Sarah's Key: Pages 195-293

We have finally finished the novel Sarah’s Key and I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you for following me as a read this book and I am sad to say that this is this blog’s last post. I hope you enjoy and feel free to comment.

“What are you going to tell Mom and Dad? She asked. About not coming to Nahant? And about the baby? God knows” (Rosnay 223)

In this quotation Julia is talking to her sister about a huge secret which she is keeping from her parents. I can totally relate to this quotation, because my brother and I have kept plenty of secrets and we have spent hours on how to explain them the truth. One particular situation that I can think of is one time my brother and I broke the basement door while playing mini sticks (basement hockey). When we broke the door we spent countless hours trying to find a good explanation, but none of our ideas seemed reasonable. So, we tried to hide the accent as best as possible but, my parents eventually found out. From my personal experience I find that it’s better to truth right away rather than trying the truth. Sarah situation is definitely more complicated and she has been going through a lot, and it is difficult to just tell your parents that your parents without creating a reaction. 

                             SHHHHH! It's a secret (Via Giphy.com)

In this section we get to see both Julia’s and William’s lives get completely flipped upside down. We get to see how one event completely changed their futures for better and for worse. For William, after he found out who his mother really was and after pursuing more information about his mother, we learn that he got a divorce and he got a new girlfriend. He also even states that his live has completely changed after he found out. “That was my girlfriend... I’m divorced now, Julia..... You know, after you told me, everything changed” (Rosnay 287). Then for Julia, her actions in wanting to learn more about Sarah, resulted in Julia’s and Bertrand’s marriage to fall apart, then after the news of a baby, it caused them to split up. Sarah got a new boyfriend as well and she named her daughter after the child who changed her life, Sarah. “My Sarah. An echo to the other one, to the other Sarah, to the little girl with the yellow star who changed my life” (Rosnay 293).It was amazing to see that one little girl’s named Sarah and her story was able to change both of their lives. Although, I have never had an experience which changed my life like Julia and William, I have had many experiences which have impacted my future. For example, moving to a new house was definitely an experience which impacted my life. Moving to a new neighbourhood, making new friends and living in a place that my family was definitely wasn’t used to be all things which resulted because we moved houses. It’s
interesting that one small or large experience can affect the future.  

                       (Via www.thepaleodrummer.com)

Thank you for reading this blog and following me as I read and discussed my thoughts of Sarah’s key.

Sarah's Key: Pages 98-194

Hello friends, thank you for returning to my blog! Today I will discuss my thoughts of the second section of the novel, Sarah’s Key.

“Her parents would be proud of her. That’s what she wanted them to be. Proud because she had escaped from that camp. Proud because she was going to Paris, to save her brother. Proud, because she wasn’t afraid” (Rosnay 98)

Wanting our parents to be proud rather than disappointed is definitely something we all want, if it’s through athletics, academics or independence, we all search for our parents to say, “I’m proud of you”. The fact that I have a job and I am able to make my own money is probably something that makes my parents proud. I am able to pay for my own clothing, my phone bill and food when necessary. I am also already saving for university so, I think that in a way my independence and my ability to start saving and even that I am thinking about my future is something that should make my parents proud. Sports and athletics is also something that can make my parent proud, but it can also disappoint. I play soccer competitively and I can say that there is sometimes a pressure to perform in front of my parents. It’s always nice to hear my parents say “that’s my son” when I play well, but it’s also hard to see the disappointment through their facial expressions after I play poor.  For these reasons I can see why Sarah is hoping that her parents are proud of her and is clear to me that Sarah is not only escaping to save her brother, but she is also doing it to make her parents proud. All we really want is our parents to say “I’m proud of you”.

What we all want to hear. (Via Giphy.com)

Sarah demonstrates a true love towards her younger brother Michel, but in this section Sarah shows signs of both hope and doubt towards whether her brother is alive or not. “All of a sudden, every ounce of hope she still harbored within her ran out. ..... Michel was dead. Dead in the cupboard. She knew it” (Rosnay 118). In this quotation, Sarah realises that her brother is actually dead and there is no way he could have survived in a lock cupboard.  Although, Sarah also demonstrates signs of hope and even later believes that her brother might be alive. “They saved me. They saved my life. Maybe somebody like them saved Michel, saved Papa and Maman. Maybe there is still hope” (Rosnay 132). Sarah creates a belief that her brother may still be alive to cope with the thought of his death. In a way she creates an expectation which most likely won’t come true. In my own personal life, I too have created unrealistic expectations, which actually didn’t happen. For example, sometimes at school if I forgot to do homework or I have a presentation or a test that day, I create a thought in my head that maybe the teacher is sick or away. I create an expectation which I know won’t come true, but in a way I do to create hope and cope with my stress over the assessment. When Sarah finds out that her brother is dead I think that fact she had hope, hurt her even more when she found out. “She sank to her knees again, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, she screamed for her mother, for her father, screamed for Michel” (Rosnay 160).

