Managing Multiple Characters in Short Pieces
Courtney Cannon
"Managing Multiple Characters in Short Pieces"
Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies
In this collection of short stories, Lahiri explores relationship dynamics of Indian and Indian Americans, from multiple backgrounds, and whom inhabit various settings. Lahiri shows her craftsmanship of prose in her precise word choice and editing information to the most essential. Despite the stories being short and the dialogue sparse, the worlds and people she creates are detailed and made real to the reader. One of the ways in which Lahiri creates a rich and textured story is through her management of multiple characters, their dialogue and interactions, within a short amount of pages. "A Real Durwan" and "This Blessed House" are two of the stories that display Lahiri's effective management of her characters.
In "A Real Durwan," Lahiri manages the complex relationships, socioeconomic status, housing, and climate, by centering the focus of all elements in the story on it's relationship to or proximity with the protagonist, Boori Ma. For example, Mr. Dalal is introduced to the reader by his proximity to Boori Ma's boxes and with a description of his thoughts of her,"What kind of landowner ended up sweeping stairs? That was what Mr. Dalal of the third floor always wondered as he passed Boori Ma on his way to and from the office..." (72). We discover who Mr. Chatterjee is by his opinion, which "[are] always highly esteemed," of Boori Ma; we also know where to place him in the building as he speaks his regards of her. Wealth and status of the residents are described in relation to Boori Ma; "the second-floor widow, Mrs. Misra, [is] the only one with a telephone. Still, the residents [are] thankful that Boori Ma partoll[es] activities in the alley..." (73). The Dalal's, the wives, the residents, even the workmen, are described with some aspect relating to Boori Ma. The passage of time during Mr. and Mrs. Dalal's argument is described through its effects on Boori Ma, "it was loud eneough even to distract Boori Ma as she swept the stairwell from top to bottom for the second time that day, and for this reason she spoke neither of her hardships, nor of easier times. Also, in regards to the workmen, brought initially by Mr. Dalal, and then later in competition by the other residents, "in general,...made it impossible for Boori Ma to sweep the stairwell" (78). The changes in the resident's view of their apartment complex, the improvements they add to the building, and the evolution of their relationship dynamics with each other, all inevitably effect Boori Ma in negative ways by the end of the story. Money changes the characters she lives with; it disrupts her peaceful, habitual existence of need, belonging, and purpose; it drives her from her dwelling into unsafe streets, where she is robbed; and money forcefully dispels her from her home by those she was once safe with and accustomed too. Such character changes and environment disruptions are all seamlessly woven into this tale by managing the relationships, environment, and conflict around the protagonist, Boori Ma.
In 'This Blessed House," there are far less characters to "manage;" however, a rich relationship dynamic is created with less parts, in this story as well. In this story Lahiri does not center the plot, setting, and character changes around one protagonist, but illuminates the dynamics of newlywed life through capturing two opposite characters as they settle into their new home and plan for a housewarming party. Lahiri creates two enduring characters, sets up a compelling plot, and allows the strory to naturllly arise; what is left, is a humorous tale. Sanjeev discovers the power of compromise, what unconditional love really feels and looks like, and self-discovery in the trivial moments of life. Twinkle discovers strength in her voice, finds validation from others, and finally receives acceptance of who she truly is, by her husband.
To achieve the tension from Sanjeev and Twinkle's opposite personalities, Lahiri describes the physical sensations each feels as they interact with each other, describes with precision the specific ways in which each responds to the other, and shows how each attempts to pursuade and exert position in the brief dialogue they share.
"Why does it matter to you so much what other people think?"
"Twinkle, please." He was tired. He let his weight rest against his rake as she began dragging the statue toward a novel bed of myrtle..."Look Sanj. She's so lovely."
He returned to to his pile of leaves....
"Oh God, no. Twinkle, no."
"We're not Christian."
"So you keep reminding me." She spat onto the tip of her finger and started to rub intently at a particularly stubborn stain on Mary's chin. "Do you think this is dirt, or some kind of fungus?"
They irritated him. She rolled her eyes. She dragged hin. She insisted. She tottered on his arm. ...certain things nettled him. Sanjeev felt sick.
In brief moments, we also discover their attraction for each other:
"...letting her finger linger an instant between his lips, as if it were his reward for coming up with the right answer" (147).
"She went to him, placing her damp toweled arms about his next, sobbing into his chest, soaking his shirt. The mask flaked onto his shoulders" (149).
"Your friends adore the poster in my study," she mentioned to him triumphantly, placing her hand on the small of his back as they, at one point, brushed past each other" (152).
And by the end of the story we see just how Twinkle shows her love, and in many ways, how Sanjeev loves inspite of himself:
"Most of all he hated it because he knew that Twinkle loved it...For the rest of their days together she would keep it on the center of the mantel, flanked on either side by the rest of the menagerie...Twinkle gave his elbow a little squeeze and headed for the living room. Sanjeev...followed her" (157).
Even though the story is told through the eyes of Sanjeev, and we see his acquiescence to his wife by the end, I would argue that Lahiri creates change in both characters during the party.
"Managing Multiple Characters in Short Pieces"
Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies
In this collection of short stories, Lahiri explores relationship dynamics of Indian and Indian Americans, from multiple backgrounds, and whom inhabit various settings. Lahiri shows her craftsmanship of prose in her precise word choice and editing information to the most essential. Despite the stories being short and the dialogue sparse, the worlds and people she creates are detailed and made real to the reader. One of the ways in which Lahiri creates a rich and textured story is through her management of multiple characters, their dialogue and interactions, within a short amount of pages. "A Real Durwan" and "This Blessed House" are two of the stories that display Lahiri's effective management of her characters.
