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.