Interpreter of Maladies

Bibi Haldar is a 29-year-old woman in India suffering from a mysterious illness that causes seizures. The townspeople and her family have tried many different branches of medicine and religious practice to cure her to no avail, leaving her to live her life in the care of a cousin, Haldar, and his wife, who run a cosmetic shop. Bibi keeps inventory in exchange for room and board.

Bibi spends her time complaining to the townspeople, and they realize that she wants a man in her life. The townspeople tell her she should take better care of her appearance if she wants to marry, and after she has another attack, a doctor prescribes marriage as a cure. This prospect excites Bibi, and the townspeople begin to try to find a match, but Bibi’s cousin and wife are convinced the effort is futile, saying that Bibi is unsuited for marriage; the wife believes she is cursed by the devil, and Bibi’s cousin has kept her from learning to cook or even watching television.

Bibi wants to be photographed for potential in-laws, but Haldar refuses; Bibi retaliates by shrugging off her work in favor of telling stories about Haldar and his wife. Haldar relents and places an ad: “GIRL, UNSTABLE, HEIGHT 152 CENTIMETERS, SEEKS HUSBAND” (160).