Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Interpreter of Maladies

"Mr. Kapasi stepped out of the car. He wanted to holler, to alert her in some way, but he worried that if she knew they were behind her, she would grow nervous. Perhaps she would lose her balance. Perhaps they would pull at her bag or her hair. He began to jog up the path, taking a fallen branch in his hand to scare away the monkeys." page 164


How does Mr. Kapasi's job as "interpreter of maladies" relate to the action in this story? Does he have the occasion to use his diagnostic ability in his interactions with the Das family?


At first, Mr. Kapasi did not see his job as important. His job made him feel worthless and pathetic. However, like Mrs. Das said, Mr. Kapasi was crucial in helping patients receive the medication they needed. Mrs. Das viewed Mr. Kapasi as someone who can fix people's problem and offer advice. She took the term interpreter to mean that Mr. Kapasi can figure out what is causing the root of people's problem and come up with a way to fix it. This is what causes Mrs. Das to confess to Mr. Kapasi, she is seeking answers to her pain. I think Mr. Kapasi does have the occasion to use his diagnostic ability to interact with the Das family. Despite being disconnected from his own family, Mr. Kapasi likes helping people. After Mrs. Das leaves the car clearly angry at Mr. Kapasi, Mr. Kapasi chases after her. He is hurt that things didn't turn out the way he had hoped, but he was still concerned for her safety. He was not even a member of the Das family, yet he was the only one to risk being in danger in order to save Bobby. This showed that although he had his own struggles in life, his first thoughts were of what he could do to help others. 

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