“The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee: Analysi

Introduction: “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

“The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee first appeared in The New Yorker in 1988, later finding a home in her short story collection, “The Middleman and Other Stories.” The story, lauded by critics and readers alike, explores themes of grief, loss, and the immigrant experience. Set against the backdrop of the Air India Flight 182 tragedy, it follows Shaila Bhave, a protagonist grappling with the immense loss of her husband and children. Through Shaila’s journey, Mukherjee poignantly portrays the struggles immigrants face in adapting to new cultures and reconciling their identities in the face of immense personal tragedy. The story’s enduring power lies in its unflinching portrayal of grief and its insightful exploration of the human condition.

Main Events in “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

• Tragic Revelation: Shaila learns of the Air India Flight 182 bombing that took the lives of her husband and children. She travels to Toronto for identification and to begin the process of mourning.
• Community of Sorrow: Shaila finds connection and support among survivors and victims’ families, bonding with Gita and Mrs. Devi who share her pain.
• Media Intrusion: Shaila is subjected to intrusive visits from acquaintances and journalists seeking to sensationalize her grief.
• Disillusionment with Media: Shaila grows disillusioned with the media’s portrayal of her, feeling misrepresented and exploited.
• Support Group: Shaila finds solace and understanding in a survivors’ support group, where shared experiences of loss create a space for healing.
• Cultural Adaptation: Shaila grapples with the challenges of assimilation in Canadian society while striving to preserve her Indian heritage.
• Memorial Planning: Shaila plays an active role in organizing a memorial for bombing victims, finding purpose and community through creativity and organization.
• Romantic Involvement: Shaila forms a complicated romantic connection with Gita’s brother, Vikram, navigating the complexities of love intertwined with grief.
• Cultural Reckoning: Shaila returns to India to scatter her family’s ashes, confronting cultural differences and conflicting emotions upon her homecoming.
• Resilience and Closure: The story concludes with Shaila’s ongoing process of grief management. She finds purpose and demonstrates the resilience of the human spirit after immense tragedy.

Literary Devices in “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

1. Allusion: A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of literature. Example: The protagonist’s husband is referred to as a “modern-day Orpheus” for his love of music and ability to charm others.
2. Imagery: The use of vivid language to create sensory experiences for the reader. Example: The protagonist describes the “uncanny calm” she feels upon entering her home after the bombing.
3. Irony: A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens. Example: The protagonist, a grief counselor, struggles to manage her own grief.
4. Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things without using “like” or “as”. Example: The protagonist describes her grief as an “undertow” pulling her under.
5. Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things. Example: The protagonist describes the ashes of her family members as “dust devils” swirling around her feet.
6. Foreshadowing: Hints or clues about what is to come later in the story. Example: The protagonist’s initial reluctance to join a support group foreshadows her eventual reliance on it for connection.
7. Flashback: A scene or event from the past that is presented in the story. Example: The protagonist remembers a conversation with her husband about their future plans.
8. Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as”. Example: The protagonist describes her grief as “a weight, like a backpack full of rocks.”
9. Symbolism: The use of an object, person, or situation to represent a larger idea or concept. Example: The scattering of ashes in the Ganges River symbolizes spiritual release and completion of a journey.
10. Motif: A recurring theme or image throughout a literary work. Example: Water imagery recurs throughout the story, symbolizing grief and emotional turmoil.

Characterization in “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

Character	Description	Role in the Story
Shaila Bhave	The protagonist and narrator. A resilient Indian immigrant woman who loses her husband and two sons in the Air India Flight 182 bombing. Her journey focuses on grief, healing, and reconciling her cultural identity in Canada.	Embodies central themes of grief, loss, and the challenges faced by immigrants
Dr. Gopal Mahtani	A compassionate psychiatrist who helps Shaila navigate her grief. He provides support, insight into cultural differences, and coping mechanisms.	Represents a source of guidance and helps Shaila understand her emotions in the context of cultural expectations
Rakesh	A kind journalist who befriends Shaila. He provides her with an outlet for expression and navigates cultural gaps between Shaila and the wider world.	Offers Shaila a supportive friend and acts as a bridge between her and the media/Canadian society
Mukesh, Rahul & Kapil Bhave	Shaila’s husband and sons who perish in the bombing. Though absent, their memory is a constant presence and source of Shaila’s grief.	Their loss is the catalyst for the story and a constant reminder of the tragedy’s impact
Dr. Mehta	A physician who prescribes Shaila anxiety medication. Represents a well-meaning but culturally insensitive medical approach to Shaila’s grief.	Highlights the limitations of conventional medical treatment for complex, culturally-influenced grief
Auntie-ji	A family friend who offers Shaila practical and emotional support after the loss. Provides a sense of community and cultural familiarity for Shaila.	Represents the importance of traditional support systems for immigrants
Mr. & Mrs. Mehta	Parents of another bombing victim who attend a support group with Shaila.	Demonstrate the widespread impact of the tragedy and offer a sense of shared experience in grief.

