"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

The short story, “Interpreter of Maladies,” written by Jhumpa Lahiri creates an interesting conflict between the two main characters. It is through the story that the reader learns both Mrs. Das, and American woman with an Indian background, and Mr. Kapasi, an Indian tour guide and interpreter, are terribly unhappy with their marriages. This causes both characters to create the conflict of the story. Mrs. Das admits her infidelity to Mr. Kapasi, while Mr. Kapasi lusts after Mrs. Das even though he does not know here. Mr. Kapasi’s infatuation with Mrs. Das causes conflict, as he is already married, yet she is causing him to think of throwing that all away. Furthermore, Mr. Kapasi even begins to create a world where he and Mrs. Das are in fact together and happy. The problem with this feeling of Mr. Kapasi’s is that Mrs. Das is really not everything he had hoped for; rather she is selfish and uncaring towards her husband and children. Mrs. Das may interest Kapasi with the questions and inquiries she makes, but her attitude is not one Kapasi would wish upon himself or his own family. In the end, this conflict of feelings is resolved as Mr. Kapasi discovers the real Mrs. Das. A paper that he had written his address on for Mrs. Das, the paper that Kapasi was basing their future on, was blown away in the wind, yet Mrs. Das did not notice nor care enough to check. This proved that Mrs. Das’ priorities were not in the place Mr. Kapasi would like them, and she became less appealing through this turn of events. It is the final minutes that he spends with the Das family where Kapasi gets his true feelings towards the family as they hustle around, flustered, with no appreciation for the Indian culture.