The Namesake (Part 9)

Lahiri moves on to when Gogol turns fourteen. He has two birthday parties: one with American food, guest and presents and the other with Indian traditions and all the Bengali people they know. Ashima finds it easier to prepare for the Bengali birthday party, fixing many different Indian dishes and entertaining her Bengali friends. Gogol is the only one his age at his party, all the rest of the kids are much younger. There is a girl who is thirteen that is the closest to Gogol in age, but they have nothing in common. When the guest leave he opens up his presents. He receives educational gifts and clothes except from his family. Ashima and Ashoke gives Gogol a instant camera, a new sketchbook, colored pencils and the mechanical pen he wanted. His sister Sonia makes him a card that has his nickname that she gave him on it, Goggles. His dad has one last gift for him which he gives to him in private. The gift is a book, The Short Stories of Nikolai Gogol, written by the guy who Gogol is named after. Ashoke begans to tell Gogol the significance of his name, but he stops short and doesn't tell Gogol the full reason.

Quote: "...Ashoke decides to keep the explanation of his son's name to himself."

Question: When will Ashoke tell Gogol the real reason for his name?

The Namsake (Part 8)

Gogol is starting to realize that the rudeness towards their culture is mainly meant for his mother and father. He notices the smirks made by cashiers to his parents' accents; some people would rather direct their conversation to Gogol than to his parents. When Gogol is in the sixth grade they go on a field trip where they make three stops. Their third stop is to a graveyard and they are given sheets of paper and crayons to trace the names on headstones. When the other kids start to rub different headstones they discover that some have the same last name as they do. Gogol knows that he will never find a Ganguli and that there will never be a Ganguli headstone because he will be cremated not buried. When Gogol begans to rub headstones on his own paper he finds unique names. He quickly becomes attach to the names because of their oddness; his name is just like theirs and he can imagine how they felt. When he shows his mom his art she is hurt that she has to turn it away because she doesn't agree with having names of dead people in her kitchen. He hides the names in a safe place in his room where he knows that his mom will never find them.

Quote: "He rolls them up, takes them upstairs, and puts them in his room, behind his chest of drawers, where he know his mother will never bother to look, and where they will remain, ignored but protected, gathering dust for years to come."

Question: When Gogol gets older and he discovers the names he hid will he explain the significance of the names to his mom, Ashima?

The Namesake (Part 7)

Ashoke and Ashima allow Gogol and Sonia to celebrate American holidays. They don't want their children to feel left out. They do make sure that they do not disconnect with their Indian heritage. Gogol and Sonia eat American food, they prefer to eat American food. Gogol attends Bengali language school in the third grade. Most of the students including Gogol wish they were at other practices such as ballet and softball. Gogol has to miss every other saturday class of art. He loves attending art class and the materials are bigger and better than the materials for the Bengali language class. In the Bengali language class they read from paper that looks like the toilet paper in the bathroom at his school. Lahiri presents the time that Gogol started to notice the oddness of his name. He starts to notice parts of his name in signs and his dad tells him the reason he was named Gogol. Ashoke doesn't tell Gogol the whole reason for his name. Gogol knows that teachers are not able to pronounce his name so he answers before they can say it. His last name, Ganguli, is common in India than his first name is and recognizes that his name is different from everyone in America and India.

Quote: "For when Ashima and Ashoke close their eyes it never fails to unsettle them, that their children sound just like Americans..."

Question: Will Gogol and Sonia embrace their Indian culture when they get older?

The Namesake (Part 6)

In May Ashima goes into labor with Gogol's little sister. Ashima and Ashoke have prepared Gogol for the experience, but he still feels stranded. He stays with a neighbor, Mrs. Merton, until his Maya Nandi, one of the Ganguli's friends, come to pick him up. The next day Gogol is taken to see his mom, dad, and baby sister. This time Ashima and Ashoke were ready, with name already prepared to name their second child. Gogol drew a picture of his family and he didn't write a name under the baby. Their new babies name is "Sonali, meaning "she who is golden." Gogol likes helping his mom with Sonia which is Sonali's pet name. Everyone of the Ganguli's Bengali friends have now moved to the suburbs also and almost every staurday they are at a friends house. As the Gangulis live in America longer they hear bad news through mail or phone that someone in their family has passed away in Calcutta. Even though Gogol and Sonia don't know these family members that they will never meet they feel their parents' sadness.

