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Irony
Definition of Mood
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect of a piece of writing... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes... read full definition
Mood
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of “A Temporary Matter” is primarily sad and bleak, with a few moments of relief. The story begins with Shoba and Shukumar, the married couple at the center of the story, feeling incredibly distant from each other, each lost in their own grief (and coping strategies) after the loss of their stillborn child six months earlier.
Due to some electrical work being done on their street, the couple loses power for one hour each evening for four days, a situation which leads them to spend quality time together by candlelight, after months of avoiding each other. This experience, in turn, leads to rare moments of connection—such as the two characters revealing secrets to each other and having sex for the first time in months—and, in turn, offers a reprieve for readers from the dark and grief-filled mood of the story.
The story eventually ends on a simultaneously painful and hopeful note, as Shoba reveals one last secret over their final meal: she signed a lease on an apartment and is leaving Shukumar. In turn, Shukumar reveals one last secret to Shoba: that he held their stillborn son after arriving at the hospital. (Shoba did not want to know the sex of their child and also didn’t know that Shukumar had seen him.) The final lines of the story capture the bleak and painful ending:
Shoba had turned the lights off. She came back to the table and sat down, and after a moment Shukumar joined her. They wept together, for the things they now knew.
Here Lahiri chooses to leave the story in an unresolved place. While the mood is deeply upsetting—the characters weeping together in the dark—there is also hope for Shoba and Shukumar who, until this point, have each avoided feeling the full weight of their despair. Lahiri suggests that the two characters are finally facing their pain and, as such, may be able to heal from it, whether they remain together or not.
Related Themes:
