When they are alone, Mrs. Lapidus asks, you happy to be entering 90 “Are elementary school, parents want me to have another name in school.” “My what about you, Gogol? Do you want to be called by another name?” “And After a pause, he shakes his head. that a no?” 95 “Is He nods. “Yes.” it’s settled. Can you write your name on this piece of paper?” “Then Gogol picks up a pencil, grips it tightly, and forms the letters of the only word he has learned thus far to write from memory, getting the backward due to “L” nerves. beautiful penmanship you have,” Mrs. Lapidus says. She tears up “What the old registration form and asks Mrs. McNab to type up a new one. Then she 100 takes Gogol by the hand, down a carpeted hallway with painted cement walls. She opens a door, and Gogol is introduced to his teacher, Miss Watkins, a woman with hair in two braids, wearing overalls and clogs. Inside the classroom it’s a small universe of nicknames—Andrew is Andy, Alexandra Sandy, William Billy, Elizabeth Lizzy. It is nothing like the schooling Gogol’s parents have known, 105 fountain pens and polished black shoes and notebooks and good names and sir or at a tender age. Here the only official ritual is pledging allegiance first thing in the morning to the American flag. For the rest of the day, they sit at a communal round table, drinking punch and eating cookies, taking naps on little orange cushions on the floor. At the end of his first day he is sent home with a 110 letter to his parents from Mrs. Lapidus, folded and stapled to a string around his neck, explaining that due to their son’s preference he will be known as Gogol at school. What about the parents’ preference? Ashima and Ashoke wonder shaking their heads. But since neither of them feels comfortable pressing the issue, they have no choice but to give in…. Jhumpa Lahiri — excerpted from The Namesake, 2003 Houghton Mifflin Company Nikolai Gogol, Russian author for whom the boy Gogol is named 1Gogol — the boy’s father 2Ashoke — backbones of books 3spines — the boy’s mother 4Ashima —
When they are alone, Mrs. Lapidus asks, “Are you happy to be entering 90 elementary school, “My parents want me to have another name in school.” “And what about you, Gogol? Do you want to be called by another name?” After a pause, he shakes his head. “Is that a no?” 95 He nods. “Yes.” “Then it’s settled. Can you write your name on this piece of paper?” Gogol picks up a pencil, grips it tightly, and forms the letters of the only word he has learned thus far to write from memory, getting the “L” backward due to nerves. “What beautiful penmanship you have,” Mrs. Lapidus says. She tears up the old registration form and asks Mrs. McNab to type up a new one. Then she 100 takes Gogol by the hand, down a carpeted hallway with painted cement walls. She opens a door, and Gogol is introduced to his teacher, Miss Watkins, a woman with hair in two braids, wearing overalls and clogs. Inside the classroom it’s a small universe of nicknames—Andrew is Andy, Alexandra Sandy, William Billy, Elizabeth Lizzy. It is nothing like the schooling Gogol’s parents have known, 105 fountain pens and polished black shoes and notebooks and good names and sir or at a tender age. Here the only official ritual is pledging allegiance first thing in the morning to the American flag. For the rest of the day, they sit at a communal round table, drinking punch and eating cookies, taking naps on little orange cushions on the floor. At the end of his first day he is sent home with a 110 letter to his parents from Mrs. Lapidus, folded and stapled to a string around his neck, explaining that due to their son’s preference he will be known as Gogol at school. What about the parents’ preference? Ashima and Ashoke wonder shaking their heads. But since neither of them feels comfortable pressing the issue, they have no choice but to give in…. — Jhumpa Lahiri excerpted from The Namesake, 2003 Houghton Mifflin Company 1Gogol — Nikolai Gogol, Russian author for whom the boy Gogol is named 2Ashoke — the boy’s father 3spines — backbones of books 4Ashima — the boy’s mother
Passage%20I%20only_Gogol.docx