"The Overcoat" tells the story of Akaky Akakyevich‚ an impoverished government clerk who lives a solitary life. One day he realizes that his winter overcoat has become worn out. He takes it to the tailor to be mended but is told that it cannot be repaired and that he will have to have a new one made. Akaky undergoes extreme deprivation in order to save money for a new overcoat. In the process‚ the coat begins to take a central role in his life and he begins to view the garment as the key to his future
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Gogol as the Perfect Namesake In Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake‚ Indian parents bestow a Russian name to their first born baby boy; the name is Gogol Ganguli which is after the famous Russian writer‚ Nikolai V. Gogol. In Lahiri’s novel‚ the main character fights an identity crisis because of his highly unusual name. Gogol carries uncertainty about himself throughout the novel because of his name‚ “He hates his name . . . that is has nothing to do with who he is‚ that it is neither Indian nor
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“The Overcoat”and Slavic Folk Beliefs In the nineteenth century‚ much of Eastern Europe had a fascination with Slavic folk beliefs. During this time‚ people questioned the existence of mythological creatures‚ especially those which were believed to be somewhere between dead and alive(3). The word “vampire” was introduced in to the Slavic languages in the late eighteenth century and the term “unclean forces” began to be widely recognized by nineteenth century Russian peasants (1). References to
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1. Explain how the relationship between Ashoke‚ Ashima‚ and Gogol develops throughout the novel. The theme of the relationship between parents and children becomes prominent‚ as Gogol grows old enough to interact with his parents as a child. During his young adulthood‚ Gogol is impatient with his parents and they‚ likewise‚ feel unable to relate to their American children. Gogol begins to feel tender toward his father after his death. He now understands the guilt and uselessness his parents had
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That is‚ one is constantly recognized by the people and by oneself with his name‚ and the name consciously and unconsciously keeps influencing one’s identity as the name directly relates to how one perceives the world and oneself. In a novel‚ The Namesake‚ by Jhumpa Lahiri‚ this power of name is well depicted through the identity crisis of the son of an Indian immigrants family‚ the Ganguli. Gogol Ganguli‚ the son of Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli‚ struggles with his dual identity due to two different
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Lahiri’s The Namesake‚ for the quote foreshadows a lot of what the novel contains and helps us understand the difference between what we’re being told and what we’re‚ seeing. Jhumpa Lahiri chooses to start with a quote from Nikolai Gogol for it connects to both The Overcoat and The Namesake for names having more meaning than a label. Jhumpa Lahiri connects with both The Overcoat and The Namesake using names with meaning that have importance in their families. With both the The Namesake and The Overcoat
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ENG 101 Professor Fisher 04/26/12 Space & Identity The story The Namesake‚ which was quickly made into a movie‚ consists of challenges that every character faces through their surroundings and their ability to adapt unto change. Each character in The Namesake obtains challenges from inhabiting or the desire to inhabit spaces‚ which define them by how they react to these situations. This paper will describe the characters actions and identities and their surroundings unto change as
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How would you respond to a collision in culture‚ would you completely change your original culture‚ modify it to a certain extent‚ or not make a single altercation to your identity? In The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri‚ Gogol is caught in the midst of colliding cultures and responds by adapting to the host culture‚ the American culture. Throughout Gogol’s life‚ he faces an identification crisis and a crisis in balancing between the Bengali and American culture. Gogol slowly moves to the American culture
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Gogol’s Namesake: Identity and Relationships in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake Author: Judith Caesar Allusions to Nikolai V. Gogol and his short story "The Overcoat" permeate Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake‚ beginning with Gogol’s being the name the protagonist is called through most of the book. Yet few of the reviewers of the novel mentioned Nikolai Gogol at all in their discussions of the novel‚ except to describe the protagonist Gogol’s loathing of his name‚ or to quote without comment or
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reference to your prescribed text and one other text of your own choosing. An individual’s connection to their family‚ a culture or place can develop a greater understanding of themselves or can act as a barrier to truly belonging. In the novel‚ The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri and Whale Rider‚ a film directed by Niki Caro‚ the barriers to belonging are ---- whether it be self-inflicted alienation or alienation based on gender‚ race or language‚ whilst showing that belonging to oneself can enrich their
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