Ann Jacob
Ms. Nichole Wilson
AP Multicultural Literature
B
In
with the New, Out with the Old
Everywhere you go, no matter where across the globe, you
here, “Respect your elders!” Jhumpa Lahiri, author of Interpreter of Maladies uses Boori Ma’s simple actions and Bengali
culture guidelines to convey that even in places where age is revered,
materialistic items can make people change their ways.
Jhumpa Lahiri uses the short story “The Real Durwan” to
share that sometimes, even when roots of knowledge are held deep, they can be
ripped out by the selfish want f materialistic goods. Boor Ma, at “sixty-four
years old” was the “sweeper of the stairwell” (Lahiri 70). Everyone in the
building loved and respected Boori Ma. All the residents “assured Boori Ma that
she was always welcome” and “they never drew the latch bars across their doors”
to prevent her from coming over to their houses (Lahiri 76). As an old woman
who did all the handiwork around the complex, Boori Ma was revered among the
residents. She took care of them all, enveloping a grandmother-like role. The
building was simple. They all did hard labor to live how they did but Boori Ma’s
simple action of sweeping the stairwell made everyone feel like family.
However, in a turn of events, the relatively young couple, whom were all happy
with their lives, decided they wanted more in their life, more of a life filled
with measurable success.
Despite Bengali culture that states to respect your
elders, the neighborhood was beginning to realize the worth of material good,
leaving Boori Ma to fend for herself. One day, one of the neighbors, the Dalal’s,
for two washing basins- one for their house and one for their friends in the
neighborhood to use. Mr. Dalal had gotten the gift for Mrs. Dalal after having
a particularly successful day at work. As more and more people began to use the
basin, the other wives became jealous. They demanded their own basins, paint to
make their houses look nicer, telephones- the demands were endless. Soon, the
stairwell was busy with workers and Boori Ma could hardly head upstairs to her
room or sweep the stairwell. To Boori Ma, sweeper of the stairwell, accepting
of this change felt like her place had been taken; so she began to walk around
town to keep to herself. After sleeping restlessly and having nothing to sweep,
“Boori Ma started circling the neighborhood” (Lahiri 81). After a few days of
wandering, Boori Ma was robbed of her life savings and keys to the
neighborhood. Upon returning to her home, she found an angry mob of what used
to be her friends, accusing her of giving away the neighborhood’s wealthy secrets
to robbers. They told Boori Ma that they were sick of “putting up with her lies”
and that she was actually tricking them and “inform[ing] the robbers” of the
new wealth that had been accumulating in the neighborhood (Lahiri 82). Finally
after bullying old Boori Ma, they threw out her belongings on the road and
never looked back. Lahiri shows that when material wealth is concerned, people
often forget their morals.
By using simple actions and cultural rules, Jhumpa
Lahiri, of Interpreter of Maladies,
establishes that even in places where age comes with respect and love, money-oriented
items can make people change their ways.
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