Sarah's reaction (Via Giphy.com)

Thank you for ready my post, and be sure to stay tuned for my next blog post on the finale of Sarah’s Key.

Sarah's Key: Pages 1-97

Hey Friends, welcome back to my blog! We have finished reading the namesake, and now I will be reading and discussing Sarah’s Key, written by Tatiana De Rosnay.

“The mother began to sob, gently at first, then louder. The girl looked at her, stunned. In all her ten years, she had never seen her mother cry. Appalled, she watched the tears trickle down her mother’s white, crumpled face. She wanted to tell her mother to stop crying, she could not bear the shame of seeing her mother snivel in front of these strange men”(Rosnay 7).

Don't Cry!!!! (via GIPHY)

As a young child, hearing my parents mourn and cry was definitely something I wasn’t accustomed too. Hearing my parents cry at a young age was extremely difficult, because I couldn’t understand the fact and the reason why they were crying. Growing up, my parents were role models to me and were my main source of comfort when I was feeling sad. When I would cry they would always comfort me, they always told me everything would be alright and told me not to cry. Just like Sarah, I too could not bear the shame of seeing my mother and father cry. In this novel, Sarah feels shame in the fact that her mother and father are crying and she is unable understand why they’re feeling so sad. Sarah doesn’t understand the intensity surrounding the situation and she is unable to bear the cries from her mother and father. “There were tears running down his face, silent tears of helplessness and shame that she could not understand” (Rosnay 19). I thought that my parents were supposed to be the strong ones in situations of tragedy and sadness. They were the two people who always comforted me, and told me not to cry and that everything would be alright. So, watching tears trickle down my parent’s faces, and seeing them at their weakest points, was really something I could not bear and understand until I grew up. It’s also definitely awkward when my parents cried, because how am I supposed to comfort the people who were always strong and always comforted me when I felt sad. So, when they did cry, I often would just sit around not knowing what to do. 

 Me when my parents cry (via Buzzfeed)

“It was impossible to see the outline of the cupboard in the paneling of the wall. Yes, he’d be safe there. She was sure of it. The girl murmured his name and laid her palm flat on the wooden panel. I’ll come back for you later. I promise” (Rosnay 9).

This part of the novel is also remarkably relatable. Not that I like locking my brother in cupboards or anything, but that I too want my brother to be safe in times of trouble. Unlike Sarah, I am not the oldest sibling, but even though I am younger, in that situation I would do whatever to keep my brother safe aswell. Sarah hiding her brother in the closet may have not been the best idea, but the fact that she wanted to keep her brother safe shows how much she cares for him. I am very close to my brother, and we truly care for each other and wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to the other. Although, my brother and I may fight and chirp each other a lot, we still are best friends and we always look out for each other’s safety.

My bro and I

The Namesake: Chapters 8-12

Chapters 9-12

Hi friend, welcome back to my final blog post! We have finally made it to the end of The Namesake and today I will be discussing a few my thoughts and some connections for chapters 9-12. The book was interesting to say the least, and some parts were definitely unexpected, but all in all it was an overall good book.

(Via Giphy.com)

Lots had happened since I last left you guys, although I will not spoil everything what happened for the sake of my devoted and loyal blog follower who have not yet finished or read the book. The one thing I’ll tell you though is that Gogol married a girl named Moushumi, who was similar to him in most aspects, but they eventually divorced because of certain technicalities.

It’s weird that two people with so many similarities and things in common, didn’t gel as I thought they might have. Both Gogol and Moushumi grew up in an Indian influenced household, yet they both rebelled and distanced themselves from their parents’ ideals and the Indian tradition. They had so much in common and could relate in so different many way. They seemed almost like a perfect match. This situation relates to the sports world. Clubs and sports organisations often seek for players who would complement and enhance their team.  They often search for players who have personal and athletic qualities that correlate with their roster. Just like how organisations search for players who fit perfectly with their roster, Ashima thought that Moushumi would be a great match for Gogol. “One day when he is specking to her on the phone, she asks him if he might be willing to call someone. He had known her as a girl, his mother explains. Her name is Moushumi” (Lahiri 192).

Don't call her Gogol, "it's a trap" (Via Giphy.com)

Even though sometimes sporting trades and transfers may seem perfect in retrospect, some turn out being absolute flops. One situation in particular that can relate to Moushumi and Gogol’s relationship quite nicely is the blockbuster trade of Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012. The Lakers thought that Dwight would complement Kobe Bryant’s play style, fit in perfectly with the organisation and bring Los Angeles another championship. But, the opposite happened, Kobe and Dwight didn’t create any chemistry and Dwight didn’t gel with the organisation. Although Moushumi and Gogol, and the Lakers and Dwight, might have seemed as a perfected match, they both ended up failing. Sometimes things which seem perfect on paper are not in reality. I the thing that even though Moushumi and Gogol resemble a perfect match, I feel that they never truly loved each other and it was circumstance what brought them together.  

(Via examiner.com)

It looks like this blog has come to an end. Thank you for following me as I read the namesake, and be sure to check out my future entries.

The Namesake: Chapters 5-7

Chapters 5-7: Decisions and Identity

Hello Friends! Welcome back to my blog. Today I will be discussing some connections and my thoughts of chapters 5-7 of The Namesake. But before you read be sure to check out my last post if you have not already done so. It is truly delightful.

As the novel progresses, we discover that Gogol legally changes his name to Nikhil. His parents surprisingly don’t make a huge deal about the name change, although they did agure with Gogol, but eventually gave in. Ashoke even says; "In America anything is possible. Do as you wish" (Lahiri 99). Basically Ashoke is resigning to the fact that his son is an American and he is allowing Gogol to make his own decisions because in American anything is possible. Personally, if I were to switch my name, my parents wouldn’t agree with the decision and would probably feel insulted. Although, Gogol situation is different since technically Nikhil is Gogol good and proper name.

By changing his name Gogol not only gets a new name, but also creates a new identity. As Nikhil, he alienates himself from his parents and their Indian culture and begins to follow the American culture. While as Gogol, he was influenced by his parents to continue to keep Indian traditions. In this section, I feel that the story mainly follows Gogol search for identity as Nikhil. We can all relate to the search for identity. We all are discovering what we like and dislike and what we think is right and wrong.  We all have to make decisions which will ultimately affect our future, no matter the intensity of the decision. One decision in particular we have to decide upon is what we want to do after secondary school. Gogol’s decision was to leave and explore the American culture at university away from home. I will be probably going to university at home, since it is a lot cheaper financially.

I also believe that Gogol relates to Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars trilogy. This may be a far-fetched connection although if you look at Gogol and Anakin through a certain perceptive, you’ll be able to see the correlation. First of all, when Anakin turns into Darth Vader, his identity completely changes and he does things that the old Anakin would never do. Just like Anakin, when Gogol changes his name to Nikhil he begins to act differently and he also creates a new identity for himself. “It is as Nikhil that he loses his virginity at a party at Ezra Stile, with a girl wearing a plaid woolen skirt and combat boots and mustard tights” (Lahiri 105).  Nikhil also begins to isolate himself from his parents, starts to act like an American by partying and getting girlfriends, thing that Gogol himself would find tough to do. 

I hope you enjoyed my blog, be sure to check out my next blog dropping sometime next week!

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Work Cited:

Decision Picture. N.d. Decision Fatigue. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Anakin Skywalker. N.d. How Anakin Skywalter Became Darth Vader. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

The Namesake: Chapters 1-4

Chapter 1-4: Adaptation

In the novel the namesake, written by Jhumpa Lahiri, one of the main themes is adaptation. In this novel we follow a recently married Bengali couple trying to adapt to American Culture, in America while raising their son. It is clear that throughout the beginning of the novel Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli are struggling to adapt to American culture, without losing their Indian traditions. Yet, it is more of a struggle for Ashima, since she has recently arrived from India to America, in a completely new environment, different from her norms and away from everything she knew and loved.

This theme in this section can relate to my grandmothers personal life and her experience of immigrating to Canada. My grandmother and her sister emigrated from Germany to Canada around 1951. Just like the Ganguli’s, my grandmother moved from a place she was accustomed to, to go to a different country to pursue greater and better things. She came to Canada without knowing any English, and had few connections. She definitely had trouble adapting to Canadian culture and to a completely different society. Just like Ashima, my grandmother was scared to live in a foreign country without the support of her family and friends. In the novel Ashima is seen to afraid and anxious to raise a child in a foreign land with any support. She even goes on to say; “I'm saying I don't want to raise Gogol alone in this country. It's not right. I want to go back” (Lahiri 33). Ashima is scared of having a child in a country that she hasn’t adapted to, because she doesn't feel accepted and comfortable in America, while her son will feel at home being born in America. Likewise, my grandmother didn't feel comfortable in Canada.

My grandmother also experienced a language barrier, not knowing any English, and having to learn the language to accommodate to the Canadian culture. Although, she was not obligated to learn the language, she felt that in order to adapt and fit into the Canadian society, she had to learn English. Even after learning the language my grandmother preferred to converse with her sister in their native tongue around others, which relates to how Ashima and Ashoke still communicate in their preferred langue in front of others. “I’ll be back, Ashoke says to her in Bengali” (3)   

Another connection between Ashima and my grandmother is that even though my grandmother wanted to learn and adapt to the Canadian culture, she didn't want to lose her German culture. Ashima in the novel wants to familiarize with the American culture, and as the novel progress Ganguli family being to adapt to the American culture by starting to celebrate American holidays. Yet, Ashima still wants to keep her Indian traditions, culture and religion. Just like Ashima, my grandmother also wanted to keep her homeland culture in her new environment. My grandmother to this day still prepares and serves a famous German dessert called Apple Strudel to maintain her culture and Ashima tries to maintain her Indian traditions in the novel by continuing to wear her traditional Indian dress, a sari. Finally, my grandmother connects to Ashima, through struggling to adapt in an unknown country, and still wanting to keep traditions.