Dedicated to the study of literature.
1. What seems to be the author’s intention or purpose for writing the narrative? Try to think of several purposes and consider varying audiences in your response.
2. Describe the role of faith in the author’s ordeal or in the narrative as a whole.
2a. In general, what would a Puritan say about God and his providence in their everyday lives?
3. Describe the relationship between Mary and her captors.
4. Based on the reading, what do you think the characteristics of a “good” Puritan are?
5. How do you think Mary feels about her captivity by the end of it?
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A Temporary Matter
Shoba and Shukumar, a young Indian couple, find themselves living separate lives within the same household following a painful experience. At an attempt to begin a family, Shoba gives birth to a stillborn child when Shukumar is out of town on a business trip. Matters haven’t been the same since the death of their child. “Instead he thought of how he and Shoba had become experts at avoiding each other in their three-bedroom house, spending as much time on separate floors as possible” (Lahiri 4). At first the couple viewed their separate lives as a ‘temporary matter’, but soon discovered this type of relationship would become routine for them. Receiving a note from the electric company informing them that the lights would go out every night for an hour until the problem was fixed; the couple addressed this ‘temporary matter’ by gathering candles and flashlights. Every night when the lights went out things changed between the two, Shoba began to open up to Shukumar. Hidden by the darkness, they would take turns revealing stories about their marriage that they never shared with one another over a candlelight dinner. “All day Shukumar had looked forward to the lights going out” (Lahiri 15). Hoping the darkness would bring them closer, Shukumar saw a brighter future ahead, until the fifth night when the lights came back on and Shoba informed him that she was moving into her own apartment. Feeling hurt and empty, Shukumar tells Shoba the sex of their stillborn baby, something Shoba had chosen to be kept a surprise. Mourning over the once ‘temporary matters’, Shoba and Shukumar hold each other in the dark of the night, leaving the readers to decide whether the marriage will last or not.
When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine
Caught up in the American culture and history she grew up learning in school, Lilia is exposed to her native culture through a family friend. The Indian family, living in a city north of Boston, welcomes a man named Mr. Pirzada from Dacca to their home every night for dinner. Following dinner every night, they watch CNN news to learn the latest information concerning the civil war developing in Pakistan. Mr. Pirzada left his wife and seven daughters to come to America for a year to research. He sparks a special interest for Lilia, being different than anyone she has ever met. “I was charmed by the presence of Mr. Pirzada’s rotund elegance, and flattered by the faint theatricality of his attentions, yet unsettled by the superb ease of his gestures, which made me feel, for an instant, like a stranger in my own home” (Lahiri 29). Developing a unique relationship, she finds herself discovering the many differences between her Indian culture and his Pakistani culture. “Now that I had learned Mr. Pirzada was not an Indian, I began to study him with extra care, to try to figure out what made him different” (Lahiri 30). Returning home one night from trick or treat, Lilia finds Mr. Pirzada and her parents sitting on the couch very worried after learning that the war has worsened. His appearances become fewer as his time in America comes to an end. His departure makes Lila sad, but thankful that he is able to return to his family. Her family receives word that he returned to Dacca safely to his whole family. “It was only then, raising my water glass in his name, that I knew what it meant to miss someone who was so many miles and hours away, just as he had missed his wife and daughters for so many months” (Lahiri 42). After learning an important life lesson, Lilia learns to appreciate her family and her freedom and peace she has in America.
Interpreter of Maladies
Just like every other normal day, Mr. Kapasi welcomes a family to his van for a tour in Konarak, India. On this particular day, he meets a family that is different from any of the others, with the father too caught up in his tour guide books, the mother concerned with only herself, and the kids left to go crazy. As the ride to the Sun Temple begins, he notices Mrs. Das, the mother, acting very standoffish and simply unhappy. Her interest is caught by Mr. Kapasi’s other job as an interpreter, working at a doctor’s office. He feels special as she continually asks questions about this job. “Her sudden interest in him, an interest she did not express in either her husband or her children, was mildly intoxicating” (Lahiri 53). Mr. Kapasi feels a connection with her and sort of develops a little crush on her. She gives him more attention than his wife ever has. At the last stop on the tour as Mr. Das, and the three kids get out of the car, Mrs. Das asks Mr. Kapasi to stay in the car with her. She confesses to Mr. Kapasi that one of the boys is not Mr. Das’ son. “Raj’s. He’s not Raj’s son” (Lahiri 62). Having never shared this secret before, she feels a sense of relief as she assumes “the interpreter” will give a solution to her problem. “Eight years, Mr. Kapasi, I’ve been in pain eight years. I was hoping you could help me feel better, say the right thing” (Lahiri 65). Overwhelmed by the situation, Mr. Kapasi denies help saying this isn’t his job, and it’s not what he does. Feeling like he needs to help, he asks one question that Mrs. Das doesn’t answer, but judging from her actions she has decided to tell her husband the truth. This reveals the theme that the truth may hurt, but you can’t go your whole life living a lie. Mrs. Das is the perfect example of this. The lie she has been hiding from her husband has slowly torn her apart, also affecting those around her.