Quote: "They've learned their lesson after Gogol. They've learned that schools in America will ignore parent's instructions and register a child under his pet name."

Question: How would you feel if your sibling had a name that meant something in your culture, but you didn't?

The Namesake (Part 5)

Ashima is still pregnant with Gogol's sister or brother when it is time for Gogol to start kindergarten. Ashoke takes Gogol to school on his first day and Gogol is entering school a week late. Ashoke and Gogol are introduced to the principal Mrs. Lapidus. Ashoke and Ashima have come up with a good name for Gogol to use out in public and at school, Nikhil. Gogol does not understand why he has to be called a different name at school and something else at home.When Mrs. Lapidus overhears Ashoke call "Nikhil" Gogol she asks why he doesn't want him to go by Gogol. His dad explains to the principal the difference between a pet name and a good name. She doesn't quite understand the difference because Ashoke did not use nickname to describe pet name. When Ashoke leaves Mrs. Lapidus disregards his and Ashima's request to call Gogol "Nikhil" and has her secretary do his application over using the name Gogol. She tells Gogol that people will call by what he wants them to call him "Gogol" and she writes a letter to Ashima and Ashoke explaining how at school they will honor Gogol's wishes and call him Gogol. Ashima and Ashoke wonder why Americans don't honor the parents wishes before the childs'.

Quote: "...Mrs. Lapidus, folded and stapled to a string around his neck, explaining that due to their son's preference he will be known as Gogol at school. What about the parents' preference? Ashima and Ashoke wonder..."

Question: When you were old enough to understand your culture and it was part of your culture to use a different name at school and out in the world would you use a different name because of your culture and your parents' wishes?

The Namesake (Part 4)

Ashoke and Ashima have moved to the suburbs and Ashima feels like it is more drastic than moving from India to America. Gogol attends nursery at the university his dad works at. When they buy toys or furniture for the house they purchase them from yard sales. Ashima thinks to herself that her family and friends would think this action embarrassing. Gogol is just beginning to have memories and among his first memories will be of other kids playing in the neighborhood. Ashima and Ashoke take Gogol on car rides and they just drive around and they stop at the beach. It is empty by the time they get there, but they stay and spend time together as a family. At the end of summer Ashima is pregnant again and she doesn't feel to well or have enough energy to play or cook for Gogol and Ashoke. Gogol is use to having his mom there to cook and play with him not his dad so he has no appetite and does not act like a normal child.

Quote: "At first Ashima is reluctant to introduce such items into her home, ashamed at the thoght of buying what had originally belonged to strangers..."

Question: How will Gogol adjust to life with a new sibling and not being the center of his parents' attention?

The Namesake (Part 3)

Even though Ashima feels alone she quickly begins to make Bengali friends. She often meets Bengali single men, they go away to Bengali, and come back a married man. With these marriages she gains more Bengali women friends. Six months has past since Gogol was born and it is time for his annaprasan; it is like a baptism in the Christian faith. They feed Gogol little grains of solid food. Ashima's brother is suppose to feed Gogol, but he is not available so they ask their friend, Dilip Nandi, to be their baby's honarary uncle. Gogol get dressed up in traditional infant Begali groom clothes and all of the Ganguli's friends come to witness this special occasion. They have made plans to go to Bengali in December, but when Ashima gets news that her dad has passed away from a heart attack they leave six weeks earlier than their original departure.

Quote: "...her father died yesterday evening, of a heart attack, playing patience on his bed."

Question: How will Ashima's dads' death affect her relationship with America and her American born son, Gogol?

