Jhumpa Lahiri

Jhumpa Lahiri is amazing at putting a background on each character by adding random yet subtle details about the littlest things. When she adds disagreement between Bobby and Ronny, you get a clue that there's some kind of tension in between that's been going on for awhile a long time. For Tina, she adds a doll to Tina's part of the story and how she purposely mistreats the doll to show how her mother neglects her existence. This shows how much Tina is craving just at least some affection from her parents. I think the one character that Jhumpa Lahiri is best at portraying is Mr. Kapasi. He's just a regular tour guide around his 40s, who drives people around to show India. But he's unfamiliar about love, he's never seen his own wife naked, when they've been married for so long. Mr. Kapasi wants to feel love and he has an ideal image in his head inspired by his favorite statue of Astachala-Surya. The statue is covered with women all over this tiresome looking man, sympathizing him at his feet. Mr. Kapasi longs for someone to look forward to when his body is aching. His relationship with his wife lacks lust that he craves. When Mrs. Das commentates on his job and telling him that it's "romantic." Mr. Kapasi lights up because that's never been said to him before. He is puzzled by this rare comment that I believe he's always wanted his wife to say to him at night when they're in each others' arms. I believe while Mr. and Mrs. Das's marriage lacks attraction the same is happening in Mr. and Mrs. Kapasi's marriage. That appeal that once attracted these people are gone, allowing them to crave for that appeal again. She portrays it so wonderfully that you can even imagine Mr. Kapasi getting agitated because he can never spend a moment alone with Mrs. Das. A person, who he thinks, can satisfy his needs.

The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant

1. I knew that I was going to move to Korea in the middle of my freshmen year. I just moved to Saratoga and met the sister I've never had. That idea of moving to a foreign country was incomprehensible, I was very ignorant. I didn't care if this country had my "roots." I didn't want to move just yet because I just moved. America is my home and it will forever be my home. It's just because I've lived there my whole life. I've never been exposed to crowded streets and people elbowing me to move out of the way. I know people say you'll soon like it more than America, but they just don't get that it's the same thing if I were to tell them they will like America more than Korea if they moved. I didn't tell anyone, only my best friend. Then later I was talking to another one of my good friends and he was so convinced that he could convince my dad to stay. I honestly didn't think he'd actually have the time to go around and get all my good friends to sit down and write letters to send to my dad. They threw me a party and had me read all the letters. As I read each word my heart dropped, I honestly thought maybe there was a little hope. Just a little, just maybe and only there was hope I wouldn't move. My friend kept badgering me and telling me that it's going to work. He would even get a little bit stubborn when I was doubting it would work. Would my dad really just go ahead and change his mind with a couple of letters written by 15 year olds? I did want the answer to be, "Yes, you can stay here." But no matter what my friend thought, I knew he was wrong. I knew but then again i didn't want to admit that my dad will say no. It was all something that I got my hopes up for, but in the end I was really happy that I got to see what my friends wrote and what they thought of me when they first saw me. I knew that it was an obvious no, but I guess it was worth a shot.


2. Sheila Mant in the protagonist's mind is already up on a pedestal. A pedestal so far up, that it would take a while where she is. He notices every little thing about her to the point if he was a painter, he would take an incredibly long time to paint her. Every little detail about her is described perfectly in the story. He even mentions, "her well-spaced freckles." He takes in every little moment and takes time to learn when it's the right time to approach her on the dock while she's soaking in the sun. She's so high up in her mind, it's like that typical high school movie/ Where the girl is walking the hall and there's a glow around her hair with a fan blowing in her hair. The guy feels invisible even if she sits two seats away from him. He tries everything to be noticed and goes out for popular sports. In those movies, the guy always gets the girl, but in this story sadly he doesn't. At the start of their date, her tone is very blank and blunt. From the reading, I can even smell bad air. She's losing interest, and seemed very bored. It didn't even seem he was very much into it towards the end. The author just explains what happened at the concert with a very non-descriptive summary. If the protagonist was interested in the date, he would explain his every emotion with every happening throughout the night. He only expressed his feelings with fishing.