Week 9 -- El Fin (pages 271-291)

Good Saturday afternoon Scholars,

You did it!  You finished the book (or are pretty close to finishing the book right?)!  Who would have thought that after our nine weeks of exploring the themes of The Namesake we would have seen so many changes as well as so many aspects of Gogol's (Nikhil) life come full circle.  Thank you for letting me read along with you this summer. I really enjoyed this beautiful story and hope you did as well.


Below you will find the last set of questions to consider.  As a friendly reminder, make sure you have the organizer completed to give to your English 4 teacher.  Also...the movie is fantastic but it is not the book so make sure the organizer is based on the book.

Here are some questions to consider for the ninth and final section of the text (pages 271-291):

1.On what occasion did Nikhil and Moushumi meet Ben, Sonia´s new boyfriend the week before? What is Ben like? What is his background? What is his career? What language must be spoken by all the family members when Ben is around?

2. What kind of book does Nikhil decide to buy Moushumi for Christmas? Why does he believe a trip to this place would be good for them? How does the flock of pigeons that he sees gathering in the sky when he looks up from the book seem to be a good sign for him?

3. How does Nikhil feel when the doorman tells him that Moushumi has just returned?

4. Why has Ashima sold the house on Pemberton Road? How will she now spend her life? How will this arrangement be "true to the meaning of her name" (276)?

5.  What information about Moushumi and Gogol´s relationship do we learn from the thoughts in Ashima´s mind? Why does she seem reconciled to the fact that Moushumi and Gogol, while resorting to the use of "American common sense" (276), did not feel it was their duty to remain married, as her generation would have done?

6. How did Nikhil learn of Moushumi´s unfaithfulness? What other event in his life does Moushumi´s lying remind him of? Why does he have tenderer thoughts in his mind for the individual involved in the first event?

7. In the train ride from New York to Boston, Gogol "slept soundly, curled up on two seats, his book unread, using his overcoat as a blanket, pulled up to his chin" (280). How does the author´s use of the image of the overcoat connect well with Gogol´s return "home?"

8.  In what ways has Gogol come to appreciate his parents´ courage in having built a life for themselves so far away from Calcutta? How does he now look upon his own attempts at distancing himself from his family throughout all these years? How is he critical of himself?

9.  What book does Gogol find in his room as he goes to his room to find a camera? What inscription does he find in the book? What story does Gogol start to read?


Think about your responses. You do not need to answer all the questions here unless you would like to do so. Instead, use the questions to explore the themes of the reading.  The link for the summer reading organizer is: 12R Summer Reading.

Holy mackerel...you all start senior year on Wednesday!  See you then :)!

#AboveAP

Week 8 Discussion (pages 237-270)

Good Saturday afternoon Scholars,

Can you believe that we are on week eight of The Namesake?  During this section, we explore the progress of Nikhil (Gogol) and Moushumi's relationship.  There is a very important lesson about open, effective communication here both with others and ourselves. We see a once, seemingly strong relationship weaken when real communication does not occur.  On a side note, Moushumi does attend a pretty amazing university!

Only one more section to go, and 12 days until the first day of classes and senior year...woohoo!  I am very proud of you all for your focus and motivation during this summer reading process.  As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please reach out so we can make sure everything you are reading is clear.

Here are some questions to consider for the eighth section of the text (pages 237-270):

1.Why does Moushumi´s smoking habit start to annoy Nikhil? How does Moushumi react to him when he shows his concern for her health?

2. How does Nikhil view the lifestyle of Moushumi´s Brooklyn friends, Astrid and Donald? Why is Moushumi so loyal to this couple? Why does Nikhil distrust them?

3. Why is the conversation about naming babies at Astrid and Donald´s party so revealing?

4. What three achievements does Moushumi celebrate in 1999? Why does the third achievement remain a secret that Nikhil is totally unaware of? How is that "secret" only one of many others that she kept from Nikhil when she was studying for her Ph.D. exams?

