How and to what effect are family relationships explored in Lahiri’s The Namesake?

Question

Thesis statement for: How and to what effect are family relationships explored in Lahiri’s The Namesake? I need an answer for "what effect": What emotions, thoughts, conflicts (inner conflicts aswell) do the scenes you describe (https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/how-and-to-what-effect-are-family-relationships-3061252) create for Gogol and the reader? Are there any literary devices she uses to create these, like specific word choices, metaphors, imagery?Then, links to the thesis statement: How do these scenes answer the question? What links can you draw with the main themes of the book? Here are some themes found on google: 1.The Indian Immigrant Experience.2.Family, Tradition, and Ritual.3.Independence, Rebellion, and Growing Up.4.Identity and Naming.5.Love and Marriage.

Answer 1

Your thesis for this essay needs to do two things: present your observation about how family relationships are portrayed and explain the effect that this has on the reader.

I agree that what's tricky about this question is the "to what effect" part. Think about this part of the question as really asking "what effect" it had on YOU. What interested you about the way family relationships were portrayed in the book? How would you describe what you came away understanding about family after reading the book? A good starting point might simply be noticing ways in which these relationships are similar or different to your own family relationships. Could you relate to Gogol and his family in any way?

Here's a step-by-step for developing your ideas for this essay:

(1) Look at the themes that you located. Choose one that interests you because you either noticed a lot of similarity or difference to your own experience. For example, you might not be from an Indian immigrant family (difference), so noticing moments in the book that stand out as very different from your own experience, could help you come up with an idea as to the ways in which family relationships impact the characters' choices or thoughts about themselves. On the other hand, I would imagine you have at least *some* experience with seeking independence, rebelling against your parents, and growing up (similarity), so noticing places where you identify with the characters could also help you to come up with an idea as to how family relationships impact their attempts (or struggles) to be independent. (For the other themes you identified, ask yourself the same questions: where did I notice similarities or differences between my life and the characters' lives and use that as the starting point to notice deeper connections.)

(2) Once you've chosen a theme, choose 3 moments in the book that you think relate to that theme (for example, 3 moments where a character is rebelling against their family or 3 moments where the idea of "naming" is brought up). Reread those moments and ask yourself what you notice about the theme in those moments. Is it a source of conflict? Is it impacting how a character feels about themself? Importantly, do you notice any pattern or similarity between the 3 moments? For example, maybe you notice that the idea of naming often comes up in a negative way as characters feel bound by their names as an important connection to family (who named them) but limited because neither the name nor their relationship to family fully expresses their identity.

(3) Turn your observation into a thesis statement using the following format: In (Title of Book), (Author) (depicts/portrays) family relationships as (what you notice most about these relationships) and shows/illustrates/conveys/demonstrates (idea about the theme).

For example: In The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri portrays how family relationships impact the names we give each other and demonstrates how they can create internal conflict in forging our own identity.

(4) Before you start writing your essay, create an outline that breaks down the different parts of each of those 3 moments that you want to discuss. In other words, your essay is "showing your work" the same as you would in math class, only focusing on your thinking rather than numerical calculations. It sounds like your assignment wants you to notice things like figurative language and vivid word choice, so I would start there, but remember that the main point is simply to explain how what you read (the details) led you to the conclusion that you presented in your thesis.

While I can't write this essay for you, I can help you to (1) understand what it's asking you and (2) think through and develop your ideas. If you've read the book, you've already done the majority of the work and probably already have opinions that would be helpful in writing your essay! If you're interested in booking a tutoring session with me, we would work to help you build your confidence in being able to do this on your own, as well as strengthening your writing skills.