In the novel, The Namesake, by the author Jhumpa Lahiri, there is a difference in tone between two key passages, one in chapter four and the other in chapter five. The shift in tone from the narrative voice reveals a deeper meaning to Gogols name.

The first 200 words of this essay...

Eddie Royle

Grade 11 A, Ms. Lacy

English HL

Word count: 826

Key Passage Essay

A name is; a title, a tag, a label, it defines who one is. In the novel, The Namesake, by the author Jhumpa Lahiri, there is a difference in tone between two key passages, one in chapter four and the other in chapter five. The shift in tone from the narrative voice reveals a deeper meaning to Gogol's name.

For instance the tone alters in the two passages, through the use of diction. In the first passage, Gogol feels this unflattering snapshot of himself, "the sight of it printed in capital letters on the crinkly page upsets him viscerally" (300). The author's use of diction portrays a negative connotation and tone to the passage; the use of the word "viscerally" gives this image of a deep down, emotional, hatred of his name. The usage of the word has a harsh sounding colour that gives the impression of anguish and annoyance. However in chapter five the diction used represents a new beginning and an enlightened Gogol. Gogol's father tells him the meaning of his name, "bound up