This Blessed House free essay sample

A House is not a Home Religion is a state of who you are. It signifies a persons mental activities as well as their physical attributions to the world that surrounds them. Religion is a form of state that distinguish between different types of groups and cultures. While in a specific religious group, one must abide by all the rules and commit to what the religion has to offer. It is known that when a person disobeys their religious they get looked at as an outsider, or just as a person from another religious group. In This Blessed House written by Jhumpa Lahiri, she expresses how religion can be the cause of destroying a perfect romantic relationship. The couple in the story, Sanjeev and his wife Tanima, also known as Twinkle are both Hindus, which is a religion that was formulated in the country India. After only knowing each other for a few months they had got married and moved in with each other. We will write a custom essay sample on This Blessed House or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Rushing into things was what they did, and moved into a beautiful house, but had no idea what was really behind those walls. The conflict comes up when Twinkle begins finding Christian relics all over the house. Sanjeev wants to put out all the found relics, but Twinkle collects them on the mantlepiece and shows them off to everybody. Twinkle, so ecstatic about finding the Christian relics, she decided to keep them and put them up in the house. Why would she do this when she is definitely Hindi? Was there something behind her action? But,at that point Sanjeev was already upset about the relics being displayed in their household, with people knowing that they are Hindus, not Christians. Sanjeev stated, â€Å"Were not Christian† (146). Meaning, that they should not be affiliated with any type of things related to Christianity. One can see how this action would form a major conflict in Sanjeevs and Twinkles household. Jumpa Lahiris choice of words shows how weak Sanjeevs and Twinkles relationship was. She stated, â€Å"He was getting nowhere with her, whit this women whom he had known for only four months and whom he had married, this woman with whom he now shared his life with† (146). Sanjeev refers to his beloved wife as â€Å"this woman. † This shows that he has no respect for Twinkle, neither does he care that she cares. One would think, does he really love her? Respect play a huge role in a relationship, and that is what makes one strong. Sanjeev simply does not give Twinkle any kind of respect. For example, when Twinkle finds a Virgin Mary statue, she decided to put it on the front lawn. As Twinkle was taking a bath, she was further disrespect by her husband. As stated in the story, â€Å"he didn’t knock. he took s breath, and then he informed her very calmly that after finishing his drink he was going to put on his shoes and go outside and remove the virgin from the front lawn† (148). It is clear that he has no respect for her because if he did, he would try his hardest to make sure that his wife is happy. It is ironic because in Christian families that is what they do. Maybe that is why Twinkle is cherishing the Christian relics like she did. Maybe she is doubting her roll in the Hindi and is thinking about converting into christian. Every relationship has their own problems, but with Sanjeevs and Twinkles it is different. Its different because the both of them seem to have their doubts of loving each other. According to Lahiri, she said that, â€Å"though she did not say it herself, he assumed then that she loved him too, but now he was no longer sure† (147). If Twinkle really loved her husband Sanjeev, she would have said I love you back instantly, but she did not say a word. But as a couple they still had mutual friends who they had invited to their housewarming party. Twinkle wanted to display all the christian items that she had found around the house, but it seemed that Sanjeev was too embarrassed for anyone to see the items. It simply was not because he was Hindus and the relics were Christian. It was because he was self-conscious of what his friends and neighbors would think of them. For example, Sanjeev even stated, â€Å"All the neighbors will see. Theyll think were insane† (146). One can see how ashamed he is toward they things his wife does. This is another example of a conflict which deeply shows his feeling towards the women he supposed to to spend his life with. This can all related to how Sanjeev feels. In the story it seems that the only things he think about is what other people think. People who do that tend to drive themselves crazy and affect the people surrounded around them. For example, in this case Twinkle commits innocent actions just to express what she feels and Sanjeev downgrade everything she does. Sanjeev brought the conflicts of their relationship upon himself because he did not let go and express himself in the way that his wife did. If he were to let go and explore new things in his life he would understand why Twinkle did what she did. He does not understand that people want to see diversity in the world today. For example, if a christian would have came into their home, it would have made that person feel right at home because they would feel comfort around their surroundings. Perhaps this was not the only way to solve their marital problems. Apparently by the end of the story Sanjeev and Twinkles relationship was still rocky and still had a few problems to work on. Although the love was there, it was still confusing if they really loved each other, or was they with each other to fill in the gap of someone just being there everyday. Sanjeev and Twinkles problem will never be resolved if they do not communicate with each other because communication is the key in every relationship. Also, trust is another aspect of a relationship. In this case it seems that Sanjeev will never trust Twinkle. This is so because at the end of the story Twinkle promised to Sanjeev that she will put all the relics away in her study room. Lahiri implied, â€Å"She would never out it in her study, he knew† (157). the fact that Sanjeev knew Twinkle was not going to keep her word when she said that shows that all of their problems are still there and never got solved. Religion can sometimes affect a relationship or it can grow and become strong. Unlike Sanjeev and Twinkles relationship, there was a lot that was not understood between the too. Both of their minds were on two different levels. You have Sanjeev who cared what every one thought him, which would make ones life miserable. Then you have his wife Twinkle, who lived her life in the moment. She didn’t care what people thought of her, she just lived her life freely and with expression. This whole time Sanjeev never dislike the christian relics fully, he just was so afraid to what people would say about his family. Maybe his actions had a lot to do with the way his parents raised him. If Sanjeev and Twinkle too more time out getting to know each other, then their relationship would less confusing, on the simply fact that they would understand why each other act the way they act. Unfortunately, they will never understand each other until they take the time out to connects and share experience with each other, it will efinitely make the relationship stronger. At the end of This Blessed House, the author provides some tender moments between the husband and wife which signals a possible resolution of the deeper conflict in the story. After the narrator describes Sanjeev’s hate for all that his [Sanjeev’s] wife loves, Twinkle asks him to carry the bust of Jesus for her. Then, â€Å"Twinkle gave his elbow a little squeeze and headed for the living room. Sanjeev pressed the massive silver face to his ribs†¦and followed her† (157). When Sanjeev pressed the bust into his stomach, there is a sense of forbearance. He signals that even though he hates some of the things Twinkle enjoys, he was willing to deal with them because she is his wife, and they may actually love each other. It takes time for a couple to adjust to having a shared life through marriage, and because they are practically newlyweds, there is hope of a resolution to their deep conflict. That resolution can best be described as patience, growth, and love. When they become certain of their love for each other, then the minute things will no longer matter, and love will make them whole.