5.  How did Moushumi's "acceptable" relationship with Nikhil excite her? Why is it that "falling in love with him, doing precisely what had been expected of her for her entire life, had felt forbidden, wildly transgressive, a breach of her own instinctive will" (250)? (Why did falling in love with Nikhil feel like a rebellious act against her own beliefs?)


6. Who is Dimitri Desjardins and how did Moushumi reconnect with him in New York City?

7. How does Moushumi write Dimitri Desjardins´s name and phone number down in her agenda? Why doesn´t her action feel like a "betrayal" (261)? What book does she look for later on at home? Why?

8.  What does Moushumi do the following week? What happens during this week and the following weeks?

9.  What thoughts run through Nikhil´s mind about his marriage to Moushumi while his wife is away for the weekend in Palm Beach at another conference?



Think about your responses. You do not need to answer all the questions here unless you would like to do so. Instead, use the questions to explore the themes of the reading.  Also remember to work on the summer reading organizer.  The organizer will be collected by your English 4 teacher when school starts in September.  If you misplaced it, here is the link: 12R Summer Reading.

Remember next week's reading, the last of Summer 16 reading includes pages 271-291.  Enjoy the week ahead everyone!

#AboveAP

Week 7 Discussion (pages 203-236)

Happy Friday Scholars!

I hope this Friday finds you well. Here we are, week seven of The Namesake and for many of you summer school superstars. Great work everyone! This next section of the novel illustrates how the things that we always knew can be rediscovered and become brand new.  The progression of the relationship between Nikhil's (Gogol) and Moushumi. 

Remember, whether you are reading along with us, or catching up to this point taking the time to read and think about the novel is something for which you should be extremely proud.  Only two more sections to go, and 20 days until the first day of classes.  Are you ready? I believe that you are! As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please reach out so we can make sure everything you are reading is clear.

Here are some questions to consider for the fifth section of the text (pages 203-236):

1.How does the story of the hat predict the success of Nikhil (Gogol) and Moushumi's relationship?

2. How does Bengali enter their common language once they start to see one another?

3.  How was Moushumi's independent behavior at Brown similar to Nikhil's independent behavior at Yale? (How did their actions go against their parents' wishes?)


4. How does Moushumi view the breakup of her engagement to Graham as a result of his being disrespectful to her culture?

5.  How do Moushumi and Nikhil´s wedding plans show that they cannot ignore their Bengali heritage?


6. How does Nikhil learn to appreciate his parents´ courage on the occasion of his own wedding? 

7. How and when had Nikhil proposed to Moushumi?

8. What kinds of cash wedding gifts do Bengalis give?

9.  With what name does Moushumi sign the marriage license? How might this decision have had something to do with her interest in French feminist theory? Why had Nikhil secretly hoped that she would have been more traditional when she signed the marriage license?

10.  Why do Moushumi and Nikhil go to Paris in March? Why does Nikhil admire Moushumi and even resent her for having spent years in Paris "reinventing herself" (233)?



Think about your responses. You do not need to answer all the questions here unless you would like to do so. Instead, use the questions to explore the themes of the reading.  Also remember to work on the summer reading organizer.  The organizer will be collected by your English 4 teacher when school starts in September.  If you misplaced it, here is the link: 12R Summer Reading.

Remember next week's reading includes pages 237-270.  Enjoy the week ahead everyone!

#AboveAP

Week 6 Discussion (pages 169-202)

Happy Friday Scholars,

Second week of August, week six of The Namesake and for many of you one more week of summer school.  Great work everyone! Keep that forward motion.  Speaking of forward motion, the 33 pages you read this week of The Namesake reflect Nikhil's (Gogol) life redefined as he manages the unexpected loss of his father, his growing distance with Maxine and the possibility of new love. 

Whether you are reading along with us, or catching up to this point I am proud of each of you for taking the time to read, and hopefully enjoy, this novel.  Summer is a busy time so thank you again  for including this as part of your commitments.  As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please reach out so we can make sure everything you are reading is clear.

Here are some questions to consider for the fifth section of the text (pages 169-202):

1.Why does Nikhil (Gogol) go to Cleveland? What does he do there?

