The Blackout in "A Temporary Matter"
We're guessing you already know that a story with major blackouts isn't a good thing because you know all about the difference between light and dark imagery from your English classes. Light = good...
Candy in "When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine"
Think of all the positive things you might associate with candy and apply it to the relationship between Mr. Pirzada and our girl-narrator Lilia. That's kind of what the candy represents: an exchan...
Mrs. Das's Sunglasses in "Interpreter of Maladies"
Remember that 80s song "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night" and how sunglasses became the universal sign for cool back then? Well, Mrs. Das is basically stuck in the 80s. You can't get her to take her s...
The Slip of Paper in "Interpreter of Maladies"
As far as symbols go, a slip of paper with an address on it probably doesn't seem like much. But imagine you're some guy who's crushing on this girl and you've just given her your number. All of a...
The Skeleton Keys in "A Real Durwan"
You've got a head start on this one if you know what a skeleton key does. A skeleton key gives a person the ability to bypass any lock. It's the ultimate master key. The irony is that Boori Ma's sk...
Boori Ma's Broom
Brooms aren't just for sweeping. In Boori Ma's hands, the broom is a weapon: "with a few slaps of her broom," Boori Ma can "rout any suspicious character who strayed into the area in order to spit,...
The Basins/Sinks in Boori Ma
What's the big deal with the basins anyway? Why the drama in the story over a couple of sinks? Mr. Chatterjee says it all for us. The basins are "[a] sure sign of changing times" (ARD 50).Sinks are...
"Hot Mix" in "Sexy"
We probably don't even need to point this one out. When Miranda thinks about buying a bag of Hot Mix for Laxmi at the Indian grocery store and the grocer tells her that the Hot Mix is "too spicy" (...
Maps in "Sexy"
It's got to be more than a little irritating if the guy you're seeing keeps showing you maps, like he's trying to educate you. That's what happens to Miranda. For example, Dev brings Miranda an iss...
Fresh Fish in "Mr. Sen's"
"Fish out of water"; "fresh off the boat"; Mrs. Sen's a new immigrant from India who can't get used to America.The fresh fish aren't just a simple metaphor for Mrs. Sen's Indian-ness. They also giv...
The Car in "Mr. Sen's"
You're 16…what's the first thing you do? You get your driver's license. Freedom—that's what the car means to you. That's what the car means to Mrs. Sen. The only difference? You're probably not...
Christian Paraphernalia in "This Blessed House"
What would you do with a bunch of Jesus statues and posters if you were of another religion? Would you be like Twinkle and think: "Oh how cute!" and display them everywhere? Or would you be like Sa...
The Number 2 in "This Blessed House"
If you're a writer, the number two is really handy because just think of all the ways "two" can be used.It can refer to the two-ness of a couple—like Sanjeev and Twinkle.It can also bring up the...
The House in "This Blessed House"
Owning a house is the American Dream, and that's pretty much what the house represents for Sanjeev, who's already living the dream. He's got the MIT degree, the upwardly-mobile career, a beautiful...
Bibi's Illness in "The Treatment of Bibi Haldar"
We can't say that Bibi's illness is a metaphor exactly, or for that matter, even a symbol of anything. In fact, it's a good example of what Lahiri likes to do with things that ought to be metaphors...
Bibi's Baby in "The Treatment of Bibi Haldar"
Babies don't just symbolize new life—they are new life. But babies are also a total burden: they can't do anything on their own, so of course, they need people to take care of them. Which brings...
Mrs. Croft in "The Third and Final Continent"
Mrs. Croft is a big reminder to our narrator of the concept of responsibility, specifically his duties to her, as a young man in a new country: At times I came downstairs before going to sleep, to...
A Flag on the Moon in "The Third and Final Continent"
Finders, keepers—that's what a flag on a piece of land means, right? Especially if it's an American flag—the only flag—on the moon. So right off, the flag on the moon should tip you off as a...