Interpreter of Maladies

This collection is an exemplary work of what scholars call “high cultural pluralism,” a literary movement that concerns the way identity is shaped by national and cultural forces. Choose a story in this collection and discuss the way personal identity is informed by cultural or national identity for the characters.

Many of the stories in the collection center on a failure of empathy, as characters are unable to understand the pain felt by one another. How is the immigrant experience well suited to this kind of story?

“A Temporary Matter” demonstrates an ability to convey meaning with detail. In what ways do symbolic acts, description, and imagery play a role in our understanding of the characters? How do these elements play into the denial that the characters are living in?