Summary
Engl 101 This Blessed House Summary
- Course
- ENGL 101
- Institution
- Edmonds Community College
English 101 "This Blessed House" by Jhumpa Lahiri Summary.
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Janny YanDan Hurley
October 31 2017
English 101
Through a Lover’s Eye
Depending on who’s reading this, relationships are complicated, which would be the
understatement of the year. Societies strive off of compatible couples. If everyone hates each
other, people would never get anything done. The short story "This Blessed House," by Jhumpa
Lahiri, follows a newly wedded couple’s struggles of being functional with each other in day to
day life. The struggles between the two might include the differences of past culture,
background, and personalities. In the short story, Lahiri uses a selective third person view on
the main character Sanjeev, expressing a stronger sense of connection with the theme and
readers; thus, advancing the theme of how compromise can keep a relationship striving.
How can one understand a situation from only one perspective? It's not as impossible as
one would think; it is quite plausible. In pieces of literature, authors tend to be selective about
the point of view they use. Omniscient selective is just as popular of a choice as first-person
narration because they both can achieve the effect of drawing the readers further into the story.
Whenever a point of view is selective towards one character it creates a stronger bond between
that character and the readers. The readers are able to explore with the characters’ figurative
mind.
With Sanjeev as the narrator, the readers are able to understand why he thinks the
things he does about Twinkle. While he is analyzing his own relationship, we are also able to
decipher how real the love is between the two. Sanjeev thought back to when he wasn’t
married and was only dating Twinkle. Sanjeev told her that he loved her because she asked
him if she did. At the time he gave an answer that would satisfy her, but she never told him that
, she loved him back. Going over the situation again, he started to think otherwise: “Though she
did not say it herself, he assumed then that she loved him too, but now he was no longer sure”
(Lahiri 996). As Sanjeev questions Twinkle’s love the readers can see that Sanjeev still
remembers that moment from the beginning, which means upon knowing, he still married her.
Allowing himself to continue loving her shows that he compromised the thought that their love
may not be pure.
Compromise also occurs at smaller scales in the short story. Whenever Twinkle found
Christian artifacts around the house Sanjeev would feel almost threatened by them. The
readers know that he is clearly threatened by these figures because he tells Twinkle to throw
them away. However, since this relationship is based on compromise, Sanjeev allows Twinkle
to display the pieces on the mantle. The readers would not have known that Sanjeev was
threatened by these pieces if the narrative wasn’t selective on him. When Twinkle found the
Virgin Mary, initially Sanjeev wanted to remove it from the yard. At the end, they kept the statue
because Twinkle cried over the statue, which Sanjeev had never encountered: “He had never
seen her cry before, had never seen such sadness in her eyes” (Lahiri 967). Having no choice,
Sanjeev compromises again, not wanting to upset Twinkle.
Since the readers can’t see the situation from Twinkle’s side the readers don’t know how
her attachment is like towards the Christian figures. The readers do however see that Sanjeev
doesn’t want anything to do with the figures, in fear of being judged by acquaintances. When
Sanjeev tells Twinkle to get rid of certain figures, he practically begs her to do so. He states
clearly, “‘Twinkle, I can’t have the people I work with see this statue on my lawn’” (Lahiri 966).
Twinkle, on the other hand, who does not take in the account of his distress, responds, “‘They
can’t fire you for being a believer. It would be discrimination’... ‘Why does it matter to you so
much what other people think?’” (Lahiri 966). Not having the omniscient selective towards
Twinkle, the readers don’t know if she simply dismissed his plea or if she is clueless of her
husband's self-consciousness. Therefore, the point of view is essential to the story. If the point
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