Katelyn Przybyszewski
AP Language and Composition 12
Mr. Lane
2 October 2009
Literary Analysis of “Interpreter of Maladies”
Imagine that a group of students has just read a fictional short story for an AP
Literature class. The unhappy yet realistic ending stands in stark contrast to the overly
sentimental and illogically contrived endings of the largely popular stories, novels, and
movies normally promulgated by mass media and the entertainment industries.
Presenting a window into the workings of the human mind, the story introduces
multifaceted characters, symbolic imagery, and a thought provoking conclusion. These
components compel the students to reevaluate how they view human nature and maybe
even how they live their lives. Based on this evidence, the short story is most likely a
work of literary fiction. Unlike commercial fiction, which exists primarily to entertain,
the purpose of a literary story is to reveal truths about the world and, in the process, force
the reader to reflect upon significant yet often despondent realities of life. In order to
make a successful impact, a serious literary work expresses complex ideas through
various elements of fiction. Superb in its expression of several of these elements—
characterization, symbolism, and point of view— “Interpreter of Maladies” irrefutably
qualifies as a serious literary work.
The strong characterization of Mr. Kapasi enriches the literary quality of the story
and portrays a convincing and profound character. For instance, the text directly reveals
that Mr. Kapasi is a “self-educated man,” sees his job as an interpreter as “a sign of his
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failings,” and desires to “resolv[e] conflicts between people and nations” (Lahiri 147).
Clearly, Mr. Kapasi is intelligent yet unfulfilled with his professional life; the latter quote
suggests that apart from being infatuated with Mrs. Das, the reason Mr. Kapasi wants to
write back and forth with her is so he can achieve his dream to interpret between two
nations— India and the United States. In addition, Mr. Kapasi checks to make sure the
rear car doors are locked, so to protect the young occupants of the vehicle, before
commencing the daytrip (Lahiri 144). Although minor, this detail provides support that
Mr. Kapasi is a responsible and caring man—two qualities that add to his
characterization.
However, although Mr. Kapasi is an intelligent, responsible, and practical man
who works two jobs to support himself and his family, Mr. Kapasi’s inner thoughts reveal
a different side of him. For instance, the narration states, “[p]erhaps, when Mr. Das was
busy taking a picture, he would take her hand” (Lahiri 153). This example illustrates Mr.
Kapasi’s compulsive attraction to Mrs. Das, as he is longing for physical contact. Also,
the fact that he thinks to wait until her husband is not looking is sneaky and unfaithful,
considering both he and Mrs. Das are married. Thus, Mr. Kapasi’s character traits, some
of which are contradictory, add depth and intricacy to his character; these intricacies
parallel the complexities of people in reality. Character credibility is a necessary
component of literary fiction, for if the characters are not believable, the text itself loses
credibility.
The “Interpreter of Maladies” contains numerous symbols— meaningful objects,
situations, people, and actions that have a meaning other than literal. On page 143, Mr.
Kapasi notices the strawberry shaped calico on Mrs. Das’s blouse (Lahiri). The
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strawberry, a delicious and highly desirable fruit, symbolizes her irresistible appeal to
Mr. Kapasi. Moreover, at the Sun Temple, the “entwined naked bodies, making love in
various positions” (Lahiri 151) represent the possible future intimacy between Mr. Kapasi
and Mrs. Das. Yet another example of symbolism in the story is the scrap of paper with
Mr. Kapasi’s address on it which he gives to Mrs. Das, in hope of keeping in touch
(Lahiri 150). When Mrs. Das first asks Mr. Kapasi for his address, he is thrilled at the
thought of writing to her and possibly forming a close relationship with her, but, after
Mrs. Das confesses her secret, Mr. Kapasi sees her as a selfish, pusillanimous, lazy, and
altogether undesirable woman. Likewise, Mr. Kapsi realizes that Mrs. Das is ultimately
unattainable due to her extensive problems and lack of will to resolve them. He does not
wish to be involved in these problems in addition to his own issues with his wife. Thus, at
the end of the story, the paper flying out of Mrs. Das’s purse symbolizes two ideas— the
end of her potential relationship with Mr. Kapasi and also the end of his infatuation with
her.
