Article Title: Shashi Tharoor’s Word of the Week: Paracosm

Article Summary

In the article at hand, member of the Indian National Congress ShashiTharoor introduces a word to the reader – ‘paracosm’. He then proceeds to explain the meaning of the word and the utility of the things signified by it, providing some examples for context. The word refers to a parallel universe created within one’s mind, which is as intricate and valuable as the real universe humans exist in. Tharoor notes that such world creation is often noticed in children, or often used to entertain children through literature, as in the case of the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings book series. The second category of paracosm-building, wherein grown authors build them and write about them, are no childish intellectual acts, argues the author, as the exercise has helped people cope with major losses in their lives and also make a living. The losses these adults were shielded against include things as bereaving as losing a family member, and when children indulge in paracosm-building, it may help them deal with issues such as simply growing up and making sense of the world. Tharoor closes the article by taking a subtle dig at his fellow politicians, insinuating they might be living in their own paracosms, as they are so painfully immune to real world problems at times.