2. What happens throughout the eleven-day mourning period? How do friends express their sympathy? What kind of diet do Ashima, Gogol, and Sonia follow? What happens on the eleventh day itself?

3.  How does Nikhil respond to Maxine when she suggests, "It might do you good ... To get away from all this"(182)?


4. How does Ashima explain to herself why Ashoke had accepted the one-year fellowship in Cleveland?

5.  In Gogol's thoughts on the train ride back to New York, what trip with his parents and Sonia does he remember? How does his memory of the walk to the lighthouse with his father remind him of his father's great value as a human being?


6. Why is Maxine no longer in Nikhil's life? What has he recently learned from her parents when he bumps into them in a gallery?

7. Why does Ashima want Nikhil (Gogol) to meet Moushumi Mazoomdar? What does he remember of her when his mother first mentions her name? What update does Ashima give Gogol on Moushumi's life?

8. Characterize the first meeting between Nikhil and Moushumi.

9.  Why is Nikhil "secretly pleased that [Moushumi] has seen the rooms [of his house on Pemberton Road], tasted his mother's cooking, washed her hands in the bathroom, however long ago" (200)?



Think about your responses. You do not need to answer all the questions here unless you would like to do so. Instead, use the questions to explore the themes of the reading.  Also remember to work on the summer reading organizer.  The organizer will be collected by your English 4 teacher when school starts in September.  If you misplaced it, here is the link: 12R Summer Reading.

Remember next week's reading includes pages 203-236.  Summer school people...good luck on your final projects and exams.  Enjoy the week ahead everyone!

Week Five Discussion (pages 136-168)

Happy Friday Scholars,

Here we are...the first week of August and week five of The Namesake.  Time is moving quickly during what I hope is an incredible summer for you all!  Speaking of incredible, the 32 pages you read this week of The Namesake took Nikhil (Gogol) deeper on his journey of self discovery as well as challenged the structure of the Ganguli family, much more on this next week.

Whether you are reading along with us, or catching up to this point I am proud of each of you for putting forth great effort to read the novel.  I recognize that you all have many additional responsibilities besides summer reading.  Thank you for including this as part of your commitments.  As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please reach out so we can make sure everything you are reading is clear.

Here are some questions to consider for the fifth section of the text (pages 136-168):

1.Where does Nikhil get a graduate degree in architecture? Why does he choose to study in New York rather than in Boston?

2. How does he meet Maxine Ratliff, and how does his relationship with her transform his life?

3.  How are Gerald and Lydia, Maxine's parents, different from Nikhil's parents?


4. Why does Nikhil believe that his active participation into Maxine's family is like a "betrayal" (141) of his own?

5. What warnings does Nikhil give Maxine before they go to his parents' house? Characterize how  Maxine's visit with Nikhil's parents.

6. When spending time in "paradise" (152) with Maxine and her family, why doesn't Nikhil have "nostalgia" (155) or a longing for the past for the vacations he has been on with his family?

7. How does Maxine hear Nikhil's pet name for the first time? How does she react when Nikhil explains the difference between his pet name and his good name?

8. How does Nikhil celebrate his 27^th birthday?

9.  Why does Nikhil's father move to Ohio?

10. How does Ashima learn of her husband's death?


Think about your responses. You do not need to answer all the questions here unless you would like to do so. Instead, use the questions to explore the themes of the reading.

The novel is called The Namesake. As the story develops we must consider Nikhil's (Gogol's) navigation between American and Indian culture.  As previously noted, this presents challenges to him as he lives his adult life as an American of Indian descent. Consider this as you prepare your response. We look forward to the discussion. Remember next week's reading includes pages 169-202.  Enjoy the week ahead!

Week Four Discussion (pages 102-135)

Happy Saturday Scholars,

Hope you are enjoying this final weekend of July! With August upon us that means senior year is quite near. But I'm getting ahead of myself.  This week in The Namesake brought a great number of inner conflicts for Gogol (person vs. self) that come from his need to constantly define his identity (person vs. society/person vs. person).  Also as a reminder, if you are not quite done with pages up to page 135, no worries. Keep reading and you will meet us when you can.  You can do this!  As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please reach out so we can make sure everything you are reading is clear.

