Food and Dinning in Interpreter of Maladies

In Jhumpa Lahiri’s collection of short stories “Interpreter of Maladies,” food and dining are a common theme throughout the compilation. Not only do food and dining add details to the developing characterization, they give insight into traditional Indian culture and the assimilation of Indian immigrants.

In “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” the entire plot focuses on the fact that Mr. Pirzada dines with another Indian family in America after moving from Dacca. The reason Mr. Pirzada dines with the family is that he is currently living in a graduate dormitory and has no stove or television of his own, even though he lived in a three-story house back home (Lahiri 24). This shows that the translation of foreign currency will not produce the same amount of wealth in America as is does in the Middle East. Frequently in literature, the conversation among characters while at the dinner table is almost always significant. Mr. Pirzada and Lilia’s father often engage in conversations about the current war in Pakistan, giving the story a historical context.

Food and dining also plays an important role in “A Temporary Matter.” In this story, the only time Shoba and Shukumar truly engage in conversation is over dinner. Shoba, the wife, works outside of the home all day and Shukumar works as a writer from inside the home. The most important part of the story takes place while the couple is having dinner. Beginning one night a dinner, the couple being to “confess” small things that they had never told each other. One night, months after giving birth to a stillborn baby, Shukumar is finally able to tell Shoba that he had held their son, a secret he had never told anyone (Lahiri 22).

In”Mrs. Sen,” Elliot, the boy she babysits, enjoys watching Mrs. Sen chop vegetables using a special blade that was hinged at one end to a narrow wooden base and a serrated crest for grating (Lahiri 114). She explains to Elliot that whenever there is a wedding, all the neighborhood women bring blades like hers and sit in a circle chopping vegetables all night while laughing and gossiping (Lahiri 115) Furthermore, Elliot’s mother was skeptical about hiring Mrs. Sen because she does not have her drivers license. She refused to practice driving and is scared to drive on the road with other cars. One of the only ways she agreed to drive is so she can go to the fish market to get fresh fish for dinner. However, unfortunately, one afternoon when Mrs. Sen finally decided she wants to drive to get the fish, she gets in an accident. Luckily, she was not injured.

Obviously food and dinning is a big part of Indian culture. Jhumpa Lahiri uses different aspect of food and dinning to add detail and cultural elements to her stories.

Works Cited

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Interpreter of Maladies: Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. Print.