Interpreter of Maladies

"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

The central conflict of the story is unfulfilled desires. Both Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi have dreams that they were unable to realize because of the vague duties of life. At the start of the story, it is obvious that they both need something from each, the conflict is not fully resolved in the end, but I think they both received what they needed. Mrs. Das, in asking Mr. Kapasi about how she should handle her current situation, is forced to face the possibility that she is responsible for her own unhappiness, not her husband, Raj. And, Mr. Kapasi, in talking more with Mrs. Das, realizes that all her initial perfections cannot change her deeper flaws. While neither one is perfectly suited for their partner, they must work on compromising in order to view their situations for the best. Mrs. Das must move forward and reject her "urge to throw everything I own out the window, the television, the children, everything," (Lahiri, 163). Even while she is talking to Mr. Kapasi, she knows that her feelings are that of someone who has already given up and even while he is daydreaming about her, he is aware that his fantasies can never come true. This story, in one aspect, is simply a description of the daily snippets of daydreams that we have with people we meet by chance with whom we plan a escape from our reality, knowing full well that we cannot leave the reality we have created for ourselves.