What Does Sanjeev Mean When They Move To America

The novel ‘Interpreter of Maladies’ by Jhumpa Lahiri is comprised of many short stories including ‘This Blessed House’ and ‘The Third and Final Continent’. ‘This Blessed House’ is centered on a newlywed Indian couple moving into their house and finding Christian trinkets all over the house. ‘The Third and Final Continent’ is about another newlywed couple and their move to America. Both short stories are told from the point of view of the husband and have the recurring element of tradition, therefore the effects of tradition and culture on the daily lives and relationships of newlywed couples are highlighted.

In ‘This Blessed House’ there is a contrast between the more traditional views of the husband and the wife’s unconventional ways. The

husband, Sanjeev places value in tradition as highlighted when ‘ ‘ pg ieoioee.

However, the importance Sanjeev places in tradition is due to him caring what others think and not due to his personal value in the traditions and culture themselves. Twinkle notes this asking, ‘why does it matter to you so much to you what other people think?’ (page 147). This highlights how Sanjeev believes that staying within social traditional and cultural norms leads to social acceptance and is therefore important. This contrasts greatly to Twinkle’s belief that it doesn’t matter what other people think as long as you are happy. Twinkle’s belief is demonstrated through her love for Christian memorabilia because this fascination his unusual and far outside of cultural norms. This obviously does not bother her as she finds delight in these little ‘surprises’ and wonders, however unconventional. Twinkle’s unconventional-ness can also be seen through her actions and how she does not cook Indian food, (“Indian food, she complained, was a bother” (144)) and therefore Sanjeev is left to do all the cooking and “it was Sanjeev who was

left to do the rest of the cleaning”’ (page 150). This contrasts greatly to cultural gender roles in which the woman does all the cooking in the household and therefore highlights Twinkles unconventional ways. Perhaps overall the the contrast between Sanjeev’s traditional ideals and Twinkle’s untraditional ideals illustrates how although two people may be different they can still love each other and live with each other. Perhaps difference in cultural and traditional views is not a factor that separates and limits relationships entirely but rather something that one could learn to appreciate and perhaps even admire.

The short story ‘The Third and Final Continent’ also centers on a newly wed couple. However, in contrast to ‘This Blessed House’, the arranged couple are migrating to America. The husband arrives to America first, flying in from London, and begins work in order to get settled for the arrival of his wife. He combats cultural differences for six weeks until the arrival of his wife. For example in contrast to both the culture in India and in England he learns that one should not ‘expect an English cup of tea’ (page 174) in America. He also further learns of the differences between London and America as the difference between ‘flask’ and ‘thermos’ is explained to him on page 176. The husband’s adjustment to American life is also highlighted through his sorting through ‘coins with which [he] was still unfamiliar,’ (page 176). The husband makes all these adjustments to life in America prior to his wife’s arrival so that when he does greet her at the airport he is ‘speaking Bengali for the first time in America’. (page 191). This highlights how while adjusting to the American lifestyle he had, to some extent, lost practice in his home culture and tradition. In contrast to his semi-American ways, his wife, upon arrival, behaves very traditionally wearing her sari ‘draped in a sigh of bridal modesty’ (page 191). The wife’s traditional mannerisms are further highlighted by how she cooks ‘rice for breakfast’ (page 192) and how she takes care of the house, putting a ‘tablecloth on the table, and chicken curry made with fresh garlic and ginger on the stove‘ (page 193). In adaptation to her new life with her husband in America she begins to serve him cereal for breakfast (at his request) and do more typically American things such as ‘ice cream cones in Harvard yard’ (page 196) and ‘[walk] to the Charles river to watch sailboats’ (page 196). This shows her progress in cultural adaptation and also their progress as a couple finding a home in a new country. In the end ‘Mala no longer drapes the end of her sari over her head’ (page 197), a symbol of her adaptation to life in America and her comfort in her relationship with her husband. However the couple does not fully lose their heritage because they insure that their son carries on tradition by making him ‘eat rice with his hands, and speak in Bengahli’ (page 197). Overall the couple’s journey in adapting to an new, culture, to one another, and finding a new home demonstrates how some change in tradition can be beneficial.

Overall the recurring element of tradition plays a large role in the relationships between the couples and how they view the world. Sanjeev realises that although Twinkle’s way of living may be unconventional she finds happiness and wonder in the chaos. Mala and her husband adapt to life in America by not staying rigidly bound to traditional cultural norms while still maintaining aspects of their culture. Perhaps the journeys of the two different couples illustrate how tradition and culture play a role in marriage and how seemingly different people can adapt and come to enjoy one another's company. Tradition is meant to be something that brings people together, not tear them apart.