Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Is there a reason why the stories are ordered a certain way in this collection? Why, for example, is the title story the third story in the book and not the first, middle, or last story?
- What does it mean to be an Interpreter of Maladies? What are the illnesses in the book and why do they need interpretation when the book's written in English?
- All these stories take place either in India or someplace in New England. What's up with that? Why the focus, especially, on New England?
- Why do you think most of these stories are kind of depressing? What's the point?
- Okay, maybe it's just because we think there are plenty of great schools in the United States, but really, why does Lahiri favor Harvard and MIT so much?