Iulian Boldea (Editor) - Literature, Discourses and the Power of Multicultural Dialogue

Arhipelag XXI Press, Tîrgu Mureș, 2017. eISBN: 978-606-8624-12-9

249

Section: Literature

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS ALTERNATION IN “A TEMPORARY

MATTER” BY JHUMPA LAHIRI

Carmen Astratinei Senior Lecturer, PhD, ”Mircea cel Bătrân” Naval Academy, Constanța

Abstract: ŖA Temporary Matterŗ by Jhumpa Lahiri, a famous American contemporary writer of

Bengali descent, is a touching drama of a young couple, who gradually, almost imperceptible, grow apart after the death of their first born child. They seem not even to be aware of what is

happening to them and with them until a power cut notification occurs. This is the turning point

moment introduced right at the beginning of the story to interrupt the tacitly accepted daily routine of the couple. At last they start speaking their minds by the candle light.

The paper proposes to analyse the significance and the role of the alternation between light and

darkness in the development of the story. Also reference to candle light practices during Bengali pujas will be made.

Keywords: communication breakdown distrust grief inability despair

1. Introduction

“A Temporary Matter”, isone of the best stories of the ŖInterpreter of Maladies”

short story collection, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1999, written by Jhumpa

Lahiri, a famous contemporary American writer of West Bengali origins, representing the

second generation of Indian immigrants in the United States, completing her education

and developing a prestigious academic and artistic career therein.

The topic approached by the author in this short story is a very contemporary and

actual one, namely communication breakdown within young intellectual well off married

couples. The question raised is why the young Indian American young people, perfectly

adapted to the new cultural environment, are not able to manage a moment of crisis in

their lives.

2. The Power Cut

It is winter time in Boston. Husband and wife Shukumar and Shoba are notified that

their electricity will be turned off for one hour at 8:00PM for five evenings in a row in

order to fix a power line. This sudden notification takes them aback interrupting, in this

way, their tacitly accepted daily routine of avoiding each other which spared them from

talking about their first born child who died six months before. Shoba, a prestigious

editor, and a very active woman, spends most of her time outside. Shukumar, an academic

professor, has been granted a semester off duty to work on his dissertation at home. As a

result, he stays mostly indoor cooking dinner and procrastinating in finishing his work.

Due to the new circumstances, tonight, in the dark, would be the first time they ate

together in months. It seems that the light inhibits them both, bans them from speaking

their minds. What about the blackout? What about sitting at the table and having dinner

by the candlelight? Shoba remembers her visits to India with her family. Outages are very

frequent over there so there used to be jokes and poems shared under the candle lights.

West Bengalis have great festivals celebrating light as the triumph of good over the evil,

Iulian Boldea (Editor) - Literature, Discourses and the Power of Multicultural Dialogue

Arhipelag XXI Press, Tîrgu Mureș, 2017. eISBN: 978-606-8624-12-9

250

Section: Literature

of light over darkness, which is symbolized by myriads of lit earthen diyas or candles in a

row. Probably thinking of Diwali and Durga Puja festivals, both including benefic lamp or

candle light ceremonies, Shoba suggests a game they should play during the blackout

hours under the candle light. It will be a confession game. They will have to share secrets

they have kept to themselves until then. They both agree and the game starts.

In fact neither of them has a skeleton in the cupboard. Their so called secrets are

insignificant, like she browsing through his diary (before they got married) to see if her

name and phone number were there, he selling the sweater she offered to him on his

birthday, which he disliked, and then getting drunk during the day, she saying she had to

go to work but going out with her friend instead, when his mother came over to grieve for

her husband`s passing away.

No matter how petty their secrets are, the important thing is that they dare utter

them freely without any inhibitions under the dim candle light, where they feel protected.

They seem to get closer, to be able to be intimate in the dark. They try to recapture the

time when they were happy, envying their elderly neighbours walking arm in arm to get

some fresh air until the light is on. Will they ever walk arm in arm like their neighbours

when they are their age?

After four days they receive a notice that the power line has been repaired ahead

of schedule. It is the end of their game. Shoba suggests they still light candles and eat by

their glow. Then she turns the lights on, telling her husband that she wants to see his face

when she tells him her deepest secret. Before coming home that evening, she had signed

the lease on her own new apartment. Shukumar feels sad and slightly confused about this

abrupt news put forward in broad electricity provided light. So, he feels it is his turn to

decide to confess something he swore he would never tell. When she was pregnant, Shoba

wanted the gender of their child to remain a surprise until birth. When the child died, she

did not know if they had lost a son or a daughter. Shoba took refuge in that mystery,

spared of that knowledge. Now, in the bright electricity light, Shukumar tells Shoba that

he held their son suggesting he looked like her.

Looking out of the window and seeing their neighbours walking arm in arm as

usual, Shukumar understood that is the end of the game, their relationship included.

3. Alternation Between Light and Darkness

Light is usually the symbol of the good and darkness of the evil. This strict

dichotomy cannot apply to Shoba and Shukumar. At the beginning of the story the light is

Ŗbeneficŗ for them in the sense that it keeps them away from interacting with each other

after the tragedy they were not able to manage. It helps them to avoid each other, she

watching TV, he pretending to work on his dissertation, and not talk about what has

happened and what could be done further on.

Darkness, with negative connotation, but not for the young couple, helps them to

temporarily get together and communicate, to say things that happened in their common

life they have never shared. There is a moment of expectation from both of them. She

comes earlier from work to have dinner under the candle light and talk. He anticipating

the subject of her discourse. They feel good, at ease and protected by the dim candle glow

under which they can hide their face mimics. The darkness and the dim light of diyas help

them get together but only temporarily, until the light is on again, like a painful, piercing,

merciless truth.

4. Conclusion

The question is: were they really ever happy together? Or everything between them

was just a temporary matter like the power cut?

Iulian Boldea (Editor) - Literature, Discourses and the Power of Multicultural Dialogue

Arhipelag XXI Press, Tîrgu Mureș, 2017. eISBN: 978-606-8624-12-9

251

Section: Literature

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.http://www.gradesaver.com/interpreter-of-maladies/study-guide/summary-a-

temporary-matter-

[accessed on December the 5th

]

2.https://www.shmoop.com/interpreter-of-maladies/blackout-temporary-matter-

symbol.html-

[accessed on December the 5th

]