Questions on pg. 298
1. For centuries philosophers have argued whether "nature" or "nurture" is the main shaping principle in our lives. In "Interpreter of Maladies," what details make the Indian-American Das family seem more "naturally" Indian or more "nurtured" by their American upbringing?
The Das family seems to be Indian only because of their looks and natural Indian heritage. When the Das family visited India, their tour guide, Mr. Kapasi, said that "The family looked Indian, but dressed as foreigners did" (284). This is one of the very few sentences in the story that would indicate that the Das family was Indian. The family is certainly not Indian by nurture; Mina and Raj "were both born in America, Born and Raised" (285). Throughout the story, Mr. and Mrs. Das do not speak of practicing any Indian language, beliefs, traditions or culture during their childhood, and it is apparent that they do not teach their children any of that either. When Mrs. Das was buying something from the man at the tea stall, Mr. Kapasi heard a man sing a Hindi love song to her, but "she did not appear to understand the words of the song, for she did not express irritation, or embarrassment, or react in any other way to the man's declarations" (285). From this passage, one could assume that Mrs. Das did not understand what the man was singing to her because the native language was not taught or spoken in her home. The only "India roots" the family seems to keep is when Mr. and Mrs. Das go to Assansol to visit their parents, and the trip they are currently taking. When Mrs. Das was telling Mr. Kapasi about how her and Mr. Das met, it seemed somewhat like an arranged marriage, something common in Indian cultures. She said, "Our parents were best friends who lived in the same town...We were sent upstairs to play together while our parents joked about our marriage...They never caught us at anything, though in a way I think it was all more or less a setup" (295). This was the only part in the story that gave a mild example of Mr. & Mrs. Das growing up with Indian traditions. The Das family's American upbringing had dominance over any "nurtured" Indian upbringing, further proving that the only thing keeping this family Indian is their heritage.
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1 comment:
Great response, Emily!
By quoting specific passages in the text, you offer strong support for your argument. I agree that the characters' seemingly lack of knowledge of Indian history, culture and language make them seem more American (nurture) rather than India (nature). I also think the passage when Mr. Das says he and his wife, "were both born in America, Born and Raised" is an important one. It's as if Mr. Das knows he LOOKS Indian and feels the need to emphasize his TRUE nationality by saying where he was born.
This would make a great essay topic! Should you choose to revise, you could look for further support that the Das family looks and/or behaves like Americans, and you could define what you think "being American" is as opposed to "not being American."
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