In “The Management of Grief,” Mrs. Bhave grapples between two worlds in an attempt to find freedom from her inner conflict. The story begins with much confusion, as strangers are busy at work in Mrs. Bhave’s kitchen. Small clues start to reveal that her family was on board a plane that had been attacked (Mukherjee 435-6). However, Mrs. Bhave’s passive reaction makes it difficult to gage where she is at emotionally, not just for the reader, but for the other characters as well. Eventually, Mrs. Bhave is asked to help other families who are grieving their losses by government worker, Judith Templeton (437). Judith is the epitome of ignorance. She fails to understand the delicate matter of asking people to move on and this causes her to disconnect
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Templeton also underestimates the emotional state that Mrs. Bhave is in. When they first meet, Judith states, “Someone mentioned that Mrs. Bhave is a pillar--because you’ve taken it more calmly,” (437). The calm state that Shaila Bhave seems to be in does not mean she is handling the loss of her family well, instead her reaction implies that she is cut off from the world and is trying to find a way to deal with her tragedy. Shaila is experiencing both sides of the situation. She is being asked to sway people into accepting that their loved ones are gone, when she is not ready herself. There then comes a point to where Shaila Bhave can no longer put off her grief. She is asked to look at photos of the victims that have been found and identify if they are her sons and or husband. Reluctantly, she accepts and does not recognize anyone in the pictures, even with the police trying to encourage her (440-1). This illustrates the state that Shaila is in. She does not want to believe that her family is gone forever, but those around her continue to tell her that they are. It is not long before Shaila is out again with Judith, visiting those who, in Judith’s eyes, have not moved on. This is when Shaila realizes, “In our culture, it is a parent’s duty to hope,”
Templeton also underestimates the emotional state that Mrs. Bhave is in. When they first meet, Judith states, “Someone mentioned that Mrs. Bhave is a pillar--because you’ve taken it more calmly,” (437). The calm state that Shaila Bhave seems to be in does not mean she is handling the loss of her family well, instead her reaction implies that she is cut off from the world and is trying to find a way to deal with her tragedy. Shaila is experiencing both sides of the situation. She is being asked to sway people into accepting that their loved ones are gone, when she is not ready herself. There then comes a point to where Shaila Bhave can no longer put off her grief. She is asked to look at photos of the victims that have been found and identify if they are her sons and or husband. Reluctantly, she accepts and does not recognize anyone in the pictures, even with the police trying to encourage her (440-1). This illustrates the state that Shaila is in. She does not want to believe that her family is gone forever, but those around her continue to tell her that they are. It is not long before Shaila is out again with Judith, visiting those who, in Judith’s eyes, have not moved on. This is when Shaila realizes, “In our culture, it is a parent’s duty to hope,”