Possible Meanings of “A Temporary Matter”

In the very first line of Lahiri’s story the reader is told a logical explanation for the title of the piece, “the notice informed them that it was a temporary matter: for five days their electricity would be cut off for one hour, beginning at 8 p.m.” (1). However, it becomes apparent that the electricity outage is just the surface meaning of the title. As the story progresses, another possibility arises; Shoba’s unexpectedly short pregnancy and the consequential death of her and Shukumar’s first child. Perhaps the deeper meaning to the title is the tragically brief life of the baby. By the end we see another sad possibility, that maybe Shukumar and Shoba’s marriage is the temporary matter. The death of the baby pushed them apart and their former love, which seemed very real and promising, appears to be irretrievable. However, there is a hint of a happier possibility. When Shoba tells Shukumar that she is moving out she also tells him that “she needed some time alone” (Lahiri 21). The vagueness of this statement gives the hope that their separation may the real temporary matter. At least I hope so.