Jhumpha lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies depicts ritual as a key component in perpetuating or alleviating loneliness. Mrs. Sen, Mr. Pirzada and Boori Ma all keep their rituals to make contact with the people they love. Characters who adhere too strictly to rituals, like Mrs. Sen or Sanjeev, become even more isolated. Twinkle, Lilia and others create rituals to overcome loneliness.
Because she misses India and her rituals, Mrs. Sen continues to follow Indian customs. While she is in America, Mrs. Sen did not refer to her home in India. Noelle Brada Williams suggested, 459, that Mrs. Sen had a “daily or routine” that connected her to India. However, her ritual also highlighted her isolation from America and her loneliness. Sen is first seen wearing a white shimmering sari with orange patterns (112), which she wore to ‘neaten’ the word “India”. Sen’s formal and elegant way of wearing her sari, which has a different pattern than hers (119), emphasizes her desire for unity and community in her hometown. Ms. Sen is also known for chopping many ingredients in her bonti. She often recalls the Indian bonti she received from her family (Mitra185). Mrs. Sen is chopping the spinach and recalls the nights when all the women in the area brought knives similar to this one. Then they sit in a large circle…laughing, talking, and slicing fifty kg of vegetables throughout the night” (115). Lahiri points out Mrs. Sen’s desire to remember those nights when “it is impossible for you to fall asleep…listening in to their chatter.” She contrasts this with Mrs. Sen’s isolated American life where she can’t sleep in silence sometimes (115). Furthermore, Mrs. Sen’s obsession with the ritual of chopping is more important than the meal itself. She also persists in chopping despite not expecting company (117). This reflects her intense desire to be connected to India. Lahiri illustrates Mrs. Sen in a showy way, chopping rare fresh fish.
She pulled out the knife from the cabinet, laid newspaper on the floor, and looked at her treasures. She took each piece of paper wrapped in newspaper and began drawing them. She stroked their tails, poked their bellies, and ripped the flesh apart. She cuts the fins with a pair scissors. She put a ginger between the fins. The red was so vivid it made her vermilion pale. She grabbed the inky streaks-lined body at one end and then nipped at the blade with her other hand.” (127)
Mrs. Sen sees fresh fish in Calcutta as a treasure’. Her long preparation time for the fish is an example of this connection.
However, Mrs. Sen is not able to feel at home due to the rituals she has to perform in India. Laura Anh Williams suggests that Mrs. Sen is not using the correct ingredients for her Indian food. Tuna croquettes should be made with bheki salmon, and fish and green banana stews without the green banana (73). It is difficult for Mrs. Sen, despite keeping her Indian chopping rituals, to feel like she is actually in India. Not only is Mrs. Sen unable to connect fully with India, but she also keeps her Indian rituals. This further isolates her from American society. Madhuparna Mitra said that Mrs. Sen’s tradition of only cooking fresh, whole fish was a symbol of her alienation. American society does not understand her desire for fresh fish. Eliot’s mom boiled’shell fish, fillets,’ (123) and the clerk did not understand why Mrs. Sen wanted the head. Despite it being the most valued part of Mrs. Sen’s culture, (127), and Mrs. Sen’s smells (132). Eliot also noticed that the formal attire worn by Mrs. Sen, which is “more appropriate for an evening affair”, (112), contrasts with the mother’s exposed legs and shaved knees (113). If Eliot’s mom is typical American, then this contrast indicates Mrs. Sen’s isolation form American culture. Thus, Mrs. Sen is further isolated from America and India by her inability to feel at home.
Eliot might also feel lonely because his family lacks rituals. As Mitra suggested, “‘Mrs. Sen’s’ not only shows Mrs. Sen in isolation, but also Eliot’s relationship with his mother. Eliot’s mother is not like Mrs Sen who lives around sentimental rituals of making elegant meals. She would instead “pour herself a glass and eat bread and cheese” (118). Eliot would leave his mother to “wrap up the leftovers” after dinner (118). Eliot feels isolated when dining, but Mrs. Sen seeks to build community through dining. Both Eliot, and Mrs. Sen feel lonely when they go out to eat. Eliot is unaware that he misses someone from home since his house “just five minutes away” (116). However, he shares the loneliness with Mrs. Sen.
