Interpreter of Maladies- Jhumpa Lahiri (motif)

"Monkeys!" Ronny shrieked. "Wow!" -PAGE 150

The monkeys are a motif throughout the work. The monkeys enter at the beginning and are lurking throughout the story. They are also present in the end where they play a major role in reuniting the family. The monkeys play a key role in the story as they are present at the major points. The most significant of the monkey's actions are their attack on Bobby. This attack by the monkeys was essentially brought on by Mr. and Mrs. Das, but they did not recognize their own fault. Mrs. Das' puffed rice and Mr. Das snapping camera enticed the monkeys and worsened their attack. While this attack seemed terrible, it actually helped the family. Mr. and Mrs. Das had not been good parents up until this point and the monkey attack made them realize the love for their family and children that they had lacked up to this point. The monkeys are present throughout the story as a parallel to the uncaring nature of the parents. Where they are not paying attention, eating puffed rice, and snapping photos, the monkeys are their to signal to the reader the attitude of the parents and reiterate their lack of care.