Interpreter of Maladies

Interpreter of the Maladies is a collection of short stories by a second generation Indian born and brought up in America - it can be considered as a piece of diasporic writing. This short story collection includes the stories about the lives of immigrant Indians who struggle to adjust between the Indian traditions that they left behind and the entirely different western world that they have to encounter every day.

The author, Jhumpa Lahiri, hails from the part of India known as West Bengal. In this collection of stories, she explores the psyche and world of Bengalis in Boston, Bengal and beyond. Being born as the daughter of Bengali parents in London; homeland for the author is only an imaginary place. Interpreter Of Maladies is her first published short story collection and had won Pulitzer Prize for fiction in the year 2000.

Different stories highlight different experiences of the people of Bengal. In "A Temporary Matter" a young couple exchange confessions after a long silence to cope with the failure in their marriage.

"When Mr. Pirzada Came To Dine" narrates the cultural unanimity between an Indian family and a Pakistani young man in a foreign country. "The Blessed House" is the story that shows the adjustment of young immigrant Indians to a new culture and beliefs.

"Mrs. Sen's" explores the life of an immigrant Indian life through the European point of view. "The Third And Final Continent" shows the hegemonic control still exercised by the Europeans over the people frpm the third world. "Sexy" is the story that shows the falling marital relationship among young immigrant Indians. The story shows the extra marital relationship between an Indian and a western woman as well as her feelings to valuable relationships.

The title story " Interpreter of Maladies" stands exceptional among all other stories. The story powerfully narrates the fascination of the third world people to the European life. The protagonist, Mr. Kapasi is an interpreter and "English is the only non-Indian language he spoke fluently..." The story shows how the everyday language of a common Indian becomes a western language. It is an open confession of immigrant Indians, who have to shut their dilemmas and nostalgic feelings at a foreign culture.

Jhumpa Lahiri’s ability to capture the mental make-up of immigrants and natives is unique. Her eye for detail is remarkable. Her languid pace makes for pleasant reading. In seemingly simple stories, she has attempted to portray the triumphs and travails of the immigrant Bengali community in America in particular and the lives of immigrants at large.

Interpreter Of Maladies falls under the category of post-colonial Indian English fiction. The stories deal with the nostalgia for homeland that emerges chaotic and even harsh at some times. The narrative is simple and poetic. The use of symbols and images has been merged with the theme of the stories. The stories will grasp the whole attention of the reader till the end and will leave thoughtful impressions in our minds.