"This Blessed House" by Jhumpa Lahiri

In this story we see two people, Sanjeev and Twinkle, who seem very different. Sanjeev seems like the kind of guy who is very straightforward about doing things. He seems like he tries to play the “tough guy” sometimes, but he really is a nice guy. He works hard for what he has and would like to live a simple, uncomplicated life. His wife, Twinkle, seems like a free-spirited woman. She has also worked for what she has, but she seems more like the party girl. She likes adventure and doesn’t fancy the traditional role of being a housewife to stay home and cook all day. These two seem like an unlikely couple: they were married after only knowing each other for a few months. Sanjeev even talks in the story about how Twinkle used to have such good taste and he wonders what has changed. They don’t seem to have known each other very well. Nonetheless, I think they have a unique relationship that has a key in it that other relationships today seem to be lacking: respect. Not to say they don’t have arguments or anything of that nature, the point is even after these things, they see what really matters. Sanjeev really would have taken that yard ornament to the dump if he had no respect for his wife’s feelings. Even Twinkle, although rebellious and still much like an adolescent in some ways, tries to respect her husband on some level; she cooks him dinner one night that he is thoroughly impressed with.

I think what makes these characters so real is that they are not perfect. They don’t have that classic fairy tale ending, they don’t have to have the perfect marriage or social skills, and there are so many other reasons that make them imperfect. The fact that they have so many flaws, I think, comforts the reader not because it makes the reader feel superior, but that it lets them know they are not alone. It is almost essential to have a character that has a flaw or they won’t seem real; if they aren’t real, chances are the reader won’t connect with the characters.