So, Mrs. Das is like an onion?

"Again she reached into her straw bag, this time for her bairbrush, and began to run it around the edges of the translucent visor."
Interpreter of Maladies, pg 167

Mrs. Das in Interpreter of Maladies is a dynamic character. This, truthfully, shocked me. At the beginning of the story, it seems that Mrs. Das is simply a stuck up American, potentially even a "Desperate Housewife". And perhaps she is both of those things. However, there is more to her. Slowly, the reader and Mr. Kapasi both learn that Mrs. Das feels guilt, and pain that make her the way she is. She obviously feels deeply, and is unhappy with her circumstances in life. In the last paragraph though, another dimension is added to Mrs. Das- she is a caring mother. Although she may have acted in an unfeeling way for most of the trip, when Bobby was hurt, she was there for him, comforting him. She may not be a good mother, but she is a mother who exhibits love and caring towards her children. Mrs. Das had many elements to personality- she has layers, like an onion. Or, a parfait.