Interpreter of Maladies

by Jhumpa Lahiri

Interpreter of Maladies: Situational Irony 1 key example

Situational Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Mrs. Das’s Reveal:

Near the end of the story, Mrs. Das finds a way to be alone with Mr. Kapasi in the car, sitting close to him and revealing to him that her son Bobby is the result of an affair. While readers interpret this intimate reveal as a sign of Mrs. Das’s interest in having an affair with Mr. Kapasi as well, it becomes clear that she actually sought alone time with him in order to seek his advice on how to rid herself of guilt and pain (given his part-time job as an “interpreter of maladies”), making this an example of situational irony.