In this chapter of "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri, young Gogol Ganguli faces the challenge of grappling with two names, and two identities. As a second-generation Indian-American, his parents insist on giving him a 'good name' - Nikhil, to be used in school, while at home, he continues ....................
Gogol's first day at school - Gulmohar - Class 8 - English
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Back Exercises - Gogol's first day at school | Gulmohar | Literature | English | Class 8
Complete these sentences with a, an, the or mark a cross (x) for zero article.
You certainly need an older person to escort you on _______________ trek.
_______________ bookshop not only had _______________ books, it also had ________ magazines.
I enjoy writing _______________ poems – my sister lies to play _______________ piano.
Take _______________ walk in the park – you’ll feel better.
Ask me without _______________ hesitation when you have _______________ question.
It already feels like _______________ winter I Do I need to put on _______________ sweater?
_______________ lions in this zoo look sickly and they need _______________ nourishment.
They don’t expect _______________ immediate reply but you should sent them __________ email by tomorrow.
You certainly need an older person to escort you on _____the__________ trek.
___X____________ bookshop not only had _______X________ books, it also had ___X_____ magazines.
I enjoy writing _____X__________ poems – my sister lies to play ______the_________ piano.
Take _____a__________ walk in the park – you’ll feel better.
Ask me without _____X__________ hesitation when you have ______a_________ question.
It already feels like _____X__________ winter I Do I need to put on ____a______ sweater?
_____The_______ lions in this zoo look sickly and they need ______X______ nourishment.
They don’t expect ______an_____ immediate reply but you should sent them ___an___ email by tomorrow.
Circle the correct determiners to complete these sentences.
We have very little/less chance of reaching the stadium on time in this traffic.
There were less/fewer people than usual in the supermarket.
I am not sure if I can help you – I speak a little/little English.
The teacher gave each/every of the students a piece of paper.
There were few/several people to begin with but most of/much of them left early.
He works from two cities but does not like neither of/either of them much.
I learned gymnastics at my other/previous school.
There wasn’t enough/some space for all of us in the car.
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Sign up nowNow, read these sentences and guess the meanings of the highlighted words/phrases.
He gets along with his new classmates very well.
The speaker spoke brilliantly and got her message across to the audience.
I have been reading up on the topic, but I can’t say I have got a handle on it.
The team fought back fiercely and did not allow their opponents to get the better of them.
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Sign up nowRead these situations and write a sentence for each using the correct phrase with get.
We have a match coming up and we must somehow make the team understand that they have to practise hard.
I am not very friendly with them as their interests are very different from mine.
My pets are always at war. Today, the cat won and the dog lost.
Shreya understood the topic only after the teacher explained it a second time.
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Sign up nowImagine that Mrs Lapidus is writing a blog about what happened at the school that morning.
Let me tell you how puzzled I was about the name of a little boy this morning. He is an Indian boy. His family is settled in this country. The parents were applying for the boy’s admission to the school, so I tried to get acquainted with the boy and his father. The boy’s name was written as ‘Nikhil’ in the application, so I addressed him by that name. But he just kept looking at his feet, as if he hadn’t been spoken to...
Continue from here and complete this blog.
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Sign up nowBack Questions - Gogol's first day at school | Gulmohar | Literature | English | Class 8
Which sentence in para 1 shows that, in Gogol’s mind, a new name is a new person, different from him?
He is afraid to be Nikhil, someone he doesn't know and who doesn't know him.
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Gogol’s parents try to remove the boy’s fears by (a) teaching him something. (b) making a promise. What do they teach and promise him?
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Sign up nowWhat shows that the principal at first thinks the boy is just nervous and tries to win his confidence?
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Sign up nowHow does Ashok try to show the principal that Gogol is bilingual? What does he, in doing that, reveal to the principal?
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Sign up nowWhen does Gogol begin to speak to the principal after his father left or before? What do you think that shows?
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Sign up nowCan you guess from para 35 what little Gogol found especially interesting in school?
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Sign up nowMrs Lapidus nods. “The reason being?”
The nod means she accepts. What does she accept?
She then asks for the reason. Reason for what?
Is Ashoke able to explain the reason? What does he say, and what effect does it have on Mrs Lapidus?
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Sign up now“Then it’s settled. Can you write your name on the piece of paper?”
What do you think Mrs Lapidus decides when she is unable to understand what a ‘good name’ is and the boy’s father is unable to explain it to her?
Choose the correct answer.
She decides to reject the boy’s application for admission.
She decides to find out what name the boy himself wishes to have.
She decides to report the matter to higher authorities.
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Sign up nowExtra Questions - Gogol's first day at school | Gulmohar | Literature | English | Class 8
What upset’s Gogol about the new Name?
"Gogol finds the introduction of his new name, Nikhil, quite upsetting. His parents inform him that this name would be used only at school, which he finds extremely unsettling. He can't comprehend the need for it. Gogol has established his identity as 'Gogol' and responds to that name, but the idea of having a new name confounds him. He is unable to perceive Nikhil as the same person or feel any sense of familiarity with it." The name Nikhil doesn’t hold the same emotional resonance for him as Gogol does.
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Why do you think Gogol looked down at his sneakers when the principal welcomed him to school?
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About the Author - Gogol's first day at school | Gulmohar | Class 8 Literature | English
Jhumpa Lahiri is an American author known for her beautifully crafted short stories and novels, which often explore themes of identity, displacement, and the immigrant experience. She was born in London in 1967 to Bengali parents, and they moved to the United States when she was two. Her personal experiences growing up in a Bengali household in America heavily influence her writing, as seen in her stories' nuanced exploration of cultural hybridity, language, and familial relationships.
Lahiri's debut collection of short stories, "Interpreter of Maladies", won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2000. "The Namesake", from which the above passage is taken, is her first novel, published in 2003. It tells the story of Gogol Ganguli, a second-generation Indian American struggling with his unique name and cultural identity.
Summary - Gogol's first day at school | Gulmohar | Class 8 Literature | English
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Themes - Gogol's first day at school | Gulmohar | Class 8 Literature | English
- Cultural Dualism:
This chapter emphasizes the theme of cultural dualism that immigrants often experience. Gogol's parents try to bestow upon him two names – a traditional Bengali one for home and a more 'American-friendly' one for school and public life. This dualism....
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- Introduction to a Cultural Dilemma:
The chapter begins with Gogol questioning why he needs a new name, introducing us to the Bengali custom of having two names - a 'pet' name for home and a 'good' name for official use. - Gogol's Resistance:
Despite his parents' assurance ....
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Unlock now 🔓Important Lines - Gogol's first day at school | Gulmohar | Class 8 Literature | English
- "Why do I have to have a new name?" He asks his parents, tears springing to his eyes.
This line underscores the depth of Gogol's distress over his changing identity. It captures the moment where the cultural dissonance becomes real and personal for him. - "To me and your mother, you will never be anyone but Gogol."
Ashoke's reassurance to his son....
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Answer to: respond when his name is called
He answered to his parents when his name is called.Immunisation record: a list of preventive medicines given to a child as protection against certain diseases
The immunization record contains a list of preventive medicines given to a child.Clutching: holding tightly
The child was clutching his toy tightly.Bilingual: able to use two different languages
She is bilingual......................................
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