ENG 211H Final (SS15)

Hi!

      So this is my final for ENG 211H (SS15). For my literary work, I chose Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies. Specifically, I focused on the stories "A Temporary Matter," "Interpreter of Maladies," and "Sexy." I felt these three stories were interconnected because both "A Temporary Matter" and "Interpreter of Maladies" deal with relationships that are struggling to get by, both "Interpreter of Maladies" and "Sexy" deal with affairs, and both "Sexy" and "A Temporary Matter" deal with not really knowing the person you're with.

      Hope this works and thanks for a great semester!
          ~Caitlin Brown

Sexy: Percieved Beauty

After fully reading “Sexy,” I feel there is an interesting stress on perceived beauty. This idea of perceived beauty can be best seen through Dev’s wife. Miranda goes to an Indian grocery store to try and look up Madhuri Dixit, the Bombay actress Dev said his wife resembles. Though she never actually sees her, Miranda assumes she is beautiful based on the actresses she saw. Yet in the first scene we meet Dev, he is buying multiple beauty products like renewal drops and face creams. What Dev buys may suggest that his wife is not as beautiful as the Bombay actresses but Miranda only sees the beautiful actress.

Sexy: Turning Points

To me, there were two turning points for Miranda in “Sexy.” The first turning point came when Dev’s wife returned, and right after Miranda bought her new mistress clothes. With Dev’s wife’s return, the affair was moved strictly to Miranda’s apartment. No more dinners or trips around the city, with the new risk of being caught they had to stay inside (not so glamorous now). Turning point two came when Miranda babysat Rohin and became cognizant of the fact that she didn’t know Dev at all. After talking with Rohin, Miranda could clearly see where the relationship was headed in the future and fully understood being the other woman.

Sexy: You're Sexy and Loving Someone You Don't Know

The phrase “You’re Sexy” has a big role in “Sexy.” Twice Miranda is told that she is sexy, but each one carries a different weight and meaning. From Dev, it was an appraisal, it was a moment of elation to know that an attractive man thought she was attractive too. Being called sexy by Rohin was an innocent compliment driven by believing that sexy meant loving a woman you don’t know. While Dev’s word sent Miranda soaring, Rohin’s brought her back, making her realized that she didn’t know Dev. The relationship between Dev and Miranda was purely physical; Miranda didn’t know him, she just liked the idea of him.