Intrepreter of Maladies

On a cold night, we gathered at Cosi's to discuss Pultizer Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, a short story collection centered out Indian experiences with a focus on marriage. Our next meeting is for Octavia Butler's Mind of my Mind on April 17th at 7 p.m. Here were some of the questions (gathered by the other members as well as study guides) :

1) What kinds of marriage are presented in the stories? How do the characters’ attitudes toward marriage vary with the length of time they have been married and/or whether they reside in the U.S. or India?

2) There seems to be an “outsider” character in almost every story? Who are some of these outsiders and how do they cope with their alienation?

3) How are children portrayed throughout the stories? Do the children in Mrs. Sen’s, When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dinner and Sexy perceive the world differently than adults? Why? Or, why not?

4. The theme of food, (snacks as well as meals in general) is found throughout the stories. Why is food so important? What does food represent to the characters?

5. What characterizes the sense of community in both the stories set in India and stories set in the U.S.? What maintains that sense, and what disrupts it? To what degree do the characters who have moved to the U.S. attempt to assimilate? How do they resist assimilating?

6. Why do think Lahiri lets characters reveal themselves at times and why do some characters hold on to their secrets?

7. What are the roles and significance of routine and ritual in the stories? What are the rewards and drawbacks of maintaining long-established routines and ritual?

8) Did any of you find some of the endings unsatisfying? Why or why not?