Together, Mrs. Sen. Eliot devise rituals that help them both to overcome loneliness. Eliot visits Mrs. Sen every day to ensure that Eliot is not alone in her home. Mrs. Sen would sit at the bus stop waiting for Eliot every afternoon “as anxious to greet somebody she hadn’t seen since years” (119). Eliot enjoyed “especially watching Mrs. Sen chop things” (115). While this seems an ordinary activity Eliot enjoys watching Mrs. Sen cut things. Eliot, who has never known his parents, feels cared for and protected by Mrs. Sen. Mrs. Sen has been feeling homesick since she was a child and has felt alone in her apartment. Because Eliot understands Mrs. Sen’s desire to sit beside her, she gives her the confidence to drive with him. The rituals she has with Eliot have helped her make her first real human connection in America. They also enabled her to reach her new life.
Yet, Mrs. Sen falls while driving to pick up her fish. Her Indian rituals are all she know and her life isn’t ready for American culture. She becomes “stunned by the horn” from other cars (134). The car represents her connection with America and India. Mrs. Sen is “startled by the horn” of other cars (134). Eliot and Mrs. Sen’s relationship was overshadowed by the car accident. Lahiri suggests a unresolved loneliness, as Eliot watches the ‘gray waters’ from his home while Mrs. Sen runs to her bedroom to’shut off the door’.
As Mrs. Sen, Mr. Pirzada keeps his rituals as he misses home. The story “When Mr. Pirzada came of dine” is told through the eyes of a child about the rituals that Mr. Pirzada performed during his visit. Mr. Pirzada came to Lilia’s home every evening at 6 o’clock. They resembled his family. Shukumar (the dead child) and Shoba (the living room) have separate dining arrangements in “The Temporary matter.” This was to prevent them from interacting. This is because these opposite dining habits suggest Mr. Pirzada’s loneliness, as well the loneliness that Shukuma/Soba experience. Lahiri used dining rituals to convey the loneliness of many of the characters in her stories, including Mrs. Sen Eliot and Eliot’s mother.
Lilia observes Mr. Pirzada’s rituals during dinner. It helps her to understand why his parents (who spoke the same language, made the same jokes and looked more or lesser alike) are so lonely.
He took out an unadorned silver watch and placed it in his breast pocket. After holding it briefly to one his tufted ears, he turned it around and wound it three times with his thumbs and forefinger. I was told that his pocket watch was set to Dacca’s local time, 11 hours ahead of the watch on my wrist. The watch sat on his napkin on the coffee table for the entire meal. It was never consulted by him.” (30).
Lilia observes Mr. Pirzada’s calm, yet articulate, way of looking at Dacca’s past. She learns that his differences are not due to the country’s different map colors or his different religion. He is simply lonely. He is a Dacca native and lives there even though he is in America. Lilia recognizes that Mr. Pirzada was living his “life” in Dacca first, and that America’s life is “a shadow” of what has happened in Dacca. This leaves him with a feeling of “lost in the past” (31). Basudeb & Angana Chakrabarti highlighted that this sense of belonging in a specific place and culture but also being an outsider creates tension which is a distinctive feature of Lahiri’s characters (qtd. Brada-Williams, 454). Lilia notices that Mr. Pirzara is always in a balanced position (28), with one suit representing his American life, the other his home life.
Lilia is similar to Eliot, Mrs. Sen and Mr. Pirzada. They share a common loneliness but she doesn’t fully understand the feeling that comes with missing someone. Lilia has never been loved by her parents. She is “assured safety, an easy lifestyle, a fine education and every opportunity” (26). Before Mr. Pirzada visited, Lilia did not know what her father had taught her (27) and would have to be alone while she reads the news with the adults (31). Lilia is “sent upstairs to [her] homework” (34) and she listens ‘through-the carpet’ to the adult’s conversations. Lilia is an alone child, which further highlights her loneliness.
