The temporary matter is a short story written by Jhumpa Lahiri, which was later included in her collection of stories titled "Interpreter of Maladies". The story is about a young Indian-American couple, Shukumar and Shoba, who are struggling with the aftermath of a miscarriage. The temporary matter is a reference to the temporary blackout that occurs in their neighborhood, which serves as a metaphor for the temporary nature of life and the fragile nature of relationships.
The temporary matter takes place in a quiet suburb of Boston, where Shukumar and Shoba live. They are a newly married couple who have recently experienced the loss of their unborn child. The loss has caused a rift between them, and they have become distant and disconnected from each other.
The temporary blackout serves as a catalyst for the couple to confront their grief and attempt to reconnect with each other. The darkness forces them to rely on each other for emotional support and to confront their feelings about their loss.
During the blackout, the couple reminisces about their past and shares their thoughts and feelings with each other. They also confront the underlying issues in their relationship, such as Shukumar's lack of communication and Shoba's resentment towards him.
The temporary matter ultimately serves as a reminder of the temporary nature of life and the importance of cherishing and nurturing relationships. It also highlights the need for communication and understanding in relationships, as well as the need to confront and address problems before they become irreparable.
Overall, the temporary matter is a poignant and thought-provoking story about love, loss, and the importance of communication in relationships. It is a beautifully written and emotionally impactful story that explores the complexities and fragility of human relationships.
A Temporary Matter
He knew it was something she forced herself to do. The couple has reached a stalemate, an impasse that has quickly led to indifference. If one gets stuck in a certain stage of grief if one is overcome by depression, say the grieving process is prolonged. In a description of their past trips to a farmer's market, Shoba leads him through the crowds and does all the choosing, haggling, and buying. Then the narrator explains that six months earlier, in September, Shoba had experienced fetal death three weeks before their baby was due. At the same time, the game that appears to be drawing them together also reveals a past filled with deception.
A Temporary Matter Study Guide
Shoba decided to voice out her plan to move out of their house. Shukumar and Shoba are able to be intimate in the dark. Without a word, she turns out the lights and sits down at the table, where Shukumar joins her. Some just too scared to create memories because they do not want to face reality. Shukumar and Shoba, a married couple, receive a notice from their electric company informing them that for five days, their power will be cut off for one hour from 8:00 to 9:00 P. With each night that passes, the truths that Shoba and Shukumar exchange become bolder and more honest as the couple struggles to relate and communicate. The story opens with Shoba, a thirty-three-year-old wife, arriving home at the end of a workday.
A Temporary Matter Themes
He spends hours thinking about what she might say to him and what he should say to her that evening. Ever since the loss of their child in September, Shoba and Shukumar have lived separate lives under the same roof. At this point, Shoba tells her husband she is moving out; she has found an apartment. Buy Study Guide SUMMARY Husband and wife Six months earlier, Shoba went into labor prematurely when Shukumar was attending a conference out of town. The other "temporary matter" referred to in the title, beyond the power outages, is the bond that the couple forges during these dark hours. Although the couple initially trades confessions to pass the time, their final exchange forces them both to become vulnerable with one another.
A Temporary Matter Summary
Six months before the story takes place, the couple was about to have their first baby. Jayapal, Pramila, Pilgrimage: One Woman's Return to a Changing India, Seal Press, 2000. Shoba's mother lives in Arizona now. The darkness offers honesty between both of them and they can talk openly to one another. The incident was such a powerful example of the cultural dissonance experienced by immigrants and children of immigrants that Lahiri made it the starting point of her novel. Some will find it hard to convey their feelings in real life. An air of suspense enhances the story further as Shukumar reluctantly agrees to play the game even though he doesn't have a childhood story about India to share.
