Interpreter of Maladies
Short Response: Interpreter of Maladies
“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” “A Real Durwan,” “Mrs. Sen’s,” “The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”
Questions:
“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
• Why doesn’t Mr. Pirzada ever come back to visit the family?
• Did Mr. Pirzada’s sudden return to Dacca change the speaker’s attitude or feelings towards people she lets into her life?
“A Real Durwan”
• Did Boori Ma really have all the lavish amenities that she said she did?
• Were the Dalas really going to bring back new bedding for Boori Ma?
• Why were the residents so hasty in passing judgment on Boori Ma’s character?
“Mrs. Sen’s”
• What did Mrs. Sen like about the U.S.?
• Why did Eliot lie to his mom about Mrs. Sen’s change in attitude?
“The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”
• Who is the father of Bibi’s child?
• What was Bibi’s condition that could be cured by marriage?
Overall Theme:
“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
• Maturing is a process in which naivety is replaced by experience. “A Real Durwan”
• People are always searching to improve their lives, but this can cause people to loose their genuine character.
“Mrs. Sen’s”
• It is difficult to assimilate into a new culture without unpleasant consequences.
“The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”
• In tough times, the weaker individual gets blamed for other people’s problems.
Passage: (“Mrs. Sen’s”)
“You must miss her. When I think of you, only a boy, separated from your mother for so much of the day, I an ashamed.”
“I see her at night.”
“When I was your age I was without knowing that one day I would be so far. You are wiser than that, Eliot. You already taste the way things must be” (123).
Brief Interpretation: Many of Mrs. Sen’s feelings about family and growing up are represented in this passage. Furthermore, Lahiri exemplifies Indian family values and the role of a traditional Indian wife. In the first paragraph of the passage, the reader clearly sees how “ashamed” Mrs. Sen is of Eliot’s mother’s
“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” “A Real Durwan,” “Mrs. Sen’s,” “The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”
Questions:
“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
• Why doesn’t Mr. Pirzada ever come back to visit the family?
• Did Mr. Pirzada’s sudden return to Dacca change the speaker’s attitude or feelings towards people she lets into her life?
“A Real Durwan”
• Did Boori Ma really have all the lavish amenities that she said she did?
• Were the Dalas really going to bring back new bedding for Boori Ma?
• Why were the residents so hasty in passing judgment on Boori Ma’s character?
“Mrs. Sen’s”
• What did Mrs. Sen like about the U.S.?
• Why did Eliot lie to his mom about Mrs. Sen’s change in attitude?
“The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”
• Who is the father of Bibi’s child?
• What was Bibi’s condition that could be cured by marriage?
Overall Theme:
“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
• Maturing is a process in which naivety is replaced by experience. “A Real Durwan”
• People are always searching to improve their lives, but this can cause people to loose their genuine character.
“Mrs. Sen’s”
• It is difficult to assimilate into a new culture without unpleasant consequences.
“The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”
• In tough times, the weaker individual gets blamed for other people’s problems.
Passage: (“Mrs. Sen’s”)
“You must miss her. When I think of you, only a boy, separated from your mother for so much of the day, I an ashamed.”
“I see her at night.”
“When I was your age I was without knowing that one day I would be so far. You are wiser than that, Eliot. You already taste the way things must be” (123).
Brief Interpretation: Many of Mrs. Sen’s feelings about family and growing up are represented in this passage. Furthermore, Lahiri exemplifies Indian family values and the role of a traditional Indian wife. In the first paragraph of the passage, the reader clearly sees how “ashamed” Mrs. Sen is of Eliot’s mother’s