In "A Real Durwan," Lahiri manages the complex relationships, socioeconomic status, housing, and climate, by centering the focus of all elements in the story on it's relationship to or proximity with the protagonist, Boori Ma. For example, Mr. Dalal is introduced to the reader by his proximity to Boori Ma's boxes and with a description of his thoughts of her,"What kind of landowner ended up sweeping stairs? That was what Mr. Dalal of the third floor always wondered as he passed Boori Ma on his way to and from the office..." (72). We discover who Mr. Chatterjee is by his opinion, which "[are] always highly esteemed," of Boori Ma; we also know where to place him in the building as he speaks his regards of her. Wealth and status of the residents are described in relation to Boori Ma; "the second-floor widow, Mrs. Misra, [is] the only one with a telephone. Still, the residents [are] thankful that Boori Ma partoll[es] activities in the alley..." (73). The Dalal's, the wives, the residents, even the workmen, are described with some aspect relating to Boori Ma. The passage of time during Mr. and Mrs. Dalal's argument is described through its effects on Boori Ma, "it was loud eneough even to distract Boori Ma as she swept the stairwell from top to bottom for the second time that day, and for this reason she spoke neither of her hardships, nor of easier times. Also, in regards to the workmen, brought initially by Mr. Dalal, and then later in competition by the other residents, "in general,...made it impossible for Boori Ma to sweep the stairwell" (78). The changes in the resident's view of their apartment complex, the improvements they add to the building, and the evolution of their relationship dynamics with each other, all inevitably effect Boori Ma in negative ways by the end of the story. Money changes the characters she lives with; it disrupts her peaceful, habitual existence of need, belonging, and purpose; it drives her from her dwelling into unsafe streets, where she is robbed; and money forcefully dispels her from her home by those she was once safe with and accustomed too. Such character changes and environment disruptions are all seamlessly woven into this tale by managing the relationships, environment, and conflict around the protagonist, Boori Ma.
In 'This Blessed House," there are far less characters to "manage;" however, a rich relationship dynamic is created with less parts, in this story as well. In this story Lahiri does not center the plot, setting, and character changes around one protagonist, but illuminates the dynamics of newlywed life through capturing two opposite characters as they settle into their new home and plan for a housewarming party. Lahiri creates two enduring characters, sets up a compelling plot, and allows the strory to naturllly arise; what is left, is a humorous tale. Sanjeev discovers the power of compromise, what unconditional love really feels and looks like, and self-discovery in the trivial moments of life. Twinkle discovers strength in her voice, finds validation from others, and finally receives acceptance of who she truly is, by her husband.
To achieve the tension from Sanjeev and Twinkle's opposite personalities, Lahiri describes the physical sensations each feels as they interact with each other, describes with precision the specific ways in which each responds to the other, and shows how each attempts to pursuade and exert position in the brief dialogue they share.
"Why does it matter to you so much what other people think?"
"Twinkle, please." He was tired. He let his weight rest against his rake as she began dragging the statue toward a novel bed of myrtle..."Look Sanj. She's so lovely."
He returned to to his pile of leaves....
"Oh God, no. Twinkle, no."
"We're not Christian."
"So you keep reminding me." She spat onto the tip of her finger and started to rub intently at a particularly stubborn stain on Mary's chin. "Do you think this is dirt, or some kind of fungus?"
They irritated him. She rolled her eyes. She dragged hin. She insisted. She tottered on his arm. ...certain things nettled him. Sanjeev felt sick.
In brief moments, we also discover their attraction for each other:
"...letting her finger linger an instant between his lips, as if it were his reward for coming up with the right answer" (147).
"She went to him, placing her damp toweled arms about his next, sobbing into his chest, soaking his shirt. The mask flaked onto his shoulders" (149).
"Your friends adore the poster in my study," she mentioned to him triumphantly, placing her hand on the small of his back as they, at one point, brushed past each other" (152).
And by the end of the story we see just how Twinkle shows her love, and in many ways, how Sanjeev loves inspite of himself:
"Most of all he hated it because he knew that Twinkle loved it...For the rest of their days together she would keep it on the center of the mantel, flanked on either side by the rest of the menagerie...Twinkle gave his elbow a little squeeze and headed for the living room. Sanjeev...followed her" (157).
Even though the story is told through the eyes of Sanjeev, and we see his acquiescence to his wife by the end, I would argue that Lahiri creates change in both characters during the party.
Your interpretation of This Blessed House and the changes that seem to take place for both characters really intrigues me. I couldn't decide whether Sanjeev changed his tune by the end of the party. "Followed" is the big clue, of course, but what is following, really? How long does it last? Following is such an interesting verb, too, because it implies passivity, yet here it is about Sanjeev taking a conscious action. I found myself, too, wondering about the little brushes of intimacy Twinkle seemed to offer Sanjeev -- it's so hard to know what they mean; whether she is expressing love and fondness, or whether it is habitual, or out of need, or at odds with what she is really feeling. It's really interesting to me that you perceived a change in her. I felt very shut-out from her subjectivity, so I found it difficult to assess the meaning and measure the change in these actions. Thank you for your perspective!
ReplyDeleteNice job, Courtney. You put your finger on how the shifts re: wealth/status change in each of the stories and how the characters respond to each other. This is insightful and thorough
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