“Interpreter of Maladies” introduces the reader to a collapsing world of a dysfunctional family. In the novel, Mr. Das sparks both sympathy and a sense of slight annoyance that is likely to transform into disdain after considering the evolution of his character. Although the character might seem benevolent and sympathetic at first, his evident inability to emotionally connect with his wife or children indicates the need for further evolution, which never occurs.
At first glance, Mr. Das represents a character that is easy to empathize with and relate to due to his kind nature. Indeed, Mr. Das is mostly benevolent and kind-hearted throughout the novel. For example, he is never aggressive or unkind to his wife, her mostly being the one to start a confrontation: “’But they’re harmless,’ Mr. Das said” (Lahiri). However, Mr. Das should not be seen as immediately redeemable.
Specifically, on a closer look, Mr. Das’ unwillingness to interact with his wife or children becomes evident. For instance, when Mr. Kapasi starts talking to the couple., Mr. Das chooses to avoid the conversation. Namely, he chooses to read a book instead: “Mr. Das was absorbed by his tour book, so it seemed like a private conversation between Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das” (Lahiri). Therefore, Mr. Das clearly distances himself from his wife and, by extension, from his children, creating a further rift in their relationship.
Therefore, the failure to acknowledge and address a problem represents a major obstacle in Mr. Das’ character development. as a result, he never grows throughout the novel, remaining in the same infant state of blissful ignorance. Thus, his intentionally turning a blind eye to the unhappiness of his family members makes him not as sympathetic as he might have seemed at first.
Failing miserably to notice the presence of alienation between him and his wife, as well as his children, Mr. Das elicits emotions that gradually deny the reader the expected empathy and, instead, see him as desperately flawed. Even though the problems in Mr. Das’ perception of his marriage and his children are quite understandable, humanizing him and making him relatable, his inability, or unwillingness, to recognize the problem and tackle it leads to the reader’s bitter disappointment. Thus, with his complexity and contradictory nature, Mr. Das and his character arc teach the reader an important lesson about the need for introspection and acknowledging reality.