Shannon Reed
English 1302
Prompt Analyzing Symbols Prompt #2
Thesis Statement- This story develops around the trust, temptation, and loyalty of vows between married couples. Even though it is not stated directly, examination of the symbols used give a better understanding of the characters and what role each one plays in this story.
Mrs. Das- clear conflict between family members. Argument about taking Tina to the toilet refers to the dislike of being responsible for her children, refusal to polish Tina’s nails and turning her body away from children refers to her aggravation of being bothered by them and her unwillingness to share.
Monkeys- clearly represent the children’s’ actions in being unruly, wild, and hungry for attention. Also the monkeys represent the relationship between Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi. Just as the kids want to look at the monkeys, he likes to look at Mrs. Das. Monkeys follow Mrs. Das to gather the crumbs she drops just like Mr. Kapasi follows her throughout the tour.
The Das family is introduced right away. Without a doubt there is a conflict that is undeniable. Mrs. Das gives us a taste of her aggravation towards her family right away by arguing over taking Tina to the toilet. She reveals even more about bitter attitude when Tina asks for a bit of polish on her nails and Mrs. Das replies, “Leave me alone’… and blows on her own nail as she turns her body away from the children. ‘You’re making me mess up.” (328 Lahiri) Mrs. Das turning away from Tina symbolizes her being in her own little world and her refusal to share with her family. During the tour she also declines numerous offers to be in family photos. This shows the reader that she does not care to be a part of her family. This unhappiness will be shared between Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi later in the story. Next, Lahiri gives us a great indication of the children’s behaviors using the symbols represented by the unmanaged wildness and hunger for attention that the...