Analysis of "The Temporary Matter"

Analysis of “The Temporary Matter”
1. The Finality of Loss

A major theme of the story is the finality of loss. The loss of the child cannot be overcome by the
couple. Shukumar tells how Shoba is still able to have children, but the thought of getting
pregnant again never enters the narrative as a possibility. In one particularly telling memory,
Shukumar describes when Shoba came home from the hospital. She goes around the house
meticulously removing things from the wall, the kitchen cabinets, and the living room, and
throws them all in a pile on the floor. Then, she finally cries. This action shows that Shoba
cannot allow the house to remain as it was as she removes the items in a symbolic gesture of her
grief. This, along with the other changes in her behavior, paints the picture of a woman who
cannot move on.
Neither member of the couple can move on from the loss, and they seem to accept the
permanency of grief throughout the story. The loss of the child ultimately is the loss of the
relationship, at least as it existed before the tragedy.
2. The Effects of Keeping Secrets from a Loved One

The story’s action revolves around the effects of the couple keeping secrets from each other.
Each night during the power outage, the couple confesses secrets, which appear benign at first,
but they grow and ultimately lead to the dissolution of their marriage. Thematically, the author
stresses how secret-keeping is a symptom of a failing relationship, but sharing their secrets
causes the couple to grow closer. They find that they can talk to each other again after sharing
certain secrets in their nightly ritual. Releasing the secrets even causes them to kiss and
eventually make love again, restoring the nearly non-existent physical aspect of their marriage.
However, the larger secret looming on the horizon is Shoba’s plan to leave Shukumar, which the
author purposefully shrouds not only from him but also from the reader. Shukumar realizes that
the smaller secrets are a way for Shoba to build up the courage to tell him about the apartment
she has rented. He responds by telling his biggest secret, the sex of their stillborn child, which
has likely contributed to his depression and their disconnection these last few months.
3. Reconnection in Hard Times
Although the story’s ending implies an impending breakup, the action of the story is thematically
tied to reconnection in difficult times. The couple spends consecutive nights of power outages
growing closer during a difficult time in their marriage. They reconnect by sharing secrets they
have kept over the years of their relationship. Up to this point, they have been unable to talk to
each other in the face of their family’s tragedy. But now, due to the nightly ritual of the power
going out, they can reconnect in the shadows despite their inner darkness. When they share
secrets, they feel better for being truthful, and these small acts of honesty and vulnerability help
the couple feel closer. For Shoba, the sharing of secrets allows her to practice being honest until
she is ready to share her biggest confession: she is moving out and leaving Shukumar. Despite
the game of confessions being Shoba’s sneaky way of building courage, the couple still
reconnects and rebuilds lost intimacy, both emotional and physical.
Motifs
1. Darkness
Throughout the story, when the lights are off, Shukumar and Shoba can be honest with one
another and truly reconnect. Darkness is an important motif in the story because each night, the
power outage provides them a space to talk honestly, something they haven’t been able to do in
months. Something about the physical darkness reflects their inner darkness and provides a safe
environment in which they can lay down their guards. In India, family members recited poems or
told jokes in the darkness. In their Boston apartment, Shoba and Shukumar can rediscover the
intimacy of their relationship that they have lost.
2. Light
Light plays an integral role in the story and opposes the darkness in which Shoba and Shukumar
reconnect. When Shoba comes down from her shower on the first night of the outages, she is
surprised to see the placemats set out and the old birthday candles lit as if for a romantic dinner.
Each night, Shukumar brings longer-lasting candles for their conversations. But when the last
power outage is canceled, Shoba turns on the lights to tell her biggest secret. The light is harsh
compared to the warm, inviting darkness in which they grew closer. The light represents the
brutal truth of their breakup which neither has been able to voice or accept.
3. Food
Food recurs in the story as an indicator of familial happiness. Shukumar remembers a time when
Shoba cooked and prepared food often. Now, in her grief-stricken state, she does not make any
food. Shukumar cooks all the meals for them. The Rogan Josh he makes on the first night of the
outage sparks a reconnection. When the fifth night arrives, he plans on cooking a shrimp dish.
When he finds out the power will stay on that evening, his zeal for cooking wanes because the
power outages somehow make the meals more important. Food ultimately facilitates a part of the
couple’s newfound connection.

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Analysis of “The Temporary Matter”

1. The Finality of Loss

2. The Effects of Keeping Secrets from a Loved One

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