How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Not only does Gogol Ganguli have a pet name turned good name, but also a last name turned first name. And so it occurs to him that no one he knows in the world, in Russia or India or America or anywhere, shares his name. Not even the source of his namesake. (4.26)
Gogol's name doesn't tie him to any specific culture, which is a big problem for our boy. If you don't belong to a culture, how do you handle the world as a whole? Where's your frame of reference? Whom do you look to for an example?
Quote #8
In history class, Gogol has learned that European immigrants had their names changed at Ellis Island, that slaves renamed themselves once they were emancipated. Though Gogol doesn't know it, even Nikolai Gogol renamed himself, simplifying his surname at the age of twenty-two from Gogol-Yanovsky to Gogol upon publication in the Literary Gazette. (5.1)
It turns out name changing has been a rite of passage for many immigrants to the United States. Maybe this is what makes Gogol so willing to change his name to Nikhil. Even though that name is Indian, and therefore foreign, it's still a way for him to participate in the immigrant experience.
Quote #9
"Teleologically speaking, ABCDs are unable to answer the question 'Where are you from?'" the sociologist on the panel declares. Gogol has never heard the term ABCD. He eventually gathers that it stands for "American-born confused deshi." In other words, him. (5.63)
Aside from the apt term ABCD, our favorite part about this quote is the world "teleologically." Teleology refers to the notion that things have an end, which gives them purpose. Things like progress, history, and religion can be teleological. But in this case, the word makes absolutely no sense. It simply doesn't apply to a human being, or an ABCD. So we can't help but think that Lahiri threw it in there with a wink to make this sociologist sound pretentious and ridiculous. Job well done.