Sorrow: Hardly a Temporary Matter

            Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story “A Temporary Matter” overwhelmingly exudes sorrow. It follows the lives of a married couple who lose their baby in a miscarriage, and subsequently become alienated from one another. Through the melancholy tone and diction, Lahiri communicates the idea that sorrow alienates one from his or her usual character and strains existing relationships.

            Throughout the short story, Lahiri describes how Shoba and Shukumar, the married couple, have changed from their usual selves after the death of their unborn baby. For example, Lahiri characterizes Shoba as being very organized and prudent before her miscarriage and states, “She used to put her coat on a hanger, her sneakers in the closet, and she paid bills as soon as they came” (6). Yet after her miscarriage, Lahiri notes, “[Shoba’s] labeled mason jars lined the shelves of the kitchen, in endless sealed pyramids, enough, they’d agreed, to last for their grandchildren to taste. They’d eaten it all by now.” (7). The word “used” indicates actions done in the past, and seems to hint that those actions are not performed anymore. Moreover, the labeled mason jars represent an excitement for Shoba’s new life with her child–and, eventually, her grandchild–that no longer exists. The short, telegraphic sentence “They’d eaten it all by now” captures her sorrow and disappointment, and signals an end to her fantasy.

            Similarly, Shukumar’s character reflects extreme depression. Rather than excitedly working on his thesis, Shukumar “lies in their bed until he grows bored, gazing at his side of the closet which Shoba always left partly open, at the row of the tweed jackets and corduroy trousers he would not have to choose from to teach his classes that semester” (4). Shukumar’s personal and professional lives remain paused and suspended in chaos as he mourns the miscarriage and his alienation from his wife; he is only capable of focusing on arbitrary, daily activities. The slowness of his character further indicates the sorrowful tone of the short story.

            In addition to alienating Shoba and Shukumar from their usual selves, the miscarriage also places strain on their marriage. Perhaps this becomes most clear on the last night of the power outage, when Shoba tells Shukumar that she has rented another apartment. Shukumar, after learning of this, thinks, “This was what she’d been trying to tell him for the past four evenings. This was the point of her game” (21). The use of the word “game” communicates the idea that Shoba manipulates Shukumar for her own advantage, and the tone shifts towards anguish and resentment. This tone is continued as Shukumar in turn tells Shoba how he held their unborn baby, who was a boy; to add insult to injury, he notes how he vowed to never tell her while he still loved her. Thus, Shukumar’s honesty signals the end of his love for her.