Interpreter of maladies Storytelling PDF

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x Stephanie Dohey Eng 190 1 February 2021 The Influence of Storytelling in Jhumpa Lahiri’s When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine Throughout the collection of different pieces that complete Interpreter of Maladies, some significant themes and symbols are meant to aid the reader in the process of making connections between the characters and even between stories. Miscommunication, assimilation, contrast, storytelling, food, and children are only some of the most characteristic traits used in the book. This essay is going to focus on storytelling and miscommunication. One of the pieces in this book is called When Mr.Pirzada Came to Dine. This is a story about Lilia, the daughter of two Indian immigrants living in America. Her parents, who miss their native country, are under the impression that Mr. Pirzada is Indian, and in a desperate attempt to reconnect with their culture, they invite him to have dinner each night at their house. The objective narrator of this story is Lilia as a child. Naive and innocent, she is the mediator between the facts that present themselves as the storyline progresses and the audience. In addition, Lilia as an adult, having learned about what was happening at the moment, completes her younger self’s perspective, filling some blanks for the reader. “All of these facts I know only now, (...). But then it remained, for the most part, a remote mystery with haphazard clues.” The confusion that Lilia experiences as a child helps the reader follow the storyline and discover new facts as Lilia learns them as well. The story takes place in the United States, although much of what happens, and much of what is said in the story continuously references a place across the world: India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. With the introduction of Mr. Pirzada as a character, there is also an introduction to the Bangladesh Liberation War and the Partition of India. The main technique in which Lilia’s parents describe Mr. Pirzada to Lilia is by telling short stories, by referencing history. The audience knows that Mr. Pirzada is not Indian, this is clarified by Lilia’s father who says: “Mr. Pirzada is no longer considered Indian. Not since Partition.” With each new piece of information, Lilia is overwhelmed by confusion, she, as well as the reader has to process. “It made no sense to me (...). Like my parents, Mr. Pirzada took off his shoes before entering a room, chewed fennel seeds after meals as a digestive, drank no alcohol” Her childlike suspicion and her overall way of being are also important to the pattern of communication in the book. Much of this piece is marked by the stories that are told within it, from character to character, but it is also marked by the stories that the characters did not tell. As a matter of fact, the use of a child’s perspective to narrate the story only furthers the miscommunication. Many of the tragic events that were occurring in Dacca (Bangladesh) were not for a child to see or know about. The reader is hinted that the gaps in knowledge that Lilia has are directly related to her age, that the way Mr. Pirzada acts around Lilia -composed, calm, almost cold at what was happening to him- is an attempt to protect her.

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Lilia, however, is not satisfied with this arrangement. She tells the audience, in what almost seems like a mini-story, that she once tried to research Bangladesh, but again she was kept from the knowledge by an adult: her teacher. “Is this book a part of your report, Lilia?” “No, Mrs. Kenyon.” “Then I see no reason to consult it,” This short-story provides the reader with a framework that clarifies the intention of Lilia. She wished to know more about the matter, her intrigue was ignited. For this reason, Lilia starts paying attention to Mr.Pirzada, who piece by piece reveals himself. Commencing with the treasurable candy routine that takes place every night and that seems to establish a connection between the characters. As the plot progresses, Lilia’s care for Mr.Pirzada grows. Even when he does not reveal his worry, she can sense the magnitude of what burdens him. “As he watched he had an immovable expression on his face, composed but alert as if someone were giving him directions to an unknown destination.” She is aware that his family could be trapped in the middle of a war, and still he acts with an imaginable serenity. She never talked to him about the situation, she never tried to bring peace to his mind, but again, it is not expected of a child to be able to communicate at such lengths. Instead, she did the only thing she thought of as helpful. She developed a kind of religious ritual in which she introduced a candy in her mouth and, as it melted, she prayed for Mr.Pirzada’s family. “I wanted to join them, wanted, above all, to console Mr. Pirzada somehow. But apart from eating a piece of candy for the sake of his family and praying for their safety, there was nothing I could do” She develops a growing empathy for him and his family, she feels so deeply for his situation that she attempts to help him in the only way that she is able to conceive: by prayer. This intense protective feeling is not one-sided. There comes a time in the story where the reader can identify the extent of Mr. Pirzada’s attentiveness towards Lilia. As every child during the Halloween festivity, Lilia is going trick or treating with a friend. However, this tradition did not seem as normal to Mr.Pirzada, who thought of it as potentially dangerous to the little girls. “Perhaps I should accompany them?” Mr. Pirzada suggested. He looked suddenly tired and small, (...) and his eyes contained a panic I had never seen before.” He, that cannot help or protect his daughters that are in Dacca, feels connected to Lilia like she was his daughter. And although he does not express his feelings, his actions are clear to the audience. Throughout the whole piece, the concept of communication and storytelling are clearly intertwined. The method that the characters use to reveal any kind of information is almost like telling mini-stories, like Lilia’s encounter with her teacher, or the trick or treating episode. These stories not only reveal the characters’ intentions and personality but also provide background about them. For example, the news program that the characters watch on television or the historic references about the Partition of India or the Bangladesh Liberation War, all of which are used to contextualize the characters and their behaviors. It is effortless to identify the usage of storytelling in these short-episodes. However, the simplest, more obvious use of storytelling is the dialogue itself....