The Dangers of Missing Communication
Communicating effectively is a powerful very useful ability humans have. It can prevent or decide wars, it helps sports teams to be successful, and keeps relationships intact. Choosing not to communicate with one another can however cause serious problems. In the stories “Interpreter of maladies” and “Hills Like White Elephants” there are several issues that the characters have and don’t talk about, that can have a bad outcome in the future of their relationships. This lack of communication can not only be dangerous to relationships, but also to global security. The inconsistent comments that the Japanese government makes about their nuclear reactors in Fukushima with the constant danger of their meltdown and how the Russian government made similar statements 25 years ago before one of the reactors in Chernobyl had a meltdown are good proof of this.
In “The Interpreter of Maladies” the characters of Mr. Kapasi is frustrated with the failures he had in his life and feels guilty for not being able to give his wife the life he wants her to have. Mr. Kapasi actually wanted to become an interpreter for diplomats and dignitaries, but is now stuck with giving tours in English and interpreting between a doctor and his patients. He is working in these jobs for his wife’s well being, who however dislikes his jobs because they remind her of her deceased son. This situation creates a constant tension between Mr. Kapasi and his wife, which cannot be resolved because Mr. Kapasi feels like he cannot talk to his wife about it.
Because Mr. Kapasi feels unappreciated by his wife and because of the to him seemingly irresolvable problems he has with her, Mr. Kapasi is insecure in his relationship and even says “He wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Das were a bad match, just as he and his wife were” (Lahiri 53). This seemingly makes him open for other relationships that actually make him feel accomplished, like with Mrs. Das in this story. Unlike Mrs. Kapasi, Mrs. Das shows interest in Mr. Kapasi’s work, which in turn makes him believe that she is also interested in him. From that point on Mr. Kapasi creates a relationship with Mrs. Das in his fantasy and only refers back to his wife in a negative manner.
Mrs. Das has a similar background story to Mr. Kapasi in that they both had dreams for their futures and had to give them up because of their families. After graduating from college the Das couple had a child very soon, which forced her to stay at home and take care of it. Mrs. Das was frustrated because she had to put her life on hold, while her husband started teaching. Instead of talking about her problems she kept them to herself and eventually let herself be seduced by a friend of her husband and got pregnant from him. When she tells Mr. Kapasi about this, she says that she has been feeling guilt for last eight years.
Unlike Mr. Kapasi’s relationship with his wife the frustration and lack of communication with his wife had already mostly destroyed the relationship between Mrs. and Mr. Das. If Mrs. Das would have talked to her husband about how she feels eight years earlier and made an effort to make a change, there is a good chance that it would have saved her relationship with her husband, she might not have been seduced so easily and forced to carry that guilt with her for all those years.
In “Hills Like White Elephants” the characters are presenting a good example of bad communication, that can lead to an unhappy future. The man in the story repeatedly says that he is worried about the relationship between him and that the baby that the girl is having is changing it in a bad way. Even if it is unclear why it is a problem to him, it is very clear that he is actually the only one who has a problem with having the baby.
The girl in the story constantly gives in to his request although it seems that she doesn’t really want to get an abortion. She feels like she would lose the love of the man if she did not do it. She is visibly insecure throughout the whole story and even seems to have given up on herself seems to be willing to do anything to keep the relationship intact when she says “Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me” (Hemingway 117). “And If I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?” (Hemingway 115).
If the girl handles every situation where she disagrees with her husband in this kind of way, it could actually lead to a bad ending. She could one day be reminded of the fact that she is the one who constantly makes sacrifices for their relationship and maybe decide that the relationship is not good for her. There is also a possibility that this could lead to a similar relationship issue as Mrs. Das has in “The Interpreter of Maladies.” If she and her husband would however speak out what they really think though, they could resolve their issues in a way that benefits them both and makes them both happy in the end.
The lack of communication can not only have negative effects on relationships, but can also cause global problems. After a nuclear plant accident in Chernobyl 25 years ago, the Russian government constantly assured the public that they had everything under control and that they don’t need any help in preventing an actual reactor meltdown. It was only after it was too late for international help and the safe evacuation of the people that lived around the power plant that the government announced that the reactor was actually already leaking large amounts of radiation. As a result of this many people were diagnosed with radiation sickness and some even died as a result of this. There is a large zone around the nuclear power plant are now deserted and still contaminated and the rate of children being born with disabilities has greatly increased from the people that were affected by the disaster.
Japan is trying to avoid the same disaster today, as three of their nuclear reactors in Fukushima are in danger of also melting down. Japan is however handling this situation differently than the Russian government 25 years ago, by evacuating the surrounding area of the power plant and keeping the public informed of what is happening. The Japanese government is limiting the possible disastrous outcome through its communication and preventative measures, although it is not sure whether a meltdown can actually be averted or not.
The communication between humans and government is important to a good future, whether for couples in relationships or between governments. Without this the ties between people or countries can suffer heavily and even lead to disasters and disputes. The aforementioned examples from the literary works and governments attest to this in a very clear way.
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