A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri

641 Words2 Pages

How different are families compared to the past? Lately there has been some major changes in relationships, weather female dominance, or even just having no relationships at all. We also see that relationships are based only on a basis of reproduction and sometimes the child of the relationship is rather irrelevant. In a Temporary matter by Jhumpa Lahiri, the reader can see how relationships have developed with the rest of the world into failing, no relationship, and feminist relationships. A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri is a short story explaining how these short relationships can fall apart so quick. The couple, Shukumar and Shoba have a very complicated relationship. Shukumar works at home on his dissertation while Shoba works gets up every morning and goes to work. Previously the couple lost a child right after it was born, which hurt the couple. After this event this couple hardly talked, became experts on avoiding each other, and grew distant. They then have a problem that ends up making them have to talk to each other more then they did. They are reminded about how they used to be and start to grow closer, revealing things about themselves. But then it all ends with Shoba telling her husband that she found an apartment. This stops the couple from getting closer. Shukumar then reveals his secret about the baby and removes a mystery that Shoba wanted to keep a mystery. This story ends with the couple crying in the dark but the reader can infer that the couple breaks up after this story. In this story the reader can see how relationships have evolved into being female dominated. We see this in how Shoba is the one that is going to work, not Shukumar. While he does work he is working at him, and is working on school. He... ... middle of paper ... ...e same home, As a result Shukumar loses work time when Shoba is home. After the loss of their child, this couple really fell apart. The reader can interpret this as the couple got together to reproduce and when that failed they had nothing left. Considering how recent this was it is surprising that the couple is already over the death of the child. The couple is not completely over the death of the child, but they aren’t still grieving and only are upset when it is brought up. This story is a great representation of how relationships have changed over the years. Weather its the female dominance or the relationships are given up. Shoba and Shukumar are great examples of this phenomenon. This couple can be related to a typical American relationship. Jhumpa Lahiri does a good job of detailing this failure of a relationship and explains how this couple breaks apart.

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