The Namesake (Part 2)

Ashima and Ashoke are still waiting for Ashima's grandmothers' letter with the choices of names for their baby. While they are still waiting for the letter the hospital says they are ready to discharge Ashima and the baby. The hospital tells them that they cannot leave without giving the baby a name to put on his birth certificate. Ashoke explains their situation to the processor and the processor gives them two choices. They can either have "Baby Boy Ganguli" on the certificate and pay for the baby's real name to put on it when their ready or they can name him something for the time being and not pay. They decide to name him something that has significance. In the Bengali culture each child has a pet name or nickname. Ashima and Ashoke believes that the name that they give him will only be a pet name. They try to think of something significant and they come up with Gogol: the English author whose book Ashoke was holding when he had his near death experience. After the processor records the name Gogol Ganguli they are able to take little Gogol out into America. Later on Ashima gets news from home that her grandmother has had a stroke; her right side is paralyzed and she can no longer remember anything including the names for baby Gogol.

Quote: "When Ashima and Ashoke see their son's pet name typed on the label of a prescription for antibiotics, when they see it at the top of his immunization record, it doesn't look right; pet names aren't meant to be made public in this way."

Question: Now that Ashima and Ashoke are no longer able to get the names from her grandmother will they keep Gogol's name the same?

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (Part 1)

The Namesake is a good book so far. Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli are from Calcutta, India. They were married through an arranged marriage and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts after their wedding. The Gangulis are awaiting the birth of their first child. While they wait Lahiri explains the difficulties Ashima has being away from her family in Calcutta. Ashima also has difficulties with the English language; she fears that Americans judge her for her mistakes when saying certain words in English. Lahiri tells us the story of Ashoke's childhood. Ashoke grew up with six younger siblings and a love for reading, encouraged by his grandfather. He experienced a near death situation at the young age of twenty-two. While on his way to visit his blind grandfather the train he was on crashed and many died, but Ashoke survived. However, he experienced broken ribs, a broken femur and a broken pelvis. He dreamt of being paralyzed, but he recoverd. In America his baby boy is born and he and Ashima awaits the arrival of the names her grandmother has chosen for their baby.

Quote: "She has never known of a person entering the world so alone, so deprived."

Question: Why does Ashima believe her baby is alone when her and Ashoke are there to nurture and love their baby boy?

Speak

Laurie Halse Anderson wrote Speak, a book about a girl who hid her rape that happened at a party, so that her friends wouldn't get mad. She spent most of freshman year alone and alienated by her friends. They were upset with her for calling the police at the party during the summer. The one class that she enjoyed going to was her art class. The teacher gave made them pick an object out of a hat and for the rest of the year they had to draw, paint, and sculpt that object. This class was difficult in the beginning, but gradually she became comfortable with it. The big theme holding secrets is represented throughout the entire book. She keeps her rape a secret all the way until the end of the year. She finally lets the secret out of the closet and everyone is on her side. I really liked this novel because it presented an issue that millions of girls and women go through: having to keep something a secret in fear of alienation.

Question: If Melinda would have told the police about her rape at the party would her friends had believed her or thought she was lying, like they did at the end of the story?

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass tells his story of growing up as a slave, his want to be free and the journey he took to become free in the "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass." He compares himself and his situation to the lives of the other slaves. He recognizes how much better of a position he was in, sometimes. Douglass shows how the white slavemasters treated the slaves like animals. He tells of his schemes to learn how to read. He would challenge the white boys that he knew to a read off and tell them that they couldn't read a certain line in a book. They would accept his challenge not knowing that he was secretly learning how to read through them. He shows later on that knowing how to read would hinder him in certain situations. The theme "Quest for Freedom" is apparent throughout the entire story. Douglass expresses how badly he wanted to escape from the chains of slavery in almost every chapter. I really enjoyed reading this narrative because it gave me some insight to how a slave was sometimes treated well.



Question: Was Douglass's "quest for freedom" stronger than other slaves because he kind of got a taste of freedom from living with more lenient masters?