Furthermore, the monkeys are a particularly important symbol. They serve to
symbolize Mrs. Das’s secret—that Bobby is not Mr. Das’s son (Lahiri156). Bobby is the
first person in the family to spot the monkeys (Lahiri 144), and, at the end of the novel, it
is no coincidence that Bobby is the one surrounded and attacked by an aggressive hoard
of monkeys, ripping his shirt and slashing his legs with their nails while Bobby stands
powerless and frozen with fear (Lahiri 158). This situation is symbolic of the secret
affair’s destructive impact on the relationship of the family and the emotional harm it will
inevitably impose on Bobby in particular. One could only imagine the sense of betrayal
and anger Bobby will feel when he finds out that he has been lied to his entire life, and
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the father figure he has known is not his biological father. Also, Bobby’s fear and
helplessness can be interpreted figuratively because only Mrs. Das has the power to solve
the issue by confessing her secret to her husband. Likewise, the fact that Mrs. Das asks
Mr. Kapasi to save her son (Lahiri 158) indicates that she has neither the desire nor the
courage to face and resolve her guilt. Serving to compress complex ideas, the story’s
meaningful usage of symbolism identifies “Interpreter of Maladies” as a literary work of
fiction.
Lastly, the point of view greatly contributes to the story’s literary significance.
The narration expresses Mr. Kapasi’s thoughts as he intently observes Mrs. Das
“emerg[ing] slowly from his bulky white Ambassador, dragging her shaved, largely bare
legs across the back seat” (Lahiri 141). These superfluous details highlight Mr. Kapasi’s
obsession with Mrs. Das and indicate his sexual interest in her. Also, the quote shows that
the point of view is third-person limited because the text is told through Mr. Kapasi’s
perspective and only reveals his thoughts, while the thoughts of the other characters are
unknown. Moreover, the text states, “he knew at that moment that he was not even
important enough to be properly insulted” (Lahiri 157). This citation reveals Mr. Kapasi’s
perception of Mrs. Das’s reaction to his interpretation; she is highly dissatisfied with his
advice. She summarily dismisses Mr. Kapasi without the dignity of words by silently
exiting the car (Lahiri 157). Through this action, Mrs. Das treats him as though he and his
opinion are inconsequential. In addition, these quotes portray Mr. Kapasi’s thoughts
concerning the situation that may not otherwise be revealed if the story was told from the
perspective of a different character. Therefore, the third-person limited point of view
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presented in “Interpreter of Maladies” reveals the thoughts of Mr. Kapasi, critical
underpinnings to understanding the literary value of the story.
Through well-developed characterization, meaningful symbolism, and point of
view, “Interpreter of Maladies” functions as a successful literary work. The
characterization creates Mr. Kapasi with many layers and human complexities which
emerges him as an incredibly realistic character; this believability adds to the story’s
overall influence. A literary work also utilizes a variety of symbols and little details, far
from being coincidental or insignificant, that function to add meaning to the story as a
whole. The richness of symbolism found in this story, such as the monkeys and the
strawberry appliqué, makes one want to read it multiple times simply to pick up on all the
fine points and nuances of meanings. Lastly, the third-person limited point of view treats
one to a daytrip into the life experience of Mr. Kapasi. Through his eyes, one experiences
Mr. Kapasi’s perceptions of the American family he is helping to guide, along with his
climactic ride of human emotions as he is aroused from a middle aged mundane existence
to increasing enthrallment with young Mrs. Das, only to experience disenchantment and a
crash back to reality. In conclusion, “Interpreter of Maladies” is most definitely a serious
literary work; the elements of characterization, symbolism, and point of view each add
tremendous depth and interest to the story.
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Works Cited
Lahiri, Jhumpa. “Interpreter of Maladies.” Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and
Sense. Ed. Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson. 9th ed. Boston: Thomson, 2006.
141-159.