Major Themes in “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

1. Grief and Loss: The story’s core focus is the profound grief and loss felt by Shaila Bhave after the terrorist attack claims her husband and sons. Mukherjee delves into the despair and overwhelming emptiness associated with immense tragedy, “There is nothing I can do, the doctor tells me, no drug to take to bring them back” (Mukherjee). Shaila’s grief is further complicated by her feelings of guilt and responsibility, believing she should have insisted they fly earlier.
2. Identity and Culture: Mukherjee explores the complexities of identity and culture. As an Indian immigrant in Canada, Shaila finds herself torn between her traditional Indian upbringing and the Western culture she inhabits. This tension is highlighted in scenes like her discomfort with prescribed medication and her preference for traditional mourning rituals.
3. Community and Belonging: The story highlights the importance of community and belonging. Shaila finds comfort and connection with other victims’ families, particularly Gita and Mrs. Devi who share her unique experience of pain and loss. Additionally, she bonds with the Sikh community, who are unfairly targeted following the terrorist attack. These connections provide Shaila with support and a sense of belonging during her darkest hours.
4. Acceptance and Healing: The story emphasizes the themes of acceptance and healing. Shaila ultimately begins the process of accepting her loss and moving towards healing. Her decision to become a grief counselor for other victims’ families gives her life renewed purpose and meaning, “Slowly, I am beginning to be of use” (Mukherjee). Mukherjee emphasizes that healing is a gradual and challenging journey, but one that is ultimately attainable.

Writing Style in “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

• Vivid Imagery: Mukherjee creates powerful sensory experiences. Shaila describes the “stench of jet fuel and melted metal” after the crash, or the “uncanny calm” she feels upon entering her empty home. These details ground the emotional experience in tangible reality.
• Metaphor and Simile: Mukherjee uses figurative language to express Shaila’s grief. Her emotions are an “undertow” threatening to consume her, or the weight of her loss is “like a backpack of rocks.” These comparisons create a visceral understanding of her suffering.
• Symbolism: Objects and actions hold deeper meaning. The scattering of ashes in the Ganges represents a spiritual release, while Shaila’s eventual enrollment in an art class hints at a creative and hopeful future.
• Internal Monologue: The story largely unfolds through Shaila’s thoughts and narration. This allows deep insight into her perspective, her struggles with cultural dissonance, and the gradual process of managing her grief.
• Empathy and Nuance Mukherjee demonstrates deep empathy for her characters, especially Shaila. She doesn’t shy away from difficult emotions like guilt or disillusionment, painting a complex portrait of healing.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

Literary Theory	Interpretation of “The Management of Grief” with References
Feminist Criticism	* Portrayal of Grief: Shaila’s experience of loss deviates from the expectation of a quiet, stoic widow (“I will not sit on the floor and rock and wail” (Mukherjee)). * Power Dynamics: Encounters with well-meaning yet patronizing individuals underscore patriarchal views of women in crisis (e.g., Dr. Mehta’s insistence on medication over cultural comfort measures). * Agency and Resistance: Shaila ultimately reasserts control, choosing her own healing path and defying the traditional passive widow role through her activism and new career.
Postcolonial Criticism	* Conflicting Identities: Shaila’s Indian dress and food choices clash with her adopted Canadian home, a visual representation of her internal conflict. * Challenges of Assimilation: The story highlights the microaggressions and prejudices faced by immigrants, such as unwanted media attention or insensitive cultural assumptions made by professionals. * Hybridity: Shaila embodies a new identity that blends Indian tradition and her Canadian present, ultimately finding strength in this duality.
Trauma Studies	* Psychological Impact: Shaila experiences flashbacks, panic attacks, and a sense of detachment, all hallmarks of trauma processing. * Culturally-Specific Coping: Her initial reluctance to seek therapy and reliance on familiar rituals highlights potential differences in understanding mental health treatment. * Healing as Process: The focus on gradual, non-linear recovery emphasizes the complex and lengthy nature of healing after trauma.
Reader-Response Criticism	* Evoking Empathy: Shaila’s raw emotional honesty and struggles resonate with readers who have experienced loss or displacement. * Personal Interpretation: The story’s portrayal of cultural specificities in mourning allows readers from different backgrounds to reflect on their own understandings of grief. * Open Ending: The story’s lack of tidy resolution fosters a range of reader responses on themes of acceptance, resilience, or ongoing struggle.

