Interpreter of Maladies in Norton Introduction to Literature by Booth and Mays - Research Paper Example

?Insert Introduction The story Interpreter of Maladies s back to 1999 as Jhumpa Lahiri’s work. This story features in Booth and Mays’ Norton Introduction to Literature and also in a self-titled novel that was published in the United States. Personally, the story remains of key interest because of the manner in which it has devoted itself to speak about character development. Summary of the Plotline In the story, Mr. and Mrs. Das have travelled from the United States where they have lived since childhood, to their native homeland, India. Mr. and Mrs. Das are accompanied by their children, Bobby Das, Tina and Ronny Das. The couple picks up Mr. Kapasi for a tour guide, as they attempt to get to the Sun Temple. Mr. and Mrs. Das behave in a way that does not distinguish their character from their children’s. They for instance argue over trivialities and fail to discipline their children, while Mrs. Das seems not to respect the sanctity of marriage. This clearly shows the problem of character development in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Das, as shall be seen forthwith. First, the genesis of character underdevelopment is seen as being underpinned by culture clash. This is because, the short story has it that although the couple is Indian native, yet it has grown up and studied in the US. This means that the couple’s socio-cultural alienation from its native total way of life is a result of the forces of acculturation and socialization. The reality of culture clash is emphasized by Lahiri orchestrating the plot so that the Das family and Mr. Kapasi can share the same situational context. By subjecting the same situational context, the audience gets to experience the cultural disparity between Mr. Kapasi and the Das family, despite the fact that both sides are natives of India. In respect to the foregoing, the author inadvertently postulates that character development is directly relational to the socio-cultural context that an individual draws societal values from. Mr. and Mrs. Das are complacent towards conventional socio-cultural values since they have led their lives in a cultural melting pot, characterized greatly with cultural relativism. At the same time, the geographical distance between the Das family and India cut off the point of familiarization with the socio-cultural values in India. Thus, life in a culturally variegated and permissible setting in the US and life away from the socio-cultural center of Das’ cultural heritage is responsible for the stunted character development in the Das family. First, lack of character development is seen in the person and conduct of Mr. Das, as the head of the Das family. At an instance, Mr. Das is not able to constrain his son Ronny from walking out of the car, walking towards a goat and attempting to give the goat a chewing gum. Mr. Das also does nothing after Bobby expressly disobeys his instructions to go look for Ronny who is lost. In another instance, he takes photos of a malnourished starving man, taking fascination in such a scene. Mr. Das’ inability to put down his camera reflects his juvenile preoccupation with it, to the point that he photographs Bobby who is surrounded by monkeys. Mr. Das and his wife also refer to each other by their names to their children and leave the rescuing of his son Bobby to Mr. Kapasi (Booth and Mays, 326). Mr. Das’ preoccupation with the camera is so intense that Lahiri uses it as symbolism. The camera that hangs around Mr. Das’ neck always becomes a symbol of his worldview, albeit the worldview is self-centered and removed from the responsibilities of the real world. While there is nothing amiss about taking a photo of a starving peasant, as one who is economically endowed, he should not have sidestepped the peasant’s fundamental need and reality. Mr. Das’ act of photographing the starving peasant and then ignoring his plight is a testimony of the culture of individuality that is prevalent in the United States. Comparing Mr. Das and Mr. Kapasi gives credence to this observation. In spite of his problems, Mr. Kapasi shows concern for the Das family and thinks about it. He listens to Mrs. Das’ marital challenges in spite of having his share of the same problems. He also saves Bobby from the marauding monkeys, even when Mr. Das himself fails to do so. The reason for this disparity of predisposition and conduct between Mr. Das and Mr. Kapasi is that whereas the former lived in the US where individuality is extolled, the former lived in India where social cohesion is taken seriously. Mrs. Das is not any better. Her character underdevelopment is underscored by her having an adulterous fling with Mr. Das’ friend and siring Bobby with the same. One would assume that although Mrs. Das keeps Bobby’s fraternity a secret, she learnt her lesson. This is nevertheless not the case since she is ready to engage in another extramarital affair with Mr. Kapasi, seduces him and exchanges contacts with him for the same intent. The only factor that keeps Mrs. Das from committing adultery with Mr. Kapasi is lack of privacy and Kapasi’s change of mind, following her revelation of her previous extramarital escapades and Bobby’s paternity. Mrs. Das’ frivolous arguments with her husband also underscore her need for character development. At an instance, they as parents argue on who should take their daughter Tina to the washroom. She fails to stop Tina from playing with the locks to Mr. Kapasi’s car and ignore the three children’s legitimate concerns, together with her husband. Mrs. Das also sees only the sexy aspect of Mr. Kapasi’s job, instead of appreciating its ethical value (Booth and Mays, 326). As if the litany of vices she engages in is not sufficient, Mrs. Das readily confesses to Kapasi that she has forfeited the love for her husband and harbors diabolical hatred for her children and life in general. While many may understand that love between spouses fizzles out, it is irresponsible of Mrs. Das to fail to seek professional help after she notices her diabolical hatred for her own children and life. Money is not an excuse for her failure to seek help since the Das family seems to be economically empowered. The family can afford to hire the services of a tour guide, rent decent hotels and to have their parents travel to America on a biannual basis. Mrs. Das’ failure is one that is underpinned by the failure to prioritize important over the unimportant things. Like her husband who sees the world through his camera, Mrs. Das looks at the world through her tinted sunglasses. She also does not roll down her window, while inside the taxi. This means that neither can the world see her (eyes) well, nor can she see the world clearly. The import of this is that the underdevelopment in Mrs. Das’ character has its strength in being ostracized from the world. This severance from the rest of the world is a manifestation of the individuality. In a closely related wavelength, parenting is portrayed as being instrumental in character development. It is parents who transfer ethical values from preceding generations to their children. The Das family is less amenable to socio-cultural values, compared to Mr. Kapasi. However, it is fair to acknowledge that Mr. and Mrs. Das grew in America away from parental guidance. Conversely, the narrator also makes it plain that parenting may be inconsequential in transmitting societal virtues, in the event that the parents lack character development. Specifically, Bobby, Ronny and Tina are portrayed as wearing visors. This is an artistic intimation that in future, these children’s vision will be equally deformed and distorted as their parents’. Conclusion The issues that Lahiri advances and addresses in this short narrative are of very profound significance and credibility. That individualism is rife in America is at the time being exemplified by calls to redefine the individual as the basic social unit, in lieu of the family. The world in the US is also busy to the point that cases of absentee parenthood and the relegation of parenting to teachers and maids have become the norm more than the exception. It is against this backdrop that one can rightly observe that through this short story, Lahiri is challenging parents in the present generation to reconsider the sacrosanct nature of parenting as a salient aspect in character development. Works Cited Booth, Alison & Mays, Kelly. The Norton Introduction to Literature. New York: W. W. Norton & Company/ Houghton Mifflin, 2010, 325-339. Print Read More