An Analysis Of A Temporary Matter By Jhumpa Lahiri

A Permanent Matter

While A Temporary Matter can be viewed simply as faded love connections due to the loss of a child, Jhumpa Lahiri evaluates how problematic the distinctions between marital and maternal roles are through literary terms such as visual imagery, mood, tone and foreshadowing through exemplifying how the characters portray their grief. Inside the passage, paragraph eleven beginning at “These days Shoba was always gone by the time Shukumar woke up” and ending with “He thought of how long it had been since she looked into his eyes and smiled, or whispered his name on those rare occasions they still reached for each other 's bodies before sleeping”(2), Lahiri clarifies their marriage disputes are not just a temporary matter.

The title ‘A Temporary Matter’ is rather ironic in the sense that their issue is more a permanent matter. It is something that cannot be fixed or improved. The author, Lahiri emphasizes on her diction throughout the story. Shukumar remembers how Shoba would mark errors “in a code she had once explained to him” (2). Jhumpa Lahiri mentions Shoba using a code to hint at her secretive personality. Throughout the paragraphs, readers wonder if Shobas’ intentions were enigmatic because they were not shared. Lahiri continues to explain how Shukumar “envied her the specificity of her task” (2). The author uses the word ‘envied’ to exhibit how truly envious he was of how she was dealing with the loss of their baby. Almost somewhat jealous of how focused and precise she had become towards her work. Readers can gain Shukumar’s uncertainty towards Shoba’s new behavior. Referring to the author’s intent of sympathy towards Shukumar, she describes him as “a mediocre student”(2). The word ‘mediocre’ relates to average. With Shoba flourishing in her work life, Shukumar 's ordinary skills are not enough for him to make a living on his own. Lahiri continues to explain “he and Shoba had become experts at avoiding each other in their three-bedroom house”(2). The author applies the word ‘experts’ when describing their avoidance to boost the attention to that sentence. The couple not only avoids each other but they are becoming professionally well at this craft. This means they have been avoiding each other for an extended period of time. Jhumpa Lahiri magnifies the couple’s issues through diction in order to display how deep the marriage is