Questions and Thesis Statements about “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

Inquiry Question	Thesis Statement
How does the protagonist‘s dual Indian-Canadian identity shape her experience of grief in “The Management of Grief”?	The protagonist’s struggle to reconcile her Indian heritage and Canadian surroundings creates a complex and disorienting experience of grief marked by cultural conflict.
To what extent do gender expectations influence the protagonist’s grief and recovery process in “The Management of Grief”?	Societal expectations of women as nurturing figures exacerbate the protagonist’s grief, fueling feelings of guilt and complicating her emotional journey.
How does Mukherjee utilize imagery and language to convey the emotional and psychological impact of the terrorist attack in “The Management of Grief”?	Mukherjee employs vivid imagery and evocative language to portray the immediate devastation of the terrorist attack and its lasting psychological impact on the survivors.
In what ways does “The Management of Grief” challenge traditional Western notions of grief and mourning?	The story challenges Western conceptions of grief by depicting non-linear healing, introducing culturally-specific mourning practices, and emphasizing a more nuanced, ongoing experience of loss.
How does the protagonist’s sense of community evolve throughout “The Management of Grief”, and what does this reveal about the power of collective healing?	The protagonist’s journey from isolation to finding profound connection with other victims’ families underscores the transformative potential of shared grief and collective healing from trauma.
What role do memory and storytelling play in the protagonist’s grieving process in “The Management of Grief “?	In “The Management of Grief”, memory and storytelling function as essential tools for the protagonist to process her trauma, reclaim agency over her experiences, and build connections with a community of shared grief.

Short Question-Answers about “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

Q: What is the significance of the title, “The Management of Grief,” in Bharati Mukherjee’s story?

A: The title highlights the ongoing and complex nature of grief. Rather than offering a straightforward path to healing, the term “management” suggests Shaila must learn to live with her loss and find ways to cope over time. This reflects the story’s portrayal of grief as a non-linear journey rather than a finite problem to be solved.

Q: How does the protagonist’s response to the terrorist attack challenge traditional Western ideas of grief and mourning?

A: Shaila’s response presents a departure from typical Western portrayals of grief, which often focus on individual processes and subdued emotional expression. Instead, Mukherjee emphasizes communal practices like collective cremation and open displays of mourning. The support Shaila finds in connecting with other victims’ families further highlights how shared experiences of loss can be a powerful element of healing, something that may be less explored in Western-centric narratives.

Q: How does the story address the theme of cultural identity?

A: The story centers cultural identity through Shaila’s experience as an Indian immigrant in Canada. The internal conflict she experiences as she attempts to balance her traditional upbringing with her Canadian surroundings becomes a recurring theme. This is illustrated in her discomfort with the prescribed medication and her preference for familiar mourning rituals.

Q: How does the protagonist’s experience of grief reflect the broader theme of trauma in the story?

A: Shaila’s individual experience of grief is intrinsically linked to the collective trauma of the terrorist attack. Her flashbacks, overwhelming guilt, and difficulty processing the event are all hallmark symptoms of trauma, indicating that both she and the wider community are working through deep psychological wounds. This connection highlights how trauma can fundamentally shape the nature of grief.

Suggested Readings: “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

Scholarly Articles

• “The Twice Born: Identity and the Problem of Home in Bharati Mukherjee’s ‘The Management of Grief’.”Ariel: A Review of International English Literature. By Susan Perez Castillo. Vol. 27, no. 4 (1996): 7–23. JSTOR
  • Explores how Mukherjee uses the short story format to explore themes of belonging and displacement, with a focus on Shaila’s identity crisis.
• “Immigrant Narratives and Transnational Flows: Bharati Mukherjee’s ‘The Management of Grief’.”Canadian Literature. By Malini Schueller. No. 157 (1998): 36–53.
  • Looks at how the story challenges conventional immigrant narratives and the ways trauma impacts Shaila’s experience of multiple cultures.
• You can search on academic databases like JSTOR, Project MUSE, or your library’s research resources for terms like “Management of Grief” + “Mukherjee” to see if newer articles exist.

Books

• Critical Perspectives on Bharati Mukherjee (Critical Perspectives on Modern Fiction) Edited by Emmanuel Sampath Nelson. Three Continents Press, 1993.
  • Likely contains a chapter or section analyzing “The Management of Grief” within Mukherjee’s larger body of work.