Norvell is an independent educational writer who specializes in English and literature. In this essay, Norvell discusses the story as "the interaction between an active woman and a passive man."

The world that Jhumpa Lahiri creates in "A Temporary Matter" is one in which women are in charge. Women act; men react. This state of affairs is a reversal of traditional gender roles in India, the country from which both Shoba' s and Shukumar' s parents emigrated, and theUnited States. This role reversal gives the story a strongly modern feel.

Both the author and the critics who analyze her work categorize Lahiri along with other female Indian American writers whose work deals with the cultural conflicts faced by immigrants and their children. ButLahiri's stories in general, and this one in particular, do not seem to grapple with cultural issues as much as with gender issues. The dynamic...