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Assimilation, Misidentification, and Cultural Restoration
“I don’t get it. Why did you have to give me a pet name in the first place? What’s the point?”
“It’s our way, Gogol,” his mother maintained. “It’s what Bengalis do.”
“But it’s not even a Bengali name… How could you guys name me after someone so strange? No one takes me seriously[.]”
[… The] only person who didn’t take Gogol seriously… who tormented him, the only person chronically aware of and afflicted by the embarrassment of his name, the only person who constantly questioned it and wished it were otherwise, was Gogol. (99-100)
Without people in the world to call him Gogol, no matter how long he himself lives, Gogol Ganguli will, once and for all, vanish from the lips of loved ones, and so, cease to exist. Yet the thought of this eventual demise provides him no sense of victory, no solace. It provides no solace at all…
Gogol gets up,
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I am the child of a white man and a Navajo (Diné) woman. Gogol’s parents have tried to force their cultural values upon him since birth, but I would have been lucky if my family had tried to celebrate my A 'wee Chi 'deedloh, my first laugh ceremony. Gogol lives in a world where his family seems to have to do everything possible to scrape together the means to practice their Bengali culture. This suggests that to be the child of first-generation immigrants is to substitute many traditions and ceremonies into more Americanized, less culturally-authentic renditions of themselves, for the only way to be truly authentic is to practice the culture in the land of origin or, in Gogol’s case, India.
I am not a child of immigrants, but maintaining one’s culture is a universal struggle in a land far from one’s ethnic origins. Lahiri suggests that without cultural connections such as family and friends, one’s culture can simply vanish if they are not in the land of ethnic origin. I have found this to be true within my own
The immigrant’s journey to America, as depicted throughout history, transports culture, language, beliefs and unique lifestyles from one land to the other, but also requires one to undergo an adaptation process. The children of these immigrants, who are usually American-born, experience the complexity of a bicultural life, even without completely connecting to the two worlds to which they belong. Potentially resulting is the internal desire to claim a singular rather than dual identity, for simplicity, pride and a sense of acceptance. Jhumpa Lahiri, an Indian-American author and writer of “My Two Lives” could never classify herself as.
In many literary works we see significant transitions in the hero's character as the story is developed. This is also true in the Epic of Gilgamesh with its hero, Gilgamesh. In this narrative poem, we get glimpses of who Gilgamesh is and what his purposes and goals are. We see Gilgamesh act in many different ways -- as an overbearing ruler resented by his people, a courageous and strong fighter, a deflated, depressed man, and finally as a man who seems content with what he's accomplished. Through all of these transitions, we see Gilgamesh's attitude toward life change. The goals he has for his own life alter dramatically, and it is in these goals that we see Gilgamesh's transition from being a shallow, ruthless ruler to being an introspective, content man.
“For by now, he’s come to hate questions pertaining to his name, hates having constantly to explain. He hates having to tell people that it doesn’t mean anything “in Indian” (Lahiri 76). From this quote from the book Gogol is tired of his name and tired of people thinking it has something to do with being Indian, when they don’t know the real meaning of his
...o assimilate into the society by entering school with a more acceptable name, but Gogol refuses. The acceptance of the society has pressured him to change his name in college, and to hide Gogol from the society. Till the day Gogol understands the reason why his father chose to name him Gogol instead of an Indian or American name, Gogol experienced a lot of changes, as a second generation American immigrant. Gogol has been assimilated to different culture than he ethnically is. At the end, through family, Gogol has come back to his roots. Gogol was not given an Indian name from his Indian family or an American name as he was born in America, to emphasize an individual try to assimilate into a different culture, but in the end, he is still bonded to his roots as the person he ethnically is.
Perhaps one of the main reasons the Epic of Gilgamesh is so popular and has lasted such a long time, is because it offers insight into the human concerns of people four thousand years ago, many of which are still relevant today. Some of these human concerns found in the book that are still applicable today include: the fear and concerns people have in relation to death, overwhelming desires to be immortal, and the impact a friendship has on a person’s life. It does not take a great deal of insight into The Epic of Gilgamesh for a person to locate these themes in the story, and even less introspection to relate to them.
