Formal Critique of \"Sexy\" PDF

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Formal Critique of "Sexy"...

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Evelynn Shanks ENG 2360.009 Lect. Amanda North Dec. 2, 2017

Formal Critique of “Sexy” by Jhumpa Lahiri “Sexy” is a short story about a woman named Miranda who has a relationship with a married man, named Dev. In the story, Miranda’s friend Laxmi has a cousin whose husband leaves her for a much younger woman. An important theme in this story is that of exoticism, the only non-Indian characters in this story are the mistresses. Miranda herself becomes infatuated with the fact that Dev is Bengali, so much so that she attempts to learn Bengali and tries to write her name in his native tongue. When Miranda goes to the Indian market and sees the “Hot Mix”, that she always sees Laxmi eating at work, the store owner says “Too spicy for you.” This is a direct comment to Miranda about more than just the snack and is about her affair with Dev. Lahiri also takes advantage of the old adage that “children speak an innocent truth.” Meeting Rohin, Laxmi’s second cousin, serves as a turning point for Miranda. Laxmi’s stories about her cousin dealing with her husband’s affair have been very abstract until now. Miranda having to sit with the child who is a victim of actions like hers is very eye opening for her. While meeting him served as a reality check for Miranda, the most important scene in the story happens when Rohin makes Miranda try on the “mistress dress” that she had bought for a date with Dev. When Rohin tells Miranda that she looks “sexy”, she is taken back to the time Dev, or any man, had called her that word- on a date in the Mapparium when Dev whispers “you’re sexy.” After Rohin tells her the definition of sexy that it means “loving someone you

don’t know.” When Miranda heard these words sound so innocent from Rohin, she knew they were true. This feeling is solidified when Dev doesn’t remember exactly what he said to her in the Mapparium, she comes to the realization that he does not know her and that she does not know him. This exchange between Rohin and Miranda is what leads to the end of the affair between Miranda and Dev, and having such wise words come from a child establishes credibility while avoiding any malicious intent that could have come from another character saying it....