Interpreter of Maladies

Interpreter of Maladies is all about the Das Family, Mrs. Das in particular, and Mr. Kapasi crossing paths during the Das family vacation to India. Although this short story deals with relationships like How I Met My Husband, the point of view of the two stories are different. This story is told in third-person limited point of view. Instead of revealing the thoughts and feelings of all characters this narrator only delves into the perception of Mr. Kapasi. When the Das family is separated from Mr. Kapasi in different parts of the story, the narrator stays with him. I think the plot of this story revolves around the progression of familiarity between the two most important characters, Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi. At first, Mrs. Das views Mr. Kapasi exclusively as an employee with little or no interest in him. As the story continues, Mrs. Das becomes intrigued by Mr. Kapasi's other job as a translator for a doctor. She starts to warm up to Mr. Kapasi when she offers him gum and puffed rice, asks for his address to send him a picture, and even confides in him with her biggest secret that she hasn't told anyone else. Because the action is seen in the eyes of Mr. Kapasi, I began to see how he misconstrued Mrs. Das's interest in his services as a translator as infatuation. Using his point of view, Mr. Kapasi makes the problem about himself. Because he is unhappy in his own marriage, he thinks that the best solution for both himself and Mr. Das is to be together. I came to understand his feelings about Mrs. Das when he described her in his thoughts and began to act differently around her.