Jhumpa Lahiri’s 2003 novel The Namesake is the fictional narrative of Gogol Ganguli‚ a second generation immigrant in America‚ and his haunting feeling of not being able to identify with his name. Gogol feels that his name “has nothing to do with who he is‚ that it is neither Indian nor American but of all things Russian.” (Lahiri 70) This essay will argue that Gogol’s problematic relationship to his name stems from a need for a sense of belonging. Coming from a family that values their heritage
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Jhumpa Lahiri is the author of the fictional bestseller‚ “The Namesake”‚ a moving novel exploring the life of the married couple‚ Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli‚ immigrants from India in the United States of America. The two both adapt to the new cultural changes in America though once they give birth to Gongol Ganguli‚ a name Ashoke has given after he was “rescued” by that author in a train accident‚ they have both yet to experience parenthood. As the years go by‚ and Ashima and Ashoke begin to get accustomed
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In the second part of Jhumpa Lahiri’s acclaimed collection‚ Unaccustomed Earth‚ the two main characters have little in common‚ although a prevalent fear is in both character’s lives. Both Hema and Kaushik have a fear of attachment‚ a fear of being anchored down‚ whether to a place or a person. Kaushik takes a trip alone after he leaves his father and his new family. He says‚ “I had never traveled alone before and I discovered that I liked it.” His trip takes him to the border of Canada on the East
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RESEARCH PAPER JHUMPA LAHIRI’S “MRS. SEN’S” (INTERPRETER OF MALADIES) Jhumpa Lahiri‚ through the stories in her book “Interpreter of Maladies”‚ sheds light on the experience of immigrants from the subcontinent who face difficulties in adjusting and integrating and as a result feel homesick and isolated in a new world so different from their homeland. The short story “Mrs. Sen’s” is about a thirty-year old Indian woman who migrated to the United States with her husband. Her husband is a professor
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changing society‚ one’s background is everlasting. As people grow older and make their own decisions‚ they find themselves faced with the perplexity of escaping their past lifestyle and customs‚ but they will ultimately carry them throughout their life. Jhumpa Lahiri’s “My Two Lives‚” the excerpt from Alan Ehrenhalt’s The Lost City‚ and N. Scott Momaday’s “The Way to Rainy Mountain” take different approaches to develop the plot‚ but they are all connected by a universal theme: the eternal presence of ancestry
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Interpreter of Maladies Mr. and Mrs. Das‚ Indian Americans visiting the country of their heritage‚ hire middle-aged tour guide Mr. Kapasi as their driver for the day as they tour. Mr. Kapasi notes the parents’ immaturity. Mr. and Mrs. Das look and act young to the point of childishness‚ go by their first names when talking to their children‚ Ronny‚ Bobby‚ and Tina‚ and seem selfishly indifferent to the kids. On their trip‚ when her husband and children get out of the car to sightsee‚ Mrs. Das sits
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Cultural traditions‚ migration‚ family and identity are issues which emerge throughout the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. How have various literary techniques been used to show that these issues play a major role in an individual experiencing a sense of belonging or not belonging? The need to belong to a group or community shapes our behaviour‚ attitudes and actions. Instinctively we bond with our own or people we may otherwise not have. However‚ when your cultural identity is marginalised
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Hema and Kaushik had an affair they meet in Italy after having a two long decades. Hema‚ now a college professor‚ who is upset about her previous affair with a married man and plans to settle down by marrying someone she barely knows. Kaushik‚ a world traveling‚ successful photojournalist‚ is preparing to accept a desk job in Hong Kong. In spite of all that‚ they find their deep connection irresistible and must reckon it with the lives they have chosen to lead. Her parents introduce Navin to Hema
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Ernest Hemingway‚ John Updike and Jhumpa Lahiri are very talented and respected authors. They each had a unique‚ but at the same time similar way of writing and expressing literature. Hills like White Elephants by Hemingway‚ A&P by Updike and Hell-Heaven by Lahiri were no exception. In this essay I will begin by showing the similarities and differences between Hills like White Elephants and A&P followed by Hell-Heaven and A&P and finally similarities and differences of Hell-heaven and Hills like
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Cultural Labyrinth in the novels of Jumba Lahiri’ “The Namesake” and Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” Literature has been found over the centuries to have certain important kinds of value for human beings. It is an image of life in which is crystallized the climate of thoughts‚ feelings and aspiration of peoples. Literature reflects society and its culture. It not only highlights external appearance‚ but hints at the peculiar tendencies‚ instincts‚ and customs of the society. In this process
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