Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories written by an American author Jhumpa Lahiri. This writing presents its readers with stories about the experiences of Indian Americans who learn to live in the conflict between two distinct cultures. Therefore, in order to understand the life of these people better, the following essay will summarize the short narrative presented in the book called “Interpreter of Maladies” by identifying different parts of its plot structure.
The story exposition introduces the initial setting and includes any details that will be necessary for the future understanding of the writing. At the beginning, the readers learn that Mr. Kapasi is a tour guide who is traveling with the Das family to the Sun Temple at Konarak. By observing the behavior of the family from the perspective of Mr. Kapasi, it becomes clear that the family is not close and happy enough. Thus, the exposition provides people with the story about the relationships between the members of the family.
The rising action follows the exposition and creates interest, suspense, and tension in the writing. In “Interpreter of Maladies,” the interest is established by the stories of Mr. Kapasi about his previous work experiences. While reflecting on his interpreting career in the doctor’s office, he notices that Mrs. Das enjoys his memoirs and wonders if she would like to leave her current marriage. Hence, this part of the writing makes the readers interested in what will happen next.
The turning point of a narrative is called the climax since it presents individuals with the point of highest tension. Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das both feel the development of a strong emotional connection between them and anticipate the establishment of a special relationship. However, Mrs. Das surprises the tour guide with a shocking fact – her husband is not the real father of her son Bobby. This story is the turning point of the writing since Mr. Kapasi is shocked by the information.
The falling action appears right after the climax of the story and shows the outcomes of the turning point. Following the confession of his lover, Mr. Kapasi gets disappointed and loses respect for Mrs. Das. He wants to be completely honest with her and asks if she still feels guilty for what she did. Mrs. Das gets offended by his statements, finishes their conversation, and gets back to sightseeing with her family. Consequently, this part of the story is the falling action that presents readers with the results of the climax.
The final part of the story structure is the resolution which provides people with the ending notes. While Mr. Kapasi leaves the car to catch the food that attracted the monkeys, the Das family returns to the car. The tour guide observes the scene and notices how the slip of paper where he wrote his phone number for Mrs. Das flies away. This makes Kapasi understand that he will never hear from Mrs. Das again.
Overall, the short writing “Interpreter of Maladies” by an American writer Jhumpa Lahiri tells the story about the unhappiness of the Das family. By summarizing this writing and identifying different parts of the story, the readers can both understand the idea of the author and gain knowledge about the fundamental elements of the story structure. Consequently, this essay provided a summary of the “Interpreter of Maladies” by discussing the details of its story arc.