A Real Durwan
Boori Ma spends everyday sweeping the steps of an apartment building. She was left with nothing after being separated from her family following her deportation to Calcutta after Partition. As a way to help make her current situation better, Boori Ma continually tells the residents of the apartment stories of her previous life. “Mustard prawns were steamed in banana leaves. Not a delicacy was spared. Not that this was an extravagance for us” (Lahiri 71). Finding the stories changing by day, only getting more luxurious, the residents begin to question her. They try to look past the possible lies and learn to enjoy her stories. As a reader, I noticed when Boori Ma told her stories, she became full of life and happy, leading me also to believe that she was looking back on a fantasy. Despite her wild story telling, Boori Ma helps out a lot around the apartments. “Most of all, the residents liked that Boori M, who slept each night behind the collapsible gate, stood guard between them and the outside world” (Lahiri 73). The residents call her their durwan. Walking through the city one afternoon, Boori Ma’s keys to the apartment are stolen. The robbers steal a new basin and damage the new accessories around the apartment. Disappointed, the residents force Boori Ma to leave, accusing her of lying all along. “Boori Ma’s mouth is full of ashes. But that is nothing new. What is new is the face of this building. What a building like this needs is a real durwan” (Lahiri 82). I was upset after reading this story because the residents let her go in the blink of an eye; even after everything she did for them. It shows how unfaithful people can be, even those who you keep close.
Sexy
Spending time listening to her co-worker, Laxmi, tell the story of her cousin’s husband having an affair with a woman he met on a plane, Miranda finds herself in the same situation. She is the other woman. Dev, whom she met while shopping at Filene’s Basement, treats Miranda unlike any other man ever has. “…Dev was the first always to pay for things, and hold doors open, and reach across a table in a restaurant to kiss her hand” (Lahiri 89). Something about Dev makes Miranda feel like a different person, someone who means something. Although he has a wife, he always seems to fit Miranda into his schedule. Dev tells her one day that she is sexy, leaving Miranda wondering the meaning of such a word. As she is babysitting one day, the little boy also tells her that she is sexy. Curious to hear his meaning of the word she asks him. “He cupped his hands around his mouth, and then he whispered, ‘It means loving someone you don’t know’” (Lahiri 107). This statement gets Miranda thinking; Dev doesn’t know her. Realizing the wrongness of the situation, she ends the affair. The young boy’s description allows Miranda to realize the treasure of a woman’s body.
Mrs. Sen’s
Eliot’s mother hires a new babysitter for her only child. Mrs. Sen is different from the babysitters Eliot has had in the past. She is a young Indian woman not fully adjusted to life in America. This young boy learns a lot about their difference in culture right from the start. Mrs. Sen is constantly cooking, and working with her blade, something he has never seen before. Eliot notices Mrs. Sen gains happiness by telling stories about India. “‘Whenever there is a wedding in the family,’ she told Eliot one day, ‘of a large celebration of any kind, my mother sends out word in the evening for all the neighborhood women to bring blades just like this one, and then they sit in an enormous circle on the roof of our building’” (Lahiri 115). Eliot can tell Mrs. Sen is very unhappy living in America, the country where he husband made her move to for his job. “Here, in this place where Mr. Sen has brought me, I cannot sometimes sleep in so much silence” (Lahiri 115). I think her unhappiness creates tension between her and Mr. Sen. Frustrated with her constant demanding and complaining, Mr. Sen attempts to help her adjust to her new lifestyle by teaching her to drive. This plan is ruined when Mrs. Sen gives up after getting in an accident. Following the accident, Eliot never returns to Mr. and Mrs. Sen’s apartment again.
