Time and again, humans fall into the habit of imagining their lives as more glorious than they are. Interpreter of Maladies by author Jhumpa Lahiri is a collection of short stories about misconceptions. She taps into the universal desire for something greater and, through her characters, creates in each piece a clear gap between the desired abstract and reality. For each scenario, the gap between perception and truth does not last long and ultimately ends in subtle personal tragedy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an original essayThe strongest example of constructing one's own reality lies in "Interpreter of Maladies", the novel's namesake, which supports more the idea that misperception is Lahiri's focus. The Das family, American tourists, take Mr. Kapasi's taxi to Indian attractions. The taxi driver quickly becomes obsessed with Mrs. Das, even imagining a lifetime with her, while ignoring her coldness towards his family. Although he admits his faults, and even reveals that one of his children is the product of an affair, he still fantasizes about her. “In those moments, Mr. Kapasi believed that all was well in the world…” (Lahiri 56); Lahiri uses the word “believe”: he does not know, does not understand, but believes. Having a right faith means constructing a reality that does not actually exist. There's no chance they'll have a future together, but it's nice for him to imagine it. He's disappointed but does nothing when she doesn't even notice the paper containing his contact details fluttering in the wind, destroying the potential for a future together. Then there is Mr. Das, who is enamored of Indian Country, but only its good parts. He is excited to explore his homeland for the first time. On one road, he tells Mr. Kapasi to stop because he wants to “take a photo of this guy” (Lahiri 49), an emaciated drifter – but does nothing to help the man in any way. whatever. By treating the situation so casually, he is capitalizing on the struggle of the poor in the name of what a developing foreign country should look like, for the sake of his memories. Later, he is still too distracted by his camera to notice his son being attacked by monkeys. It is only after Mrs. Das screams during the attack that Mr. Das is brought back to the brutal reality of the situation and thus agrees to immediately return to the hotel, too shocked to really speak or act; he did not see India's problems until they affected him personally. The erasure of the false realities of these men, supposed to comfort them, destabilizes them, because Lahiri leaves no solution. In the story “Sexy,” a young woman has illusions about what it means to be a mistress. Miranda, alone and new to Boston, is delighted when a handsome, well-read, married man pays attention to her. She fully assumes the role of mistress, going so far as to “buy things that she thought a mistress should have” (Lahiri 92). She views their relationship as romantic, when in reality it is lustful, consisting largely of regularly scheduled sexcapades. The illusion is completely shattered when a child calls her "sexy" – a word she once cherished when Dev called her that – when she models his never-worn "mistress" outfit of choice. Miranda is appalled and even more disturbed by the young boy who defines "sexy" as "liking someone you don't know", highlighting the illegitimacy of Dev and Miranda's relationship. From that moment on, she stopped seeing him, ignoring his calls,.