“This Blessed House” by Lahiri, analyze the representation of intimacy

Taking one of our texts – “This Blessed House” by Lahiri, or one of Adichie’s stories or “Lemon Tree” – analyze the representation of intimacy (as marriage or coupledom) in the text. Does domestic coupledom/marriage become an enabling or disabling space for male and female characters? How do men and women differently negotiate norms around intimacy and marriage, and what does the story suggest about the relation between intimacy and national belonging?