Chapter 6

One of my favorite novels so far is The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. I wrote on different perspectives about this novel. Writing and discussing different plots and events about this novel was difficult for me. However, it was very interesting at the same time because there were always clear connections between the events, even though the plots were very different. Based on the way I interpreted this novel; I could say that the narrative of this novel sets up two main points. The first important point discussed in the story is related to the challenges of an Indian couple, especially for the woman, faced when moving up to the United States from India. Its plot introduces Ashima as a traditional Bengali woman that while trying to adapt to her new lifestyle kept behaving the same way she had done in India. Throughout the novel, the narrator discussed the plot by presenting different scenarios where the readers can identify the difficulty, pain, and tears Ashima went through, and how she kept herself as a traditional Indian woman in a place so different from the one she was born and lived for many years. The second and very important point of this novel discussed the suffering of this Indian couple’s son. Its plot introduces Gogol as a depressive character who has not known how to handle two such different cultures. The Indian culture inherited from his parents and the American culture from the place he was born. In the same way, as in the first plot, the narrator discussed this plot by presenting this depressed boy, Gogol, in different situations where he is more related to the American culture,  how is trying to avoid everything about the Indian culture, and also how he got involved in the same culture he is trying to avoid.

There are two points that I find most interesting in chapter six about the narrative. The first one is the presentation and the second one is the focalization. In these subjects, culler discussed some questions that help us to have a better understanding of the narrative in general. Some of these questions are, who speaks, who speaks to whom, who speaks what language, who sees, etc. I think it is very important to have in mind those questions and learn how to identify them because that will help us not only when we are reading a story but when we are about to write a story too.

1 thought on “Chapter 6

  1. Tongxi Li

    Hi, Yanery! I read this novel as well in a different class and I agree with your opinion about the different perspective between Ashima and Gogol, although some of their experience are overlap, their different identity and situations give them different challanges in their life. That provides various angles to readers to know about the whole story.

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