Bait and Switch Chunk Two

Barbara Ehrenreich as Barbara Alexander has undergone her coaching, went to bootcamps, undergone a physical transformation, and has been to networking events. She still has not acquired a job and even with her background cannot seem to secure an interview. She has begun to provocatively approach companies that are not looking for her type of work field. Alexander has used her training to try to get further ahead in the fight to get a good paying white-collar job, but the training looks like it was a waste. At the beginning of her journey she set aside one-thousand dollars for items that she might have need in the process. The excessive coaches, bootcamps, and trips to different networking events has eaten up her budget of one-thousand dollars and she is now over by three-thousand dollars. Alexander is feeling defeated, but she is not letting that stop her. It has been four months and she expected to have landed a job already. Alexander refers to herself as desperate to succeed, but determined to finish what she set out to do.

Tone: determined, frustrated
Style: exact
Rhetorical Strategies: parallel structure "And the first part of the plan is, onece again, as emphasized by Ron, networking- sustained and furious, skilled and highly targeted, relentless and dogged." pg. 95
allusion "The ten principles, he explains, are the Ten Commandments..." pg. 125

Bait and Switch

Barbara Ehrenreich has gone undercover again, but this time she is investigating the hardships of the white-collar class. Ehrenreich seems to be optimistic about being able to land a job in no time. She believes that she has a strong resume, personality, and experience to get her a well paid, good benefits white-collar job. Her first step to enter into the world of the white-collar is to create a "fake" name, "fake papers, and a "fake" resume. She fears that she will be recognized and treated better than others if she doesn't do these things because of her previous book Nickel and Dimed. Her next step is to get training from a career coach. She finds the world of career coaches to be extremely dishonest. Erenreich believes that networking is one of the most important things to do when going for a job. The more people you know the greater your chances of landing a job. To gain the aura of an executive Erenreich enlists in a executive boot camp. She wants to be able to embody the spirit and actions of an executive.

Tone: optimistic
Style: precise
Rhetorical Strategies: imagery "...modest ranch house in residential area...decorated in a style I recognize as middle-class Catholic, circa 1970- prints of nineteenth century pastoral scenes..." pg. 25
simile "But in networking, as in prostitution, there is no time for fascination." pg. 62
Application: When people graduate from college are they as optimistic about landing a job right away like Barbara Erenreich was?

The Economy and the New Year

Author: none
Found: NY Times opinion section

In the 2008 article, "The Economy and the New Year," describes the downfall of America's economy and how we can bring it up in the new year of 2008. Most people can see that our economy is spiraling down and George Bush is in total denial. He believes that the economy has a strong foundation and is stable. Bush is probably referring to rising wages and low unemployment, but wages are not bypassing inflation and the creation of jobs are slowing. During the Bush administration the economy has grown in a peculiar way. There is one step forward and two steps backwards. The rich has become richer and the middle and lower classes are still waiting for an opportunity to catch up. The growth in exportation has not led to more manufacturing jobs. The areas in which the economy needs the most help, the Bush administration has done little progress the situation. The administration's worst mistake is not preparing for the worst. Bush is still in denial and cannot face the seriousness of the situations that he has created. The only real hope America can get is the reassurance and the proof that the economy issues will be taken care of.

Tone: disappointed
AQ: Will the economy issue improve with the newly elected president in 2008?

LA's low homicide rate

Author: none
Found: LA Times opinion section

In the 2007 article, "L.A.'s low homicide rate," the plan that was utilized to reduce deaths in LA was analyzed. Recognizing the lowest homicide count since 1970, it was said to be a holiday gift to LA. The source of most killings in LA are gangs and the police has done a good job keeping track of them. We cannot stop cracking down on gangs just because the crime rate has reduced drastically. The incoming of wealthier citizens and putting a short leash and keeping a close eye on gangs has stop them from commiting many murders in LA, but they have not disappeared. These gangs have moved to different cities where obviously the homicide rate has gone up. The trasfer of the crimes from Hollywood to San Bernadino is not the same as reducing the crimes. Therefore, gang violence has not change. It is believed that gang murders are not associated with hurting rival gangs, but to express rage and hopelessness. The strategies used by the police cannot stop the creation of gangs and can not eliminate gangs, but it is part of the solution.

Tone: informative
AQ: Would locking up gang members and leaders be a good strategy to reduce the homicide rate?