Tracing Themes Throughout the Text

Similar to our last discussion post, this post asks you to trace themes that recur in two different stories in Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies. Remember that Lahiri uses themes differently throughout her text and that some themes may be used in varying ways. For example, the strong and willful identity we see in Twinkle’s character in “This Blessed House” contrasts the lack of identity we find in Miranda’s character in “Sexy.” While Twinkle’s agency denotes her motivations and solidifies her identity, Miranda’s lack of real agency in her life creates a void into which her identity easily sinks.

Initial Post

For this discussion post, compose a discussion post in which you discuss one, or one set, of the themes listed below in the two stories, “Sexy,” and “This Blessed House.” To do so, make sure that you present evidence (meaning quotes) from the text, to demonstrate your skills with close textual analysis. Here are the themes from which you may choose:

• Identity
• barriers to communication
• community
• care / neglect
• love / loss
• race / racism
• dehumanization

After drafting your comparison, please go on to discuss why Lahiri may have chosen to place “Sexy” as the central (often the pivotal story) in the text. In what way might we see the two characters as operating on opposite ends of the collection? Should the collect be thought of as linear, or should it be considered cyclically? If cyclical, where does that place “Sexy”?

Expectations

Initial posts should be at least 250 to 300 words in length