This Blessed House
Sanjeev and Twinkle, a newlywed couple, have moved into a house following their return from their wedding in India. This house reveals the relationship that Sanjeev and Twinkle share. As the couple moves into their new home, they find Christian paraphernalia throughout the house. Twinkle, energetic and unique in her own way, enjoys finding these little statues and pictures and begins to display them on the mantle. “He was further puzzled that Twinkle, who normally displayed good taste, was so charmed. These objects meant something to Twinkle, but they meant nothing to him. They irritated him” (Lahiri 138). Lately, irritation seems to be the only thing Sanjeev feels for Twinkle. The couple hosts a housewarming party at their “blessed house”, inviting Sanjeev’s old friends and coworkers. Having never met Twinkle, the guests are blown away by her personality and looks. “‘Your wife’s wow,’ added Prabal” (Lahiri 153). Sanjeev realizes that he hasn’t felt this way about his wife since before they were married. He wonders if he really loves her or if he knows what love is. “He walked toward the bedroom, but stopped short when he saw Twinkle’s shoes facing him in the doorway. He thought of her slipping them on her feet. But instead of felling irritated, as he had ever since they’d moved into the house together, he felt a pang of anticipation at the thought of her rushing unsteadily down the winding staircase” (Lahiri 155). At this moment, the reader realizes Sanjeev really loves his wife. Even if it took compliments from his coworkers to give him confidence in the marriage, he knows it will work out.
The Treatment of Bibi Haldar
As an epileptic Bibi Haldar lives a different lifestyle than the normal person. “After x-rays, probes, auscultations, and injections, some merely advised Bibi to gain weight, others to lose it” (Lahiri 158). A doctor or treatment is yet to be found successful in curing her. Spending day after day living with her cousin Haldar recording stock for his beauty supply store, Bibi realizes how lonely her life is compared to those around her. She decides what she needs is a husband, a man that will always be there to love her. “Each day she unloaded her countless privations upon us, until it became unendurably apparent that Bibi wanted a man. She wanted to be spoken for, protected, placed on her path in life” (Lahiri 160). Haldar had no hope for his burden of a cousin to find a man. He didn’t even think it was worth looking because no one wanted a wife as unstable as Bibi. Enraged in the lacking efforts of her cousin to help her, she tells embarrassing stories about Haldar and his wife to the customers of the shop. Haldar stops the stories by putting a small add in the newspaper. After several months with no response, Bibi is troubled and has yet another attack out in public. Haldar and his expectant wife fear that her illness will be passed onto the baby, so they lock her away in the storage room, delivering food twice a day. The customers of the shop are irritated by these actions and decide to boycott his shop. The couple and infant decide to move, as the infant girl catches an illness. Bibi is left with the shop. Outsiders fail to see her for several months, only to find throw up outside her room. Worried one day they enter the room to find Bibi four months pregnant. “She said she could not remember what had happened. She would not tell us who had done it” (Lahiri 172). She gives birth to a healthy young boy and begins to run the beauty supply business again. Bibi turned her life around. This shows that nothing can hold you back and all it takes to succeed is a goal and determination.
The Third and Final Continent
The main character, a young man who just moved to Massachusetts from his home in India, is working to adjust to life in this new land. He moved to America to work in a library at MIT. He finds a small apartment rented out by an older lady. Mrs. Croft a bold woman has a huge impact on this young man’s life. Spending a significant amount of time with her during the six weeks he rented out the apartment, he had a rough time leaving when his wife, Mala, came from India to join her. He and Mala haven’t really developed their relationship having not known each other for more than three months. “I did not embrace her, or kiss her, or take her hand. Instead I asked her, speaking Bengali for the first time in America, if she was hungry” (Lahiri 191). When the couple meets in America, he wants his wife Mala to meet this wonderful lady. Something special happens during this visit that brings this couple closer. “I like to think of that moment in Mrs. Croft’s parlor as the moment when the distance between Mala and me began to lessen. Although we were not yet fully in love, I like to think of the months that followed as a honeymoon of sorts” (Lahiri 196). The relationship blooms and they adjust to life in America. Mala comforts him as he hears news of the death of Mrs. Croft. Now, Mala and her husband have a son attending Harvard and are a happy couple. He will never forget this older lady who paved the way for their happy marriage. Finally, Jhumpi Lahiri ends one of her stories with a happy ending!
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