Anxiety Associated with Handling Difficulties as Depicted in a Temporary Matter

Introduction

In the short story “A Temporary Matter,” Jhumpa Lahiri reveals how Shukumar is afraid of confronting his problems, and Shoba does not like to talk about the baby. Shukumar cannot really relate to Shoba. He cannot because he never really went to India, and Shoba did. They both try to isolate each other so they don't have to confront their problems. In the short story, they are slowly separating; there is already a sense of separation, but it gets worse. It causes them to become displaced. By the end of the story, they are no longer together. Because of how Shukumar and Shoba deal with their problems, it is separating their relationship.

Anxiety Associated with Handling Difficulties as Depicted in "A Temporary Matter"

These are issues shown by the author. Shoba and Shukumar barely spend time together. Shukumar even said, “These days Shoba was always by the time Shukumar woke up” (Lahiri, 1999, p. 4). They barely even see each other, and when they do, they try to keep themselves apart. They do not even celebrate, “Shoba and Shukumar hadn’t celebrated Christmas that year” (Lahiri, 1999, p. 2). The reason they are like this is because they cannot get past this one issue: their baby. Shoba tries to completely avoid it, “and partly because it was a place Shoba avoided” (Lahiri, 1999, p. 8). While Shukumar just wants to completely forget about the baby by removing all of the baby items, he also stops caring about things like brushing his teeth.

Another problem with their relationship is they keep things secretive and lie. Shukumar even said, “He had held him until a nurse knocked and took him away, and promised himself that day he would never tell Shoba” (Lahiri, 1999, p. 22). The only thing about this is he did tell Shoba. Their inability to communicate openly exacerbates the distance between them. The secrets and lies become a barrier to any potential reconciliation. So, because of how secretive they are and how they isolate themselves, this ended their relationship.

In conclusion, Jhumpa Lahiri expertly portrays the consequences of avoidance and secrecy in relationships through Shukumar and Shoba's story. The couple's inability to confront their shared trauma leads to their emotional separation. Their story serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of communication and facing difficult issues head-on in order to maintain healthy relationships.

References:

• Lahiri, J. (1999). A Temporary Matter. In Interpreter of Maladies (pp. 1-22). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.