Where Has the Love Gone?

Throughout Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, a common “thread” that exists among the texts is the theme of failed/failing relationships. For instance, in “A Temporary Matter”, the couple’s relationship is failing because of a stillborn child. In “This Blessed House”, the couple suffers from a lack of communication about religion and in the “Interpreter of Maladies”, the wife reveals that she has had an affair on her husband. While reading these texts, it made me realize that Lahiri may be inferring that the constitution of marriage is not as serious as it used to be. It is not uncommon to know that divorce rates are very high among couples in the United States and that couples are separating at a quicker pace. During class, we discuss the concept of arranged marriages and it made me realize that this concept could be a very clever idea for United States’ families because it places a lot of importance on family. One thing that has become obsolete in some marriages today is the concept of having parental acceptance about a potential spouse. Also, while reading the texts it made me questions what is really important in a marriage: communication, love, trust, or compatibility? Has this contemporary society become so fixated on the perception of having a beautiful wedding or attractive spouse, that we have ignored the things that are really important for making a marriage last? I believe we have. Today, it is so common for the media to place some much importance on the cost of a wedding, instead of the commitment that a marriage involves. In conclusion, even though Lahiri makes the reader take a look at failing relationship, she also makes the reader see the possibility of a relationship succeeding. So, there may just be some help for marriages in the future.