A Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri, 1993
The magic trick:
Broad action of a fable, centered on a very specific tragic protagonist
“A Real Durwan” is a fable of sorts, as the community in a Calcutta apartment building turns on itself over petty jealousies and the cruelty of poverty. Boori Ma, our protagonist, bears the brunt of this. And all of it might feel a bit too heavy handed if it weren’t for how well her character is drawn. The action might be reminiscent of a fable – with its edifying cause-and-effect lesson. But Boori Ma is an original, individual, finely detailed, tragic hero.
And that’s quite a trick on Lahiri’s part.
The selection:
Aside from the hardships, the other thing Boori Ma liked to chronicle was easier times. And so, by the time she reached the second-floor landing, she had already drawn to the whole building’s attention the menu of her third daughter’s wedding night. “We married her to a school principal. The rice was cooked in rosewater. The mayor was invited. Everybody washed their fingers in pewter bowls.”
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