Jhumpa Lahiri's 'Interpreter Of Maladies'

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri tells a story about a family on vacation in India. The story shows how much a single family can be completely distant and careless of one another. No one in the short passage sees each other for who they really are. The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Das, do not act like parents to their three children instead they act as an older brother and sister. The Das marriage is nothing near a stable, loving, or happy relationship. Their relationship is entirely thoughtless and do not care to bother with changing. Mrs. Das is so unhappy with her life as a result her family comes second when, her needs are first. Everyone in the Das family does not see each other in anyway therefore making each person invisible and careless
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
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