Here are some questions to consider for the fourth section of the text (pages 102-135):

1.Where does Gogol decide to go to college?

2.What decision does Gogol make about his name before leaving home?

3.  What reasons does Gogol give his parents for this decision?


4. What courses does Gogol take in his first semester at college? Why doesn't he tell his parents about the fifth course he takes in drawing? What kind of career are they hoping he will choose?

5. To what profession does this drawing class lead him? Why?

6. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving during his sophomore year, whom does Gogol meet on the train between New Haven and Boston? Why does he find his own upbringing "bland" or boring (111) compared to her upbringing? What happens after Thanksgiving break?

7. How does Sonia, "revealing a confident, frequent, American smile" now that "her braces have come off her teeth" (107), seem to be more "American" than Gogol was at her age?

8. How does Gogol's meeting with his cousin Amit give us a clear view of his conflict with his cultural identity?

9.  Why does Gogol spend Thanksgiving of his senior year alone with his father?

10.  What happens on Gogol's train ride to Boston that makes Ashoke tell Gogol the full history of the reason for his name? How does he react to the story? How does his father assure Gogol that his name has always had a positive association in his mind despite the tragedy that brought it into being?


Think about your responses. You do not need to answer all the questions here unless you would like to do so. Instead, use the questions to explore the themes of the reading.

The novel is called The Namesake. As the story develops we must consider Gogol's navigation between American and Indian culture.  As previously noted, this presents challenges to him as he grows into young adulthood. Consider this as you prepare your response. We look forward to the discussion. Remember next week's reading includes pages 136-168.  Enjoy!

PS...it's not too early to start thinking about the college process yourselves. 

Week Three Discussion (pages 68-101)

Happy Saturday Scholars,

Hope you are staying cool on this sweltering summer day! Hopefully you have read and enjoyed pages 1-101 of The Namesake. We're in to the triple digits here people! And if you're not quite where we are yet, no worries. You have plenty of time to get it all done. You can do this!  As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please reach out so we can make sure the text it clear.

Here are some questions to consider for the third section of the text (pages 68-101):

1. Imagine that you are Gogol. You notice that people laugh at your parents’ accents when they speak English to salespeople in stores. Explain how you feel when you see this happening.  Does it make you lose respect for your parents? Are you ashamed of them?  Do you do anything to protect them? 

2. Imagine you are Sonia.  Somehow you knew enough to take the dollar bill and put it in your mouth at your rice ceremony.  One of the guests noted, “This one is the true American” (63).
Explain why it is easier for you, as the second child in the family, to follow your brother’s lead and become “the true American.”

3. What are Gogol's main interests at the age of 14 years old? How do his parents view these interests?

4. How does Gogol try out his "new" name for the first time?  How does his own memory of the incident show that from this point on he will live with a double identity?

5. How does the visit to India involve a great sacrifice for Gogol and Sonia and give them at the same time the opportunity to see their parents for who they really are?

6. How can your sibling, the one you fight and quarrel with throughout childhood, be your closest friend in the world?  How do Sonia and Gogol realize the allegiance they have to each other when they spend eight months in India?

7. Imagine if Ashoke and Ashima knew how their children felt about the time spent in India - eight months that are “quickly shed, quickly forgotten, like clothes worn for a special occasion, or for a season that has passed, suddenly cumbersome, irrelevant to their lives.” How do you think they would react? Would they be shocked by their children's attitude, or is their attitude something they are aware of?


Think about your responses. You do not need to answer all the questions here unless you would like to do so. Instead, use the questions to explore the themes of the reading.

The novel is called The Namesake. As the story develops we must consider Gogol's navigation between American and Indian culture.  As previously noted, this presents challenges to him as he grows older. Consider this as you prepare your response. We look forward to the discussion. Remember next week's reading includes pages 102-135.  Enjoy and stay cool!