Mrs. Sen's

“Mrs. Sen’s” is a short story by Jhumpa Lahiri that appears in her debut collection Interpreter of Maladies (2000), which won the Pulitzer Prize. “Mrs. Sen’s” follows Eliot, a young American boy who is cared for after school by Mrs. Sen, an immigrant from India whose husband works as a mathematics professor at a university. Eliot realizes Mrs. Sen is nostalgic for her home and previous life and that her marriage is emotionally unfulfilling. Mrs. Sen’s marriage parallels Eliot’s relationship with his mother, who is distant and inattentive.

Eliot, an 11-year-old boy, begins going to Mrs. Sen’s house after school after his former babysitter goes to college. Eliot’s mom finds Mrs. Sen’s advertisement at the supermarket. Eliot’s mom prefers to have Eliot looked after at their house, but she makes an exception for Mrs. Sen since Mrs. Sen cannot drive. Eliot and his mom arrive at the apartment complex, noticing the low quality of the lobby furniture and uneven paint. They are greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Sen and invited into the apartment.

Mrs. Sen tells them that Mr. Sen teaches mathematics at the university. There is a palpable distance and tension between Mr.