A Temporary Matter

1. Check books
2. Free write: What is an interpreter of maladies? Why chose this as a title? Break down the words and think about how they work together.
3. Jhumpa Lahiri
4. Bengali Culture/History

Some Group Questions
5. Who is the narrator? About whom do we know more, Shoba or Shukumar?
6. How does Lahiri use language to separate Shoba and Shukumar? Think about connotations of words and phrases.
7. In what way does Lahiri reunite Shukumar and Shoba? How does culture play a role in their reunion? What does that say about culture's role in our identity? our identity in terms of others? Think about their relationship to India.
8. How does Lahiri reverse the connotations of light and dark? Why does she do this? How does this reversal lead to revelation?
9. What does confessing a mistake or secret do for Shukumar and Shoba? What is Shoba looking for in the game? What does that reveal to the reader about her character?
10. What's the significance of the title? What is the temporary matter? Think outside the box. There are many answers.
11. Major themes of the story?