Through their little rituals, Mr. Pirzada & Lilia share their loneliness and understandings. Lilia, who does not receive much attention and is often called the “lady in the house”, by Mr. Pirzada (29), is “flattered that he gives him attentions with his faint theatricality” (29). In addition, Mr. Pirzada had been sending comic books and letters to his seven daughters for more than six months (24). The joy that Lilia felt when she received her candies was similar to his desire to see them from their daughters. Lilia doesn’t have to worry about Mr. Pirzada, but she does keep her candies in her heart.
Lilia, an innocent woman, creates her own prayer rituals to comfort Mr. Pirzada. I took the chocolate and melted it in my mouth. Then, as I slowly chewed the chocolate, I prayed for Mr. Pirzada and his family’s safety and well-being. A little girl who decides to give every night a portion of her “treasure” to something she was never taught to do is a sign of her deep understanding and connection to Mr. Pirzada.
Like Lilia, Twinkle of ‘This Blessed House ‘improvises her rituals. Twinkle doesn’t have the same nostalgic rituals to alleviate loneliness as Mrs. Sen and Mr. Pirzada. However, she isn’t a lonely person. As she discovers new things, Twinkle is ‘content but curious’ and creates her own meaning. Williams suggested that Twinkle can emerge from her identity through scavenger searches (76). Twinkle doesn’t know as much about cooking as Mrs. Sen. However, she can make delicious and attractive dishes with the vinegar that she finds. Twinkle is unable to remember the exact recipe, even though she has made a few successful improvisations. Twinkle doesn’t like to follow any rules and is always ready to discover new things. Sanjeev reminds Twinkle, however, that they’re not Christians and can’t allow the statue to be on his lawn (147), Twinkle insists that she doesn’t want to throw away her Christ-like statues because “it could have some value” (136). Twinkle views all of her simultaneous discoveries as opportunities. This is evident in the incident. Sanjeev on the other side, however, blindly follows Hindi rituals as he fears for his safety.
Lahiri contrasts Sanjeev and Twinkle to highlight the distinction between having no rituals and having no meaning in life. Twinkle isn’t a follower of rituals. Sanjeev is, however, lonely as he follows the rituals without meaning. Sanjeev, trying to impress others of his taste by reading about the Fifth Symphony’s supposed “music to love and happiness,” 140 while Twinkle just listens to it. He is frustrated at Twinkle’s careless “in bed in middle of the night” behavior while he routinely unpack boxes and sweeps the attic or retouch paint to prepare for guests (141). Sanjeev is unable to experience the joy and contentment that Twinkle’s daily discoveries bring him. Twinkle’s absence of rigid rituals is more appealing than any rituals Sanjeev attempts to impress guests. Sanjeev watches as his guests depart to share in Twinkle’s discoveries.
Even though Mrs. Sen and Mr. Pirazada are isolated characters, Sanjeev is not helpless. While Mrs. Sen is far from America and India, Lahiri offers hope for Mrs. Sen’s adjustment to her new life. In the end, Mr. Pirizada reunites with his family at Dacca. Sanjeev, though he is rigid and monotonous, has Twinkle, the talented and hopeful side of him. Lahiri writes stories that are hopeful and encouraging, even for the children who feel alone. Eliot & Lilia are able to have secure lives despite not being paid much attention by their parents.
