Introduction to “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
In story “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine, characters feel themselves imperceptibly tied to each other through a common history, common taste, and universal family relations. These commonalities lead to sympathetic and loving relationships. These commonalities, though, are ignored when people live together, and become distinctive features of socially or religiously hostile families, when they find themselves living in foreign or alien lands. The story “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” by an Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri presents the same predicament of a young girl who is born and raised in America. She could not understand commonalities during her childhood but later in life, she perfectly understands why her father used to find out Asian Indians in America to become their affectionate host. The story “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” shows not only the motif of common history but also of common food and the universal relation of a father and daughter to join the events.
Common History in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
Most often people are attached to each other through common history such as in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”. It is clear from the very first paragraph that the narrator has a common point when she tells more about Mr. Pirzada and the background of her parents after she discovers that they are all Indians. Her father is a bit pricked at her ignorance of Indian history and tells her that Mr. Pirzada is from Pakistan since “Our country was divided in 1947” (Lahiri). This new information makes the narrator take interest in the history of her parents and their new guest Mr. Pirzada, the reason that she “found a book titled Pakistan: A Land and its People” in the library when she is on an assignment (Lahiri). The description of the events in Dacca, the fall of Dacca, and the barbarism of the Pakistani army is a case in point of how she comes to know this common history which runs through the entire story and attaches her family to Mr. Pirzada. However, it does not seem a strong connection until some cultural affinity such as taste is not found common among the people.
Food in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
Food is another common point that binds people which is true about the story “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”. Mr. Pirzada does not come only for sharing his language and history. Rather he comes to share his culinary taste with the family of Lilia. He comes because he finds what he loves the most. She tells about her mother, “From the kitchen, my mother brought for the success of dishes, lentils with fried onions, green beans with coconut” and their favorite dish, the cooked rice (Lahiri). The Indian subcontinent produces the best rice in the world and Indians are fond of eating rice, specifically the people from Dacca and some other cities of Bangladesh. When Mr. Pirzada finds that he is invited heartily and welcomed warmly by Lilia’s father, he does not miss the opportunity to enjoy “Boiled eggs with rice for dinner” which creates another bond with Lilia, the universal bond of a father-daughter relationship.
Relationships in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
Not only is the father-daughter relationship universal, but also heart-touching suchas in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”. The narrator, Lilia, comes to know that Mr. Pirzada has seven daughters and all of them are living in Dacca. After some time, she comes to know that Dacca is under attack from the Pakistani military. Being a very young mind, she deduces that Mr. Pirzada’s daughters must be in danger and that Mr. Pirzada must be missing them. That is why she tells her friend Dora about Mr. Pirzada that “His daughters are missing” but later corrects her statement by saying that he is missing his daughters living far away and that “he has not seen them in a while (Lahiri). It dawns upon her by the end of the story why Mr. Pirzada used to bring chocolates and candies for her, for he used to love her as his own daughter when he misses them.
Conclusion
In short, there are several motifs in the story that run parallel to each other and make the story meaningful. All these motifs of common historical linkage, common food items, and the universal relationship of the father and daughter make families join together to pass their time. Mr. Pirzada is found by the father of Lilia due to having the commonality of region and history. But it is the food that brings Mr. Pirzada to their homes while her daughters create a space for Lilia in the heart of Mr. Pirzada, who showers his love on Lilia in return. Although she could not feel this love at first, she comes to know it when having a candy on Halloween day by the end of the story. The story starts with the history and ends on a father-daughter love strand.
Works Cited
Lahiri, Jhumpa. “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine.” UWM. n. d. Web. 14 Jul. 2017.
Relevant Questions about Themes in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
- How does the theme of cultural identity and displacement play a significant role in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” and how do the characters grapple with their sense of belonging and identity in a foreign land?
- In “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” how does the theme of the impact of political conflict on personal lives manifest in the lives of the characters, and what does the story reveal about the human experience in times of turmoil?
- Can you explore the theme of innocence and childhood in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” and how do Lilia’s experiences and observations reflect a loss of innocence as she becomes more aware of the world’s complexities?