“A woman who had fallen out of love with her life” ~ Jhumpa Lahiri

           Interpreter of Maladies written by Jhumpa Lahiri is a short story that reflects the ideas of the post-modernism era. Post modernism is a literary movement of post-1950s that deals with the complex absurdity of contemporary life - moral and philosophical relativism and loss of faith in moral authority. Post-modernism is depicted in Interpreter of Maladies in that it shows the character’s fantasizing, their inner consciousness, thoughts and emotions as well as the exposure to human flaw.

            Interpreter of Maladies is a post-modernism piece in that the characters within the short story try to understand their own particular and personal reality. Most importantly we see the dissolution of distinctions, the merging of subject and object, self and other. Exposure of Mrs. Das’ human flaw are exemplified through her action of committing adultery, “He’s not Raj’s son… No one knows… I’ve kept it a secret for eight whole years” (Lahiri 25). Mrs. Das possesses an inability to act on what she knows is right, in a religious reference it is considered a sin, but many would call it mistakes. Another human flaw that she possesses is insensitivity towards her children. This is explicitly shown when she acts cold towards her daughter who asks her to paint her nails for her, she rudely replies, “Leave me alone…You’re making me mess up.” Throughout the short story we are able to observe the inner consciousness of Mr. Kapasi and therefore catch a glimpse of how he fantasizes about the relationship he hopes to encounter with Mrs. Das. This is seen when Mrs. Das asks for Mr. Kapasi’s address in order to send him the pictures being taken by Mr. Das. Mr. Kapasi goes on to fantasize that Mrs. Das “would write to him, asking about his days interpreting at the doctor’s office, and he would respond eloquently… [as well as] make her laugh out loud as she read them. In time she would reveal the disappointment of her marriage, and he of his.” However, Mr. Kapasi is not the only one fantasizing, Mrs. Das also fantasizes when she tells Mr. Kapasi about her secret. She reveals her secret to Mr. Kapasi in hopes that being the interpreter of maladies he could interpret her “sickness,” which is actually guilt, and heal her. Unfortunately, she misunderstands the description of Mr. Kapasi’s occupation and becomes disappointed to know that she will have to continue to carry her guilt because she is not courageous enough to tell her husband of the private affair.

            To emphasize the complexities of human condition depicted in the characters Lahiri uses the relationship that Mr. and Mrs. Das share as well as the short-lived relationship that Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das share. Mrs. Das’s guilt of her affair cannot be taken away or forgotten because she stares at the product of her unfaithfulness towards her husband everyday. Mrs. Das’s secret and guilt operates much like the monkeys in the short story- an ever present force that can turn dangerous in an instant. Her guilt causes her to be weak as well as lack communication with her husband, Mr. Das. Therefore causing her to feel trapped in a marriage she no longer wants to be part of. Mrs. Das perceives Mr. Kapasi’s occupation as a way to cleanse herself of her appalling secret and seek his opinion as a fatherly guide. On the other hand, Mr. Kapasi’s expectations of their relationship are different. He yearns for a romantic intimacy with Mrs. Das for she finds his occupation as an interpreter “romantic” and compliments him by saying, “These patients are totally dependent on you, in a way more dependent on you than the doctor. It’s a big responsibility” (Lahiri 18).  Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi’s perspective on each other is quite contrasting. Mrs. Das’ perspective on Mr. Kapasi’s occupation allows her to believe his purpose is to help those who are sick and interpret their sickness, in Mrs. Das’s case, her guilt. On the contrary, Mr. Kapasi’s perspective on how Mrs. Das declared his job “romantic” allows him to believe her purpose is to rid him of his unhappiness in life for he too is experiencing an unsuccessful marriage.

            Interpreter of Maladies exemplifies a work of literature pertaining to the post-modernism era that allows us to understand the exposure of human flaw, inner consciousness, thoughts and emotions as well as fantasy.