The Interpreter of Maladies

The Interpreter of Maladies by Nobel prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri is a collection of short stories that depict the Indian experience in America and throughout the world. In many of the stories, Lahiri melds the themes of cultural tradition and assimilation with the universal themes of relationships, betrayal, and friendship. The style of the her works is elegant yet completely unpretentious. Her stories are far from esoteric, yet they can be interpreted on many different levels. Examination of her stories reveals her prominent use of foreshadowing and symbolism. My favorite story, "A temporary Matter," tells about an Indian-American couple who reconnect when their electricity goes out. Near the end, the husband-narrator believes that his failing marriage is saved, yet his wife presents him with divorce papers. The bluntness of the ending engenders endless interpretation of the stories meaning. If I chose to research this book, I would place it in the greater thesis of the Indian immigrant experience in America.