Interpreter Of Maladies Essay Example

is no longer with Mrs. Das. Mr. Das asks Tina where her mother is, using Mrs. Das’s first name, Mina. Mr. Kapasi notices that Mr. Das uses his wife’s first name, and he thinks it is an unusual way to speak to a child. Along the way of sightseeing, they spot many monkeys. Mr. Kapasi tells the children and Mr.

Das that the monkeys are not dangerous as long as they are not fed. While the car pulls over so the family can get out and look around, Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi remain in the vehicle to talk. The children and Mr. Das were playing with the monkeys when Bobby, the youngest son, goes missing. Bobby was surrounded by the monkeys, and was hitting him in the legs with a stick he had given them. Both Mr. and Mrs. Das do not do anything to save their son until Mrs. Das screams for Mr. Kapasi to get her son. Mr. Das just standing there he takes a picture instead of being a dad and helping.

The kids did not listen to Mr. Kapasi because they have no respect for their authority since their parents do not discipline them. Mr. and Mrs. Das should not be considered parents for their lack of responsibility for their kids. Mr. Das does not try to show affection towards Mrs. Das. Hiding behind his camera, Mr. Das is unaware of what really is going on around them. Instead of taking in his surroundings Mr. Das will only remember through looking at his pictures. Mr. Das likes to think there is nothing wrong with his life however, his marriage is not passionate

or thoughtful. She was lost behind her sunglasses, ignoring her husband’s request that she pose for another picture, walking past her children as if they were strangers” (Lahiri 58). Mr. Das does not connect with his surroundings except through his camera and guide book. He does not notice his wife or bothers to see why she acts the way she does. Mrs. Das is inconsiderable and could care less of being in another picture with her family she doesn’t like. Mrs. Das opens up to Mr. Kapasi hoping he could help her because he is an interpreter of maladies. She confesses to him that her younger son, Bobby, is the product of an affair she had eight years ago.

Mrs. Das slept with a friend of Mr. Das’s who came to visit while she was a lonely housewife and she has never told anyone before. Additionally, Mrs. Das reveals that she no longer loves her husband, whom she has known since she was a young child, and that she has destructive impulses toward her children and life. She asks Mr. Kapasi to suggest some remedy for her pain. “He decided to begin with the most obvious question, to get to the heart of the matter, and so he asked,” “Is it really pain you feel, Mrs. Das, or is it guilt? ”(Lahiri 67). Mrs.

Das is not happy and she wants relieve for what she has done but will not get any until she confesses the truth to her husband. However, knowing how Mrs. Das is she will never confess because, she does not care enough to make an attempt to talk to her husband instead she

opens up to a stranger. Mr. and Mrs. Das would rather ignore each other’s feelings and just pretend everything is perfect. However, even a perfect picture can’t change the way they were feeling in that moment, invisible. Mrs. Das does not care about anyone but herself. Keeping her feelings hidden from her family, Mrs.

Das is not happy. In addition, she does not see anyone else as they are but rather as a means to fulfilling her own needs and desires. “While Mrs. Das adjusted his telephoto lens, Mrs. Das reached into her straw bag and pulled out a bottle of colorless nail polish, which she proceeded to stroke on the tip of her index finger, The little girl stuck out a hand, ‘Mine too mommy, do mine too’ ‘Leave me alone,’ Mrs. Das said blowing on her nail and turning her body slightly” (Lahiri 48). Selfish, declining, and unenthusiastic, Mrs. Das refuses to paint her own daughter’s nails. Since Mrs.

Das is no longer in love with her husband she uses that for her bad behavior towards everything else. Unfaithful, Mrs. Das feels a strain on her marriage but will not take any fault for her actions. She takes no concern on how her affair takes a part on her family. Other than facing her happiness, Mrs. Das hides behind her sunglasses and ignores her family. Mrs. Das self-involvement so broad that she blames others for her feelings of pain about her infidelity and does not care. Mrs. Das does not care about anyone else, everyone’s feelings around her are invisible and not worthy to her.

In conclusion the Das family is very distant, careless, and mainly

invisible to one another. Mr. and Mrs. Das do not take any responsibility for their kids or actions. Since they never had someone to really reprimand them the children are not well disciplined and ignore their authorities. The relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Das relationship is far-away from concerned. Their marriage is hopeless and neither person is happy. However, they do not care to make anything better instead they look the other way and pretend everyone is just right. Mrs. Das is a big component in why the family struggles to be a family.

Instead of being a wife and mother she tends to only care for herself and her needs. Each person in the family does not see each other for what they really are. The kids think as their parents as an older brother and sister, Mr. Das thinks of nothing is wrong with his wife or cares for his kids, and Mrs. Das only sees her husband as someone she’s stuck with now and doesn’t care for her kids as well. As a result, the family is nothing but problems. The Das family does not see each other in anyway consequently making each person invisible and careless to one another.