“Gilgamesh." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
As Indians living in white culture, many problems and conflicts arise. Most Indians tend to suffer microaggressions, racism and most of all, danger to their culture. Their culture gets torn from them, and slowly, as if it was dream, many Indians become absorbed into white society, all the while trying to retain their Indian lifestyle. In Indian Father’s Plea by Robert Lake and Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie, the idea that a dominant culture can pose many threats to a minority culture is shown by Wind-Wolf and Alexie.
When analyzing the character Gilgamesh, the questions arose; who is he, what type of person is being exemplified, and what role does he play? The answer to these questions can be somewhat challenging to answer because his character transitions throughout the reading of the “Epic of Gilgamesh”. Over the course of the Epic, he transitions from an astringent leader of the community to someone who has more humbleness to his character. Gilgamesh’s character is transformed from power hungry, to prowess, and then a humbled individual.
Little did the world know before the mid-1800s that an expansive, detailed work of literature from the Third Dynasty of Ur was about to be discovered. Described as the world’s first great work of literature, The Epic of Gilgamesh is normally thought an applicable document to portray the first inklings of humanity. As history tells any careful reader, clearly this is not the case. The Epic of Gilgamesh and the characters within the epic poem are instead descriptive representations of a certain time period documented once for lore. This instance and the epic story brings forth many questions: what does it mean to be a god? A friend? Most importantly, what does it mean
In the literature piece “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” Gilgamesh plays the main character revered as a two-thirds god and a wealthy leader according to his profile as the king of Uruk. His subjects consider him to be powerful, but most complain of living a life of oppression under his rule. However, despite his earlier misgivings, Gilgamesh emerges a hero in the end after coming to terms with the idea of death following his futile pursuit for immortality. He realizes some of his fruitful efforts in Uruk with regard to his intelligence and skills, thereby experiencing a subtle transformation pegged on productivity. In a positive perspective, Gilgamesh is a valiant character as is depicted in his earlier battles with beasts regardless of the odds (Mitchell). A hero is a person who is willing to take the risks to ensure that he secures a place and rids it off possible threats for the sake of his subjects or loved ones (Olley). The literature piece has evidence in this respect and it can be identified in his relentless mission to obtain answers that will ascertain death so that his people can also understand the concept and accept it. Gilgamesh’s bravery in protecting his people, zeal in power and eventual compassion certify him as a hero.
Although Gogol's marriage to elaboration is at times strenuous-in fact, it is the underlying reason why impatient readers dislike his work-it serves as a function of tone. The author's excruciating amount of detail is a quirk of the narrator. "They turn up when least expected, and by means of their complete departure from the them, they produce a skillful retardation in the flow of the narrative (Setchkarev, 190)." Considering other characters and situations from the Gogolian tradition, it is not unusual that the author/narrator's voice is somewhat like that of a madman. The syntax and attention to detail in the following passage from Dead Souls is exemplary of Gogol's eccentric style and tone:
...zation leads to Gogol’s discovery of his true identity. Although he has always felt that he had to find a new, more American and ordinary identity, he has come to terms that he will always be the Gogol that is close to his family. While Gogol is coming to this understanding, Ashima has finally broken free from relying on her family, and has become “without borders” (176). No longer the isolated, unsure Bengali she was when arriving in Cambridge, Ashima has been liberated from dependent and powerless to self empowering. The passing of her husband has forced her to go through her life as a more self-reliant person, while at the same time she is able to maintain her daily Indian customs. This break-through is the final point of Ashima’s evolution into personal freedom and independency.
“Really, wow this is great! What do you think she will be like? What should we name her?” he said.
One’s home often becomes an integral part of one’s identity. Since Gogol constantly struggles with his identity as a blend of both Bengali and American cultures, he also struggles to determine his home. It seems that he never truly feels at home, despite the great diversity among the places in which he lives. In The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri shows that one’s home and one’s identity are interconnected; consequently, Gogol’s struggles throughout the novel to determine his identity parallel his difficulty defining a home.
Her message on the different reasons why immigrants come to new countries and cultures is highly perceived in her story. Her use of rhetorical devices helps success her in her story. The usage of ethos, storytelling, word choice and structure played a major role in aiding her beliefs and illustrating them to her audience. Ethos helped her compare her and her sister’s beliefs on their culture and lifestyle in India and America. Storytelling made it possible for readers to connect with her thoughts and stay entertained throughout the paper. Her word choice and structure also helped the outline of the story and made her beliefs sound more