Post modernism is a critique of what we assume to be real. Post modernism argues that there is no absolute truth and that the basic structures on which we’ve built our whole society are just social constructs. The “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri is a typical example of a work of post modernism. In post modernism, flaws are concealed and people have a tendency to self-interpret what reality is. In the story, Mrs. Das deliberately cheated on her husband with his Punjabi friend because she was not attracted to her husband any more. The revelation of this secret by Mrs. Das encompasses the post-modern feel of the story. Another instance where Mrs. Das says, “For God’s sake, stop calling me Mrs. Das. I’m twenty-eight. You probably have children my age.” (Lahiri 26) shows the post-modern way of thinking. People view society in a very individualistic way, therefore they have judgments based on the things they see and hear. Mrs. Das feels that Mr. Kapasi’s age and appearance would be unfit for her liking and his image reflects more of a father like character. Whereas, Mr. Kapasi had an entirely different image of the relationship they shared, and was disheartened by the truth.
In the “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri, we see an example of human’s behavioral complexity. The protagonists of the play Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi are drown in complication concerning their relationships with their respective family. Post modernism deals with fantasy, flaws, emotions and thoughts. Fantasy is one of the major themes in the “Interpreter of Maladies.” Throughout the story we are reading into the thoughts of Mr. Kapasi as he is giving the tour. A perfect example of this is when Mr. Kapasi is fantasizing about writing letters back and forth to Mrs. Das. After Mr. Kapasi gives Mrs. Das his address, the story goes on to say, “ She would write to him, asking about his days interpreting at the doctor’s office, and he would respond eloquently” (Lahiri 20). This represents the fantasy aspect of the post-modern era. In a post-modern world, people believe heavily into myth, or this so called fantasy. For example if you are heartbroken over a significant other, you may go on believing your next love will be with a perfect one who will support you and you will live happily ever after. Jhumpa Lahiri does an excellent job of describing the human condition of the postmodernism era.
Post modernism allows people to see the world as it is and interpret it in a way that makes sense to them. It gives more importance to the individual rather than a group. Postmodernism is all over the map. We have all sorts of people who believe quite disparate things calling themselves post moderns. There is no way we can any kind of objective truth. This was not the case for most periods in the past. Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Interpreter of Maladies” depicts human’s complex behavior and difficulties in relationship as it was characterized during the Post Modernism Era.
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