In "When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine" by Jhumpa Lahiri, Mr. Pirzada gives Lilia candy every time he visits her and her family, and Lilia keeps the candy in a special sandalwood box that once belonged to her grandmother. To Lilia, the candy symbolized Mr. Pirzada's hope that his family was okay, and she saved and ate the candies in a manner of prayer because she had faith that his family was safe and being taken care of.
Answer:For example, when you get those weird chewy caramel things on Halloween; given out of kindness but really no good. I'm thinking of something that is a "false gift", almost like the inverse of a blessing in disguise (which this thread discusses, but none of those are what I'm thinking of).
The intentionality of the giver is not so important as the properties of the thing itself: it is supposed to be good, but really isn't.
Explanation:
