Rivalry and Its Positive Impact on Personal Growth Rivalry in all of its forms contributes to personal growth, even in extreme cases where the opposing party is debilitated or annihilated, where the consequences force the remaining party to overcome this loss and continue to adapt to the situation. Using the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles as the basis for the argument, Gene, the arguable antagonist is molded from an innocent schoolboy to an individual that begins to view the world outside of the confines of his academy of study. Starting from the beginning, Gene had misinterpreted his best friend, Finny’s friendly intentions as attempting to undermine him and begins this one-sided rivalry. Recognizing that he could not beat Finny in the realm of athletics, Gene seeks to improve his school marks, and raise himself up on a pillar of his own
His father, who worked at home, was known all around (New World Encyclopidia)it’s even thought that one of his uncles was killed during a radical political experiment. His father wrote articles that would sometimes be published explaining how the English were evil or even how Catholics were the devils of the world. But with that factories started taking away many of the business that local men got and forced them to go and work for factories. His father was a too extreme risk to take on so he was left without a job. They had to borrow 20 pounds from people around the town to get a ticket to America.
His life story was inspired by the movie "American
“Tell me the story of my life as you know it,” I asked my dad knowing that I needed as much as I could get from him. Of course, against my dismay, he started with, “Chase Barclay was born in Houston, Texas on a warm humid day in January 2002.” “I need more information, some really deep stuff,” I said in a rather upset tone since I thought he understood what I was doing with what he said. “Chase 's middle name, Woodrow, is from his grandfather, who was named for President Woodrow Wilson. From the start, we knew Chase was very intelligent.
His father name stood for “bravery” and stories told to me he was a very righteous outstanding man. Oota dabun was the name of John’s mother and it stood for “Day Star”. She taught John how to be a responsible person. John’s parents were very hard on him because of the circumstances and cultural values they abide as Blackfoot Indians. As John got older by age of Twenty
He grew up knowing very little about his identity as you was not familiar with his birthdate, did not know his father was and he was separated from his mother at a very early age. Born during the time of slavery he was set to be a slave as that of his mother and was left to an elderly woman too old for field work to raise him. During
No matter what angle you perceive identity from; everyone is born with a name. This is a specific name that you are to be called in common acknowledgement. However “the precision of naming takes away from the uniqueness of seeing.” –Pierre Barnard-. Names may promote an individual’s identity, yet it can also defy it.
“The perfect name will come” Chapter 9, page 244. This leads up to what Gogol will say about a perfect name. The book has a common theme of names, hence the book being called “The Namesake”. On different occurrences of names being brought up, Gogol/Nikhil has different approaches to each.
Force, pressure, and expectations are some of the things that Gogol endures in "The Namesake". In the story, Gogol is about to start kindergarten but he has conflicting feelings because his parents have told him he will use a new name which he doesn’t want. The characterization of Ashoke and Mrs. Lapidus is of extreme importance to the plot and Gogol, due to the conflicts between the two in front of Gogol about his name. At the start of the story, when Gogol walks into Mrs. Lapidus's office with his mother to talk about his enrollment, there is a clear conflict about what he should be called in school. Gogol's mother states that he wants his name to be "Nikhil" because they come from a different country and want him to fit in with the other kids.
When his family emigrated to the united
This is evident in the statement made by Ross, “Lahiri relates these events with such clarity that you can’t help but care deeply about the characters. At times it is impossible not to be moved by simple exchanges between Gogol and his father by the life of a family caught between two continents” (daily mail). It is safe to say that Ross thinks very highly of the novel based upon his positive book review. Derek Weiler, an editor at Quill and Quire, published an article in the Toronto Star reviewing Lahiri’s critically acclaimed novel. Weiler first begins the article by stating that The Namesake is Lahiri’s way of “graduating to novel writing” (Toronto Star), which he believes Lahiri tried to do with a sense of urgency.
He was a Revolutionary War soldier calling himself by a new name American. He was killed by a plow wound on his head. Most likely caused by a musket ball. A plow wound is a wound that plows your flesh. It does not impale you.
Gogol, the son of Ashima and Ashoke, was born in America and spends the first half of his life trying to run away from his Bengali roots. Although Gogol does not feel as lost and detached as his parents in America, he has a difficult time trying to balance the Bengali culture he was born into as well as the American culture he sees and experiences all around him as he is growing up. Throughout the novel, The Namesake, Gogol struggles to develop his identity due to the clashing of Bengali and American culture in his life. Gogol’s first obstacle in his search for self-identity occurs only a couple days after his birth, when his parents must decide on a name in order to be released from the hospital. Ashima and Ashoke eventually decide on Gogol, after the writer who saved Ashoke’s life during a train crash.
In the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri there are many relationships portrayed throughout the story. Ashoke and Ashima’s relationship doesn’t show their affection for each other. Gogol had three serious relationships with Ruth, Maxine and Moushumi one of which he ended up marrying. His relationship with Maxine was strong because he was very close with her and her family. Gogol’s relationship with Moushumi was based on secrets and their way of not being more open with each other.
Have you ever found yourself, yet lost yourself? That question may be a mouthful but think about it. Have you ever steered off of who you are and the discovered a whole new side of yourself? In The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the main character, Gogol, maintains two identities as Gogol, linking back to his past, and Nikhil, which develops as he grows up. Gogol is more family oriented and more true to Indian culture, while Nikhil follows the “American” way by showing independence and rebellion.
