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Humphreys 1

Ian Humphreys

Professor

Literature of South Asian Diaspora

12/1/14

Ever Xenos

In The Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake by humpa Lahiri! the stories fo"us on

an Indian fami#y or "hara"ter $hose fami#y has moved to a "ountry other than India to raise their

"hi#dren% The Interpreter of Maladies fo##o$s se"ond and third &eneration Ameri"an Indians ba"' 

to their an"estra# home#and! $here to their tour &uide! they appear as nothin& more than typi"a#

forei&ners from everythin& #i'e the typi"a# Ameri"an names of their "hi#dren to the horrid #a"' of 

"ontro# they have over them% The Namesake fo##o$s (o&o# (an&u#i! born in Ameri"a to first

&eneration Indians $ho &ave him a )ussian name! somethin& that "ha##en&es his identity

throu&hout the boo'% *oth stories sho$ ho$ &ro$in& up as the "hi#dren of first &eneration

immi&rants "an ma'e the "hara"ters a#iens in one or both $or#ds! stran&ers to the "u#ture that

raised them and the one that they "ome from% The Interpreter of Maladies is to#d by the fami#ies

tour &uide! +r% ,apasi $ho $hi#e seemin&#y dis&usted fee#s pity for the Das fami#y! peop#e $ho

are not -ust severed from their identity be distan"e! but by havin& been "omp#ete#y homo&eni.ed

 by $estern "u#ture% The Namesake is to#d from the vie$ of the prota&onist! (o&o# (an&u#i $ho

$e fo##o$ from birth to his ear#y thirties and "an see stru&&#in& to find himse#f in many parts of

the story! $here he is the eoti" and a#ien Indian at Ameri"an parties and the a$'$ard Ameri"an

and e0ua##y a#ien Ameri"an in India% o be&in! one must eamine the pitifu# ta#e of The

 Interpreter of Maladies.

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In The Interpreter of Maladies the first senten"e te##s us ho$ +r% And +rs% Das! the

 parents of the Das fami#y bi"'er $ith one another about $ho shou#d ta'e their dau&hter to the

 bathroom% he Das fami#y! "omprisin& of the parents and their three youn& "hi#dren! have "ome

to India to on va"ation and our out in this story to visit the Sun emp#e at ,onara'% As soon as

+r% ,apasi meets the Das fami#y! he eamines and s"rutini.es them! pe&&in& them as a#iens the

moment he sees them he 3ami#y Loo'ed Indian but dressed as forei&ners did! the "hi#dren in

stiff! bri&ht#y "o#ored "#othin& and "aps $ith trans#u"ent visors 5humpa Lahiri pa&e 467448%

A#thou&h appearin& physi"a##y Indian! the members of the fami#y are not dressed as su"h! instead

appearin& in their bri&ht tourist "#othin&% 9hi#e the parents "ontinue to ar&ue $ith one another!

the "hi#dren run amo'! a"tin& free#y and $ithout respe"t for their parents% :ontributin& to their

a#ien status are the names of the "hi#dren; )onny! *obby! and ina $hi"h are a## $estern in

nature and even than are in"redib#y &eneri" Ameri"an names $ith no true meanin& or

representation%

+r% ,apasi is f#uent in En&#ish! and it is the reason he had been assi&ned to the Das

fami#y and upon &reetin& +r% Das! he offers the traditiona# &reetin& of hands put to&ether% ,apasi

is met in return $ith $ith a po$erfu# handsha'e! an Ameri"an &reetin& that $hi#e stran&e to +r%

,apasi! is $hat +r% Das $as raised on% he marria&e bet$een +r% and +rs% Das is not very

stron& either; $ith no "ooperation bet$een them +r% ,apasi observes that they seem more #i'e

sib#in&s than husband and $ife It seemed as if they $ere on#y in "har&e of the "hi#dren for the

day 5humpa Lahiri pa&e 4<8% he "hi#dren are disrespe"tfu# and #oud! somethin& that +r%

,apasi finds repu&nant% hey run off and p#ay $ith anima#s! in one situation *obby is bein&

atta"'ed by a mon'ey and a## +r% Das "ou#d do $as pani" and a""identa##y snap a pi"ture $ith

his "amera $hi#e their tour &uide ends up savin& bobby for them% his is the on#y moment in the

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story $here either parent a"ts #i'e one to$ard their "hi#dren! +rs% Das $orried si"' a## of a

sudden +r% ,apasi observed it too! 'no$in& that this is the pi"ture of the Das fami#y that he

