PUBLISHED WRITING 4 - "Post Modernism & Interpreter of Maladies:

      "Better to be a thinking monk than a postmodern thinker.”  
                                                     - Muriel Barbery

 

The postmodern era completely changed the ideas and principles people have towards others. It gives more importance to the individual rather than a group. The postmodern era gives a very unique feel to everyone involved. “Interpreter of maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri reflects the concept of post modernism by allowing the readers to see how each character have their own perspective about the same situation. The characters Mrs. Das’s and Mr. Kapasi’s lives are complicated because of their relationships with their respective family. The story shows the postmodern way of thinking. People in the postmodern world view society in a very individualistic way, therefore they have their own judgments based on the things they see and hear. This story is characterized as a true work reflecting the post modernism.

The Interpreter of Maladies shows post modernism and its effects on human behavior. The characters Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi both have entirely different views about each other and about themselves. Mr. Kapasi is described as a hopeless romantic guy while Mrs. Das is completely opposite of that. Post modernism changed the people’s way of thinking about unrealistic things in the other word fantasizing. For example when Mrs. Das asked Mr. Kapasi his address he started to fantasize that, “She would write to him asking about his days interpreting at the doctor’s office and those incidents would make her laugh and by this way their friendship would grow, and flourish” (Lahiri, 20). He began to day dream about how they will have a great correspondence. He imagines the witty things he will write to her and how she will reveal the unhappiness of her marriage. By this way he indulges in a fantasy of correspondence. Throughout the story Mr. Kapasi is obsessed with Mrs. Das and their future relationship. Judgment and interpretation are shown in other aspect which is a significant theme in this story. Both Mr. Kapasi and his wife did not consider his job as a noble job. But Mrs. Das proclaims Kapasi’s job as an interpreter to be romantic. Mrs. Das deliberately cheated on her husband because she wasn’t attracted to her husband anymore. According to Mr. Kapasi this is a flagrant act, however what really bothered Mrs. Das was the fact that she was still living with her husband whom she didn’t have feelings for anymore. Human behavior and the way of thinking vary depending on the cultural environment in the postmodern world. I believe, in this postmodern world, people will do whatever it takes and believe whatever they wish to believe to numb their internal pain.