A Temporary Matter

The title of “A Temporary Matter” could have several meanings. On the surface level, and most obviously, it refers to the fact that the power will be cut for an hour each day. This is only a temporary situation that will last 5 days. During this time, the couple decides to play a game where they tell each other one secret a day. At the beginning, these moments seem to bring Shukumar and Shoba closer together. “Something happened when the house was dark. They were able to talk again.” These times gave the couple a temporary break from their recently cold relationship. They could open up to each other once again, like they used to earlier. This allows for the emotional and physical intimacy that had been missing for months to come back. As a result, some of the pain seems to be temporarily removed, which is why they are able to discuss things more openly.
But, this arrangement is also a temporary matter. The day the power comes back on, Shoba reveals that she has found an apartment, signed the lease, and would be moving out soon. After finding this out, Shukumar felt sickened, “knowing that she had spent these past evenings for a life without him.” So, their reconnection was also a temporary matter. It also shows that the couple’s problems could never be solved in a temporary way. The dark nights served as a short period of time when they could talk about what had changed in their relationship. The dinner conversations made it seem like they could be happy together again. But, when the lights come back on, it seems much less likely. These few nights just weren’t enough to save their marriage. So, the title could also be referring to the fact that Shukumar and Shoba’s marriage is temporary.
Another meaning of the title could be the brief life of the couple’s baby. This event in Shukumar and Shoba’s life has a huge impact on their lives and their marriage as well, to the point where the marriage becomes temporary matter as well. Their game was a final effort to become closer be revealing secrets and move on as individuals, as they realized marriage doesn’t always last forever. On the other hand, the temporary matter could also refer to Shoba’s moving out, although that seems less likely to me. At the end of the story, the temporary matters of the couple’s game and marriage come to an end.

Comments

  1. Kathryn DullerudMay 18, 2018 at 7:58 AM

    I really liked this post! I had thought of the first two meanings of the title, but not the one about the baby! I think that maybe a lot of these meanings are related: the baby is a temporary matter, which leads to their marriage being only temporary, which again leads to their situation being "together" again being only temporary. I think it's always really interesting to inspect what authors mean by their titles.

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