$ou#d preserve forever in his mind 5humpa Lahiri pa&e =<8%

The Namesake starts #i'e any typi"a# story of immi&ration% Asho'e and Ashima (an&u#i

are re"ent immi&rants from India in the year 1<=>! and Ashima is epe"tin& a "hi#d% hey have a

son $hom they name (o&o#! after a )ussian author his father en-oys $hose boo' had saved his

#ife in a train derai#ment% 3rom the very be&innin& not on#y do $e &et the reason for the boo's

tit#e! but a point of "onf#i"t for the prota&onist (o&o# throu&hout the story% 9e "an a#so see an

eamp#e of a "hi#d of immi&rants bein& for"ed bet$een t$o $or#ds She tea"hes him to

memori.e a four #ine "hi#dren?s poem by a&ore! and the names of the deities adornin& the ten

handed &oddess@*efore noddin& off! Ashima s$it"hes the te#evision to "hanne# 2! and te##s

(o&o# to $at"h Sesame Street and The Electric Company, in order to 'eep up $ith the En&#ish he

#earns at nursery s"hoo# 5humpa Lahiri pa&e 48% 9ith that $e "an see that at an ear#y a&e

(o&o# is bein& tau&ht about his "u#ture by his mother! but is a#so bein& saturated by $estern

"u#ture by the te#evision% :ome his fourteenth birthday! (o&o# sees the s"hism bet$een his

"u#tures and himse#f on"e more% He ends up havin& t$o birthday parties! one $ith his s"hoo#

friends $here they &et to eat pi..a and $at"h a baseba## &ame! the other $ith his honored aunts

and un"#es! the $omen dressed in beautifu# Sari?s and a## in a## a very traditiona# Indian party for

(o&o#%

:ome 1<>=! (o&o# has his name #e&a##y "han&ed to Bi'hi#! the name his parents had

$anted to &ive him $hen he $as five years o#d% At the time ho$ever! (o&o# thre$ a fit be"ause

he had not understood the differen"e bet$een the idea of pet and &ood names in his fami#ies

"u#ture% 9hen he dis"ussed the name "han&e $ith his parents! he &ave the reason that he $as

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embarrassed by the name (o&o#! "#aimin& he is embarrassed bein& asso"iated $ith (o&o# at a##

and that no one ta'es him serious#y $hen he is the on#y one that doesnCt ta'e himse#f serious#y

I donCt &et it% 9hy did you have to &ive me a pet name in the first p#a"e 9hatCs the point ItCs

our $ay! (o&o#! his mother maintained! ItCs $hat *en&a#iCs do 5humpa Lahiri pa&e <<8% ne

"an see here that (o&o# has been deep#y affe"ted by his parents de"isions! of the forei&n "on"ept

of pet and &ood names! so mu"h so that he has &one thou&h the Ameri"an #e&a# system to

 permanent#y "han&e his name% As the story "arries on (o&o# finds a $oman he #oves at

university! +aine% +aine and (o&o# fa## mad#y in #ove! and (o&o# 0ui"'#y finds himse#f

invo#ved $ith +aines fami#y and friends! $ho are $hite and $estern% At a party on (o&o#s

 birthday! one of +aines friends is reiteratin& an eperien"e a friend had trave#in& to India!

sayin& she is so #u"'y be"ause she "omes ba"' thin as a rai#% 9hat she means by this is $hat the

$ater and food does to forei&ners! &ivin& them the runs% +aines friend thin's that be"ause

(o&o# is Indian that he doesnCt &et si"' $hen he &oes over! $hi"h &reat#y irritates him

A"tua##y! thatCs not true! He says s#i&ht#y annoyed% He #oo's over at +aine! tryin& to "at"h her 

eye ! but she is sti## intent#y spea'in& to her nei&hbor% 9e &et si"' a## the time% 9e &et shots

 before $e &o% +y parents devote the better part of a suit"ase to medi"ine% 5humpa Lahiri pa&e

1F8% Even after that the friend b#unt#y states that he "anCt &et si"' be"ause heCs Indian! but

than'fu##y another &uest steps in and "orre"ts her! sayin& he $as born in Ameri"a but sti## has to

doub#e "he"' $ith (o&o#% Here $e "an see ho$ (o&o# is treated #i'e he is an a#ien! and very

