Mixed messages create poor communication Everyone struggles with honesty and communication in Interpreter of Maladies, even if this is life. The most intense human emotions hit you when you connect with another person on such a non-superficial level. Anger, confusion, pain and guilt affect and interfere with every aspect of their life. The characters in this collection of short stories struggle to tell the truth, as fear of rejection, shame, and overthinking leads them to not being able to be fully honest with their partner, leading to serious consequences. Instead of being honest, people distance themselves from each other, creating a distance that should never have existed in the first place. Actions motivated by mutual honesty are the bond between two people and are essential in deciding whether the relationship is healthy or toxic. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Insincerity propels you into a realm of distance and separation. Mr. and Mrs. Das in Interpreter of Maladies have a toxic marriage, in which secrets are leaked to someone who is not another. The lie that Mrs. Das had hidden from her entire family causes her bitterness. His guilt turns into a form of irritation, since it is his reaction to the internalization of his feelings and to depression. However, when we meet another man, all that guilt and bitterness becomes fleeting. She seeks relief by confiding in him everything she's kept in the dark, using a random man as an emotional crutch, as an unwitting therapist. Mrs. Das has not been open about her feelings towards her family, especially her husband. In the process of discovering his secrets, she inadvertently reveals how she misled her husband. The fragile bond between her and each member of her family highlights the imperfections of her character. There is no real dialogue between husband and wife, because shame and fear separate them. Mrs. Das explains the burden she carries in conveying her true feelings to this other. She collapses in shame, while the secret of a former affair threatens to ruin her lifestyle. She lives in an environment where she experiences constant reminders of guilt, which stares her in the face every day, when she looks into the eyes of her illegitimate son. With the lack of truthfulness, everything about his marriage is extremely superficial. Both husband and wife are absorbed in their own realities, as if looking through the lens of a camera and not once looking up. The lack of frankness between the two reveals the unstable bond between them.