In "Interpreter of Maladies," Jhumpa Lahiri uses river as a symbols of how the things were between Mr. Das and Mrs. Das. Lahiri also tells us about how once- important cultural values had been disappeared from most people's life. How people makes mistakes in their early childhood and those mistakes haunt them for rest of their life. In this story Jhumpa lahiri introduces Mr. Kapasi as an interpreter, how he has to listen to people and interpret for them. Lahiri tells us more how people have committed a sin and kept that as a secret from every one else. Thus lahiri relates to the idea of guilt. And at the end of the story lahiri tells us how people changed when they clear there conscious by telling there guilt story to someone they don't know. The pressure is of their chest. Trust plays major role in this story. .
Mr. Kapasi had noticed few things about the tourist that he was suppose to take for the tour of the sun temple at Konarak. " The family looked Indian but dressed as foreigners did, the children in stiff, brightly colored clothing and caps with translucent visors"(255). Here lahiri tries to tell us how they are all dress like an American and they are acting like tourist in there own cultural home country. "Mr. Kapasi had pressed his palms together in greeting, but Mr. Das squeezed hands like American so that Mr. Kapasi felt it in his elbow. Mrs. Das, for her part, had flexed one side of her mouth, smiling dutifully at Mr. Kapasi, without displaying any interest in him"(255). Mr. and Mrs. Das have changed their cultural values and adopted their new American cultural values. It tells us how there parents had taught them there India values but over time that they had forgotten them by adopting the new values. .
In this story the relationship had differently changed. " I don't have to go to the bathroom anymore," Tina announced. "Where's Nina?"" Mr. Das asked."(256). Here lahiri tells us that the relationship between the daughter and father had changed, may be because after bobby was born Mr.