"rude#y by this &uest%

 Namesake has another instan"e of a#ienation by so"iety for bein& $hat they are! that

 bein& the $oman $ho $ou#d be"ome (o&o#Cs $ife! +oushumi another $oman $hose parents

are Indian immi&rants% he "oup#e 0ui"'#y hit it off and short#y into their re#ationship! $e find

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out that +oushimi $as had many re#ations $ith many different 'inds of men abroad! the

 possibi#ity that her eoti" and a#ien appearan"e attra"ted them% +ore important#y ho$ever! $e

#earn that she $as raised in the $est for her "hi#dhood and into ado#es"en"e! and than #ived in

India for a period of time $here she $as sub-e"ted to attempts to marry her off% Here! mysterious

suitors $ou#d appear at her home! a "oup#e on a train even as'in& her parents if she $as en&a&ed

She hated the $ay they $ou#d ta#' about the detai#s of her $eddin&%%%She hated it $hen her

&randmother $ou#d un#o"' her a#mari! sho$in& her $hi"h -e$e#s $ou#d be hers $hen the day

"ame 5humpa Lahiri pa&e 2168% +oushimi a#so revea#s to (o&o# that $hen she $as raised in

the $est! she $as never a##o$ed to date but had infatuations $ith tea"hers and students $ith

$hom she $ou#d bui#d re#ationships $ith in her mind% 9e "an "#ear#y see +oushimi bein& torn

apart by her t$o $or#ds! the $estern one havin& en&u#fed her! somethin& so "#ose yet so far #i'e

her desire for a re#ationship as a teen $as forbidden by her parents $ho $ere stayin& faithfu# to

their o$n "u#tura# traditions% his issue a#so seems #i'e#y to be the reason she may have "heated

on and eventua##y divor"ed (o&o#! as she had done it $ith a man she met in hi&h s"hoo#! Dimitiri

and fantasi.ed about but had never &otten the "han"e to have a re#ationship $ith%

In both stories! the "hara"ters that are fo"used on are pu##ed by their ethni" "u#ture and

their "urrent "u#ture% he stories are simi#ar yet different in their portraya# of a#ienation in

so"iety% Interpreter of Maladies fo"used far more on the Indian bein& a#ienated from their

home#and by bein& raised in $estern "u#ture! startin& $ith the parents% In Maladies $e #earn that

+r% Das and his $ife +ina $ere both born in the Gnited States to immi&rant parents $ho had

moved ba"' to India in the past! one of the reasons they are va"ationin& in the story 5humpa

Lahiri pa&e 48% )a- and +ina Das are not dissimi#ar to (o&o#! a## $ere born in Ameri"a to

immi&rant parents $here they $ou#d &ro$ and attend university and be"ome distan"ed from

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their birth parents% It seems that the Das fami#y $as 0ui"'#y eaten up by $estern so"iety! +r%

,apasi thin'in& they are more forei&n than others -ust be"ause of ho$ out#andish they a"t for

 peop#e of Indian des"ent% ne "ou#d "ompare the Das "oup#e to (o&o# and +oushimi! the

"oup#es 0ui"'#y be"ome seemin&#y bored $ith one another! $ith one spouse "heatin& on the

other over the boredom in their #ives%

he "hi#dren in the stories presented are ever enos! a#iens to $estern and Indian

"u#ture% In Maladies, $e "an see $hat a#most seems #i'e a "ari"ature of tourists in India! of

Indians $ho have #ost their Indianness to $estern "u#ture! from )a- Das improper#y &reetin& +r%

,apasi $ith a firm $estern sty#e handsha'e to #a"'in& tota# "ontro# of their #oud and out of

"ontro# "hi#dren% In Namesake $hat $e "an see are far #ess one sided eamp#es of the "hi#dren of 

immi&rants bein& a#ienated% 9e "an see from a very youn& a&e that (o&o# stru&&#es to -u&&#e his

identity in "ertain aspe"ts 7 bein& tau&ht Indian poems and myths that! to a "hi#d saturated in

Ameri"an "artoons! "ou#d very $e## mean nothin&% He "ontinues to stru&&#e $ith the "on"ept of

 pet and &ood Indian names into his ado#es"en"e! a#on& $ith +oushima $ho stru&&#es $ith her

inabi#ity to date in Ameri"a be"ause of Indian tradition% hese boo's present an issue that seems

dramati.ed! but is somethin& very rea# that effe"ts the "hi#dren of immi&rants! findin& out $ho

they are%