Interpreter+of+Maladies

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//** Class Activities **//
The following activities are all designed to help you gain a deeper insight into Lahiri's stories. They allow you to explore text, characters, themes, symbols, motifs and language. Please print and complete as instructed by your teacher.









// Text Analysis //
The following document was compiled by Year 12 students. It gives a detailed analysis of each story and is a very useful tool for use in SAC preparation and exam revision.

// Practice Essay Questions //
1. Lahiri has said, “As a storyteller, I’m aware that there are limitations in communication.” What importance in the stories do miscommunication and unexpressed feelings have?

2. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s world, there are those who can manipulate others to gain what they want, and those that are powerless to resist them. Do you agree? 3. The characters in Lahiri’s stories live physically in one place while their emotional lives are located elsewhere, in India. Discuss. 4. Lahiri's stories show how difficult it is ever really to know another person. Do you agree? 5. Lahiri’s stories make us aware of the loneliness people experience as they go about their ordinary lives. Discuss. 6. //Interpreter of Maladies// explores the difficulty of being an outsider. Discuss. 7. "Still there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have travelled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination." People may experience adversity however, Lahiri suggests that it is possible to overcome struggles and hardships. Discuss.

8. "Everything is there..." Lahiri's anthology explores the way in which her protagonists are marginalised and alientated within society. Discuss.

// Practice SAC - Term 1, Week 6 //
You will be given the opportunity to complete a practice SAC (Text Response), during class time and under SAC conditions, during week 6. Attached are the question and criteria sheets for this activity.