Lahiri’s characters are, however, affected by a terrible loneliness. Rituals do not help them. Boori Ma and Mrs. Croft are isolated and distant from society, with little chance of reconciliation. They only yearn for the past through their rituals. Boori Ma would sweep up the stairwell twice daily, listing “the details and losses she suffered being] from her husband, four daughters and a two-story brickhouse, a rosewood almari and a few coffer boxes whose bones she still wore.” (71). Her stair-sweeping rituals and use of the skeleton key remind her that she longs for the life she lost. Boori Ma would sometimes ‘chronicle” her elegant life as she swept the stairs. By the time she got to the second floor landing, she had already shown the entire building the menu for her third-daughter’s wedding. Boori Ma seems to be coping with her loneliness while she sweeps. However, unlike Eliot or Mrs. Sen, Boori’s loneliness is not shared with the tenants. Instead, they enjoy her ritual stories for their entertainment and her sweeping, which she does to keep “their crooked stairs spotlessly clean” (73). Boori Ma is alone and has no one to care for her. Boori ma’s ritual story telling is also illogical, in contrast with Mrs. Sen. This suggests that her rituals are futile and that she lives in a past that may never have existed. (15)
Similar, Mrs. Croft lives with her irreversible past. She sits on the piano bench every day, the same side she sat on the previous night (182) in an attempt to remember how Helen was raised and how she taught piano. She wears the same black skirt and starched white blouse (182) which reminds her of “a world that existed in 1866…filled by women wearing long black skirts and having chaste conversations in the parlor.” (189). Mrs. Croft longs to return to a lost society and demands that the door be locked. Boori Ma’s sister, Mrs. Croft follows the same rituals as Boori Ma to create a world she can live in.
However, Mrs. Croft’s narrator understands her loneliness. The narrator may be more adaptable than Mrs. Croft as he has been on three continents. He is also young and hopeful. But, initially, he’s alone and isolated from American society. The narrator is first to make friends in America with Mrs. Croft. Judith Caesar noted that Mrs. Croft and the narrator are “despite all their differences” (54). The narrator and Mrs. Sen also create rituals for their comfort, as do Lilia, Mr. Pirzada (Lilia), and Lilia (Mrs. Eliot). Every evening, Mrs. Croft would declare that there was a flag on a moon and proclaim that it was “stupendous” (183). The narrator would also shout “Spendid!” Mohit Ray noted that the narrator kept up the ritual “even when the flag did not stand on the moon” (193). He understands the importance of these rituals for Mrs. Croft. Their rituals help Mrs. Croft to cope with her grief and allow him to adjust to his new life. He sees Mala as the perfect woman as Mrs. Croft and this marks the beginning to his happy marriage.
Mala and the narrator are able create happy lives because they adapt their Indian-American culture to their own rituals. The narrator can see Mala’s desire to connect with India through her Indian rituals of dressing in saris and cooking meals. Instead of pushing Mala towards independence like Mr. Sen does for Mrs. Sen, he helps Mala adapt Indian rituals to American culture. He tells Mala “wear your sari so that it did not drag the feet path” (190). She is not allowed to cook breakfast for him, but he tells Mala she should make rice instead. The narrator also understands Mala’s need for emotional support, unlike Mr. Sen, who left Mrs. Sen alone, knowing that she was a ‘professor’s wife’. Mala is included in his society when he shows her where to work and takes her to Mrs. Croft. Mala shows the same ability to adapt rituals. Mala wears her sari initially to look like the society she is missing, much like Mrs. Sen Boori Ma or Mrs. Croft. She is willing to adapt to American lifestyles so that her sari doesn’t drag on the floor. Mala instantly adjusts when she is told that cereal will work for breakfast. They adapt their rituals to each other, so they are no longer alone.
Mala and the Narrator are able to create rituals that, unlike other characters, help to alleviate loneliness and make India and America a place they call home. They keep in touch with their family in India and establish a life and have a child in the United States. They go out in search of “fresh fish on Prospect Street” to show Mala their new lives (196). These are the things that Mrs. Sen is unable to get in America. Lahiri draws attention to how their ritual construction is not a simple adjustment. Lahiri’s collection ends with Lahiri’s perfect rituals. It suggests that there is hope for the characters to overcome their loneliness.
