In Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter Of Maladies, what's a good topic that can ground an in-depth analysis of the stories and their use of literary...

Hello! A
good topic to explore would be that of conflict, especially between
both Indian and American cultures, in the lives of the characters in 's Interpreter Of
Maladies.  Lahiri's book is composed of a variety of short stories. Most of them
explore the above topic I just mentioned. In the short story "," we see how Mrs. Das'
unhappiness is fueled by her dissatisfaction with fulfilling the traditional Indian roles of
wife and mother. In "Sexy," we explore the ramifications of adultery when a white
woman has an affair with a married Indian man. In "When Mr. Pirzada Came To Dine," we
read about Mr. Pirzada, who is in America, having been awarded a grant by the government of
Pakistan to study the foliage in New England. The story details how he corresponds with his wife
and daughters and how he is eventually reunited with them in Pakistan. The Partition of India
and Pakistan leads us to think about "how Hindus and Muslims had set fire to each other's
homes." Again, we are on the same topic of a clash of two very different cultures, this
time Hindu and Muslim. The fact that Mr. Pirzada, a Muslim, eats at the table of Lilia's family,
who are Hindus, is nothing short of miraculous.

In "This Blessed
House" we read about Twinkle and Sanjeev, who quarrel about the religious Christian icons
they find in their new home. While Twinkle is filled with happiness and wonder at what she
finds, Sanjeev worries about what the neighbors will think, as they are Hindu and not
Christian.

There are nine stories in "Interpreter Of Maladies," and
one of the stories bears the same title as the title of the book. The topic of
conflict, therefore, is very appropriate for in-depth analysis of the following
themes:

1) religious conflict (Hindu and Muslim, Hindu and
Christian)

2) marital conflict and the difference between traditional and
modern concepts of marital satisfaction

3) conflict between parents (older
generation) and children (younger generation) who possess different views on preserving Indian
culture and embracing American life

Hope this helps. Thanks for the
question.