Identity Unit Blog 2

Interpreter of Maladies
Jhumpa Lahiri

I found that even though Interpreter of Maladies only had a few pivotal characters throughout the story, Lahiri was able to incorporate a dynamic character into the short story. I felt as though Mr. Kapasi was a dynamic character. Even though he was a tour guide when the story began and ended, his capricious opinions about Mrs. Das made his character dynamic. Near the beginning of the story, Mr. Kapasi felt as though "Mr. and Mrs. Das behaved like an older brother and sister, not parents" (Lahiri, 151). This was Mr. Kapasi's opinion of Mrs. Das early on in the story; however, his opinion changed drastically over the course of the story. Mr. Kapasi evolves into a dynamic character when his views of Mrs. Das become a little bit more romanticized when he imagines them exchanging letters with each other after she travels back home. "In time she would reveal the disappointment of her marriage, and he his. In this way their friendship would grow, and flourish" (Lahiri, 156). Mrs. Das's sudden interest in Mr. Kapasi began once he elaborated on his other job aside from a tourist. She had a new found fascination for him as an 'interpreter', so she felt as though she could explain all of her trivial problems to Mr. Kapasi and he in turn would assist her. However, he found this extremely insulting and lost all of his fantasizing views of Mrs. Das. If Mr. Kapasi had kept the same view of Mrs. Das throughout the entire story, then his course of action may have changed and he may have tried to pursue Mrs. Das. His inconsistent views of Mrs. Das are what make Mr. Kapasi a dynamic character.