Significant Moments in Time Shape an Understanding of Belonging
Significant moments in time shape an understanding of belonging
Explore how this is evident in ‘The Namesake’ and ‘All quiet on the Western Front’
There are times in individual’s lives when sudden realisations may alter their perception of themselves and their place in the world. The place, context and setting in significant moments in time throughout individual’s lives cause such realisations occur. This can be seen in both the novels “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri and “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Remarque, through the experiences of their characters Paul, Gogol and Ashima. Paul is confronted by his experiences on the front line, where his kinship between his fellow comrades have entrenched him from his own family and society. Likewise, those significant moments partaken by Gogol and Ashima, school excursions and getting a job, have both caused social disturbance and an increased recognition of one’s identity.
Throughout “The Namesake”, Gogol has experienced many occasions where his understanding of his identity has either hindered him. Growing up with an abnormal name, he never thinks much of it until his class excursion to an ancient cemetery brings light unto his peculiar difference. In that moment talking to his teacher, telling him “Now those are some names you don’t see very often these days… like yours”, it allows his to have a further insight towards his own identity. With the recurring motif of the importance of names, Gogol had then begun to question his unusual name, and how it often discriminated himself from the others. This significant moment in time helped him gain a further understanding of identity, as until then “it had not occurred to Gogol that names die over time, that they perish just as people do”. This ultimately lead to him changing his name so that he would no longer feel the isolation he was accustomed to.
Similarly, the character Paul in “All quiet on the western front”, faces many significant moments in which
Explore how this is evident in ‘The Namesake’ and ‘All quiet on the Western Front’
There are times in individual’s lives when sudden realisations may alter their perception of themselves and their place in the world. The place, context and setting in significant moments in time throughout individual’s lives cause such realisations occur. This can be seen in both the novels “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri and “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Remarque, through the experiences of their characters Paul, Gogol and Ashima. Paul is confronted by his experiences on the front line, where his kinship between his fellow comrades have entrenched him from his own family and society. Likewise, those significant moments partaken by Gogol and Ashima, school excursions and getting a job, have both caused social disturbance and an increased recognition of one’s identity.
Throughout “The Namesake”, Gogol has experienced many occasions where his understanding of his identity has either hindered him. Growing up with an abnormal name, he never thinks much of it until his class excursion to an ancient cemetery brings light unto his peculiar difference. In that moment talking to his teacher, telling him “Now those are some names you don’t see very often these days… like yours”, it allows his to have a further insight towards his own identity. With the recurring motif of the importance of names, Gogol had then begun to question his unusual name, and how it often discriminated himself from the others. This significant moment in time helped him gain a further understanding of identity, as until then “it had not occurred to Gogol that names die over time, that they perish just as people do”. This ultimately lead to him changing his name so that he would no longer feel the isolation he was accustomed to.
Similarly, the character Paul in “All quiet on the western front”, faces many significant moments in which