Isiah Ellison

Coffeehouse 5

            â€œSay Hello, Wave Goodbye” by Parsons is my favorite story of any story I’ve read this semester. Ms. Jazz, an immigration officer played the role of the main character. I like how she is self-righteous and acts with a superiority complex. Ms. Jazz made major decisions regarding characters that she believed were visiting the UK for the wrong reasons, to which each were guilty in their own right, however, I could not help but to feel sorry for them. Ms. Jazz not only denied them access to the UK, which was warranted, but she also spoke to them in an almost villainous way, as if they were no better than the dirt beneath her feet. Ms. Jazz’s decisions as to if someone was visiting for the wrong reasons were predicated on speech; what words were said and the way in which they were said. One of my favorite parts of the story is when Ms. Jazz said “I don’t care if someone lies to themselves, but I don’t like it much when they lie to me.”

            “Interpreter of Maladies” by Lahiri is a story that caught my attention simply because it reminded me of several people that I know. Mrs. Das Staying in a relationship for which she is unhappy. Mr. Kapasi taking Mrs. Das’s words out of context for his own desires. The major decision, as well as turning point in the story, was when Mrs. Das revealed to Mr. Kapasi that her son Bobby did not belong to Mr. Das, he was instead the child of Mr. Das’s friend. Mrs. Das looked at Mr. Kapasi more as a counselor, or experienced elder, and not as a love interest. “I was hoping you could help me feel better, say the right thing. Suggest some kind of remedy.” Mr. Kapasi was disappointed that his fantasies of eloping with Mrs. Das would not come to fruition.Â