I Don't Know What the Title Means, by Author with Weird Name

Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri, wasn't my favorite short story of the week, but I can see some merit in discussing a topic from it that has grinded me since reading.  I am here to defend Mr. Kapasi.  I wasn't going to originally, but after meeting in my small group, where multiple people analytically assaulted the Mr. Kapasi character (see Katie, Ashley, etc.) I felt a literary duty to back up the man in what I see as reasonable disillusions.  The poor guy has a struggling marriage.  His job doesn't live up to the high expectations he had as being a diplomatic connection between cultures.  He is isolated in his own life and feeling lonely all the time.

And then he meets Mrs. Das.

When I read this story, I didn't see his fantasy about Mrs. Das as his true intentions.  It was simply his method of escape.  When she finally does open up to him intimately, he is disgusted.  His ideas of life with Mrs. Das were unrealistic, for sure, but I believe he never truly thought they were in the works either.  He's just a sad old man, and well, that makes me feel sorry for him.  So leave him alone.