Identity Unit- Short Story Two

Interpreter of Maladies

By: Jhump Lahiri

Identity as seen through the eyes of others is often formed by their observations and connected to past memories. It is the way in which characteristics are presented, in how observations are related, and by the words used to illustrate such qualities that define the identity of characters within a story. Narration then becomes the crucial aspect of perception, controlling a reader's thoughts and opinions.

In the short story, Interpreter of Maladies, third person limited point of view objectively reveals the identities of the characters and displays their evolution as individuals throughout the course of the narrative. The narrator has a limited insight into the thoughts of Mr. Kapasi as the narrator relays his inner feelings as in the phrase "...Mr. Kapasi used to believe that all was right with the world, that all struggles were rewarded, that all of life's mistakes made sense in the end (Lahiri, 156)." This aspect is crucial to the plot development as it connects the reader to Mr. Kapasi's changing opinions of Mrs. Das from an irresponsible and somewhat rude American, to a woman of mystery and beauty, and finally a woman of secrets and inner-conflict. Additionally, it controls the reader's perceptions of the characters, challenging the reader to form the character's identities on their actions and relationship with each other. The reader's disconnection to any single character allows the reader to see the puzzle from the slowly connecting pieces. For, the reader is able to see the similarity in Mr. Kapast's marriage and life with that of the Das's, the connection between culture and social practices, and the power of dreams and the ease with which they can slip away.  

As the note with Mr. Kapast's address flies away forever into the wind, so does part of Mr. Kapast's identity. The short encounter with the Das family permanently changed his view of life, himself, and others leading him to rely on personal objectiveness rather than concrete images and aspects. For Mr. Kapast, identity becomes an aspect of memory.