. These consequences further deteriorate the health of their relationship, expanding the already vast gap between the