Ess.ay 3 with Outline

Reading Response Journal for "A Real Durwan"

Jhumpa Lahiri's short story "A Real Durwan" explores several themes, including identity, barriers to communication, truth and deception, social class, and inequality. This paper analyzes the theme of barriers to communication through the character of Boori Ma, a homeless woman who claims to have once lived in luxury. Boori Ma serves as the Durwan, or caretaker, of the building where the narrator and his family live. Despite her position, Boori Ma is often mistreated and ignored by the other residents of the building. Most of them view her as a nuisance and a liar.

The story highlights how social and economic barriers can prevent meaningful communication and connection between people from different backgrounds. Boori Ma's inability to communicate effectively with the other building residents is a central example of this theme. She speaks in a dialect that is difficult for others to understand, and the stories of her past life are met with skepticism and ridicule. As the narrator observes, "All that we knew for sure was that Boori Ma was a fraud, a cheat, a treacherous old woman who entertained herself by inventing stories to make fools of us" (Lahiri 185).

The barriers to communication in the story are also evident in the narrator's feelings of disconnect from his Indian heritage. Although he grew up in India, he feels alienated from the people and culture around him. As he reflects, "I no longer knew which way was home, which way was away, which way was the future, which way was the past" (Lahiri 179).

Overall, the theme of barriers to communication in "A Real Durwan" emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding across different social and cultural backgrounds. By breaking down these barriers, we can better connect with others and find common ground in our shared humanity.

References

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Interpreter of Maladies: Stories. Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019.