Department of English

Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University


Jhumpa Lahiri, "Interpreter of Maladies"

Notes

 

 


Study Guide for Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies"

Topics that you can think about:

 

Interpreter, Interpretation: What agents of communication does Lahiri include in her story?  What is the function of an interpreter?  Mr. Kapasi describes his job as "interpreting what the patients say."  Mrs. Das calls the job "romantic," more important than the doctor's, and involves helping her "feel better."  What role does interpretation play in the story?  How does mediating get at "the heart of a matter"?  What interpretations or translations go on in the story?  Does meaning change in this process of carrying ideas across from one place to another?

 

Looking: Notice the vocabulary and act of looking in the story.  Who looks at what or whom?  What eye contact occurs and when?  What does the gaze describe?  How does the interplay between the different lookers on and those looked at enrich the story? 

 

Ailment and Healing: Who is sick or hurt in the story?  How does "giv[ing] words to their pains" help to heal people?

 

 


Review Sheet

Characters

Raj Das, Mr. Das

Mina Das, Mrs. Das

Mr. Kapasi

Tina Das

Ronny Das

Bobby Das

 

Setting

 

Plot

 

Discussion

 


Sample Student Reading Responses to Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies"

Under construction.

Response 1:

 

 

 

 

 

Name

2202235 Reading and Analysis in the Study of English Literature

Acharn Puckpan Tipayamontri

January 14, 2010

Reading Response

 

Title

 

Text

 

 

 

 

 

            

 

 


 

Links

 

Jhumpa Lahiri

Interviews

 

 


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Last updated January 12, 2010