Beginnings: Directions for Seminar #2
Due: Wednesday, October 13th
Read: Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake, Part 2, pp. 125-291, for Wednesday, October 13th.
Keep these themes to keep in mind and connect them to communication in this
novel.
1. Family/Generational Divide
2. Love
3. Cultural Identity
4. Immigrant Experience
5. Tradition vs. Modernity
6. Etc…
*Note that these are not the only themes in the book.
1. Choose two of the themes from the list above and indicate which you have
selected.
2. Identify 1 passage that relates to/supports each of the themes you are working
with.
3. Underneath the theme it relates to, introduce the quote/passage in a sentence or
two by setting up the context in which the quote appears. In other words,
BEFORE you quote the passage, first make sure to explain who is speaking and
about what. Tell your reader a bit about what is happening at this point in the
story where the quote appears.
4. Then write out the quote exactly as it appears in the text, including quotation
marks and the MLA citation.
5. After each passage, be careful to paraphrase it as needed, explain to your reader
how the passage supports or illustrates the theme. What does the passage reveal
about the theme? In essence, you are explaining to your reader why you chose
this passage to support or illustrate this theme.
After Reading/Seminar Preparation:
Once you have finished reading the book, reflect on what Lahiri has written and think
about the themes that frame the novel and connect it to the topics in our class. Think
about all of the above themes (or others) that connect to the ideas we have been
discussing.
Next, look at the list of Intercultural Communication principles and find one or tow
points that seem to be illuminated or shown in Lahiri’s story. As a reader as yourself:
How does this story illuminate the dynamic, rich, and sometimes painful process of
communication across cultures, generations, traditions, settings, locations, or eras? What
cultural or historical realities help shape the story?