"The search for identity depends on much more than a name." Jhumpa Lahiri
In what ways do Jhumpa Lahiri and Sean Penn explore the identity of their
central characters?
An inability to be at peace with oneself is a defining connection between the central
characters of The Namesake and Into the Wild, written and directed respectively in 2003
and 2007 by Jhumpa Lahiri and Sean Penn. The notion of nomenclature as a means of
redefinition is something with which we become familiar in The Namesake, as we observe
Gogol Ganguli's ongoing struggle to identify with the Bengali culture of his parents, rather
than the American culture in which he is immersed. Similarly, in an act of defiance against
his family and the materialistic American society, Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild
establishes a new identity for himself when he abandons all possessions and changes his
name before venturing into the isolation of the Alaskan wilderness. Aided by devices,
notably setting, symbolism, narrative technique, juxtaposition of minor characters and
imagery, Lahiri and Penn endeavour to demonstrate the effects of culture, childhood and
family, in particular, on shaping individuality.
Diverse settings are employed by Lahiri and Penn to portray culture and its influence on
the personas of the central characters. A ceremonial setting is common to both texts and
foreshadows the protagonist's desire to retreat from his traditions. Gogol's 'annaprasan' is a
customary Indian rice ritual for newborn children, who 'confront [their] destiny' by
selecting a 'clump of soil ... ballpoint pen, [or] ... dollar bill' from a plate, respectively
representing 'a landowner, scholar or businessman.' Gogol's refusal to choose an object, a
rare act, alludes to his reluctance later in life to identify with Bengali culture. Similarly, the
formality of Chris' graduation ceremony, established through the thousands of students
wearing graduation outfits and musicians playing on bagpipes, is interrupted by Chris'
aberrant leap onto the stage when his name is announced, epitomising his opinion of
college as an 'absurd and tedious duty', a stark contrast to the honour usually associated
with graduation. These ceremonial settings exhibit the atypical behaviour of the main
characters,and predict their eventual withdrawal from their upbringing. Lahiri and Penn
also incorporate specific locations to express the necessity for their characters to experience
the counterpart of their own society. In a secluded holiday residence with his girlfriend,
Maxine, Gogol 'cannot picture his family occupying a house like this' believing instead that
'they would have felt lonely...playing board games...watching shooting stars', all activities
which appeal to him. Akin to Gogol, Chris finds comfort in the laidback, non-materialistic
hippy lifestyle where he is 'emancipated from that world of abstraction, false security,
Page 1 of 7
Stage 2 English Studies annotated student work for use from 2011
533566903 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
Communication
Demonstrates the
use of a formal,
analytical essay to
convey complex
meaning, including
a clear introduction
that identifies the
texts to be
compared, the point
of view to be
developed and the
key language
techniques that
support the
argument.
parents and material excess'. Settings that deviate drastically from the protagonists' norms
raise our awareness of the value of immersion in a diverse environment, where we can
break away from inherited customs. Dualism between the main character's original
civilisation and his adopted way of life is further reflected by a change in landscape. Tor the
rest of his life' Gogol will remember Boston children 'pedalling their Big Wheels down the
road', the anaphora of 'will remember' in the text, signifying that his American childhood
has formed the foundation of his identity. This ambience is juxtaposed to when 'he still
stares at the short, dark men pulling rickshaws'; despite being 'accustomed to this [Indian]
scenery', the alliteration in 'still stares' manifesting that it remains incongruous with his
persona. Similarly, after having 'eaten enough sand', Chris returns to hectic modern
civilisation, demonstrated by jerky movements of the camera, the freezing of shots, rapid in
and out zooming and the echoing sound of car horns and police sirens. Overwhelmed, he
immediately retreats to nature, its freedom highlighted by several long and slow panning
camera shots of the snowy Alaskan mountains, in combination with the song lyrics:
'society, you're a crazy breed'. Both authors include disparate settings to express the
comfort and distress in both the culture of one's upbringing and those that are foreign,
emphasising that a combination of the two contribute to our uniqueness.
Of fundamental significance to the development of identity, alienation is expressed by the
incorporation of symbols. Involuntarily, Gogol is estranged by his cognomen when it
occurs to him that `no one he knows in the world, in Russia or India or America or
anywhere, shares his name'; the polysyndeton intensifying his sense of loneliness. When he
renames himself, however, a complication becomes apparent: 'he doesn't feel like Nikhil.'
Alternatively, Chris deliberately isolates himself when he resolutely decides, need a new
name' and thus inscribes 'Alexander Supertramp' on a mirror with red lipstick. Both
characters possess an inability to adjust to their adopted appellation, suggesting how our
name functions as an overcoat; it presents us to the outside world and is the first clear layer
of our selfhood. Furthermore, metaphorically, the sea denotes the inner barriers that the
protagonists must break through in order to obtain a better understanding of themselves.
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Stage 2 English Studies annotated student work for use from 2011
533566903 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
Application
Demonstrates
detailed and
appropriate use of
evidence from the
texts, including
direct quotes from
the written text and
reference to filmic
techniques such as
the jerky camera
movements in the
visual text.
Alluding to Virginia Woolf s story To The Lighthouse, Gogol's family outing to the ocean
and their arrival at the lighthouse, 'exhausted...surrounded by water on three sides',
symbolises how it is not the destination that is crucial, but the journey. Also, whilst
conquering the waves alone, Chris recognises 'the sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and,
occasionally, the chance to feel strong.' Evidently, seclusion provides room for selfreflection and is thus a positive experience for the growth of self-awareness. Food also
demonstrates cultural separation. Seeking comfort, Ashima prepares a typical Indian snack
of 'Rice Krispies and peanuts and onions' for 'being a foreigner...is a sort of lifelong
pregnancy – a perpetual wait, a constant burden, a continuous feeling out of sorts'. In an
attempt to justify his choice of deliberate alienation, Chris refers to an apple that it is 'so
organic, so natural...the apple of [his] eye', this Biblical allusion to Deuteronomy. 32.10
highlighting his worship of the unprocessed food and therefore the pure way of his life, set
Knowledge and
Understanding
Demonstrates
knowledge and
understanding of
the ideas, values
and beliefs in texts
such as the journey
being crucial and
seclusion allowing
self reflection.
Further intertextual
references to
Virginia Woolf and
the Bible provide
evidence of a depth
of understanding.
apart from Western society. Although Chris does not realise it, he, as well as Ashima, are
estranged in their surroundings, which is revealed through them resorting to their favoured
cultural food, the anchor to their preferred life-style.
Narrative techniques are utilised to distinguish between the various illusions and realities
within the texts. Lahiri and Penn, through pathetic fallacy, reinforce the impact of hidden
truths on an individual's personality. Accompanying Ashoke's (Gogol's father) shocking
revelation to his son regarding the significance behind his name, Lahiri explains that 'the
night is windy... and brown leaves as large as human feet fly across the road.' Matching the
turmoil of the environment with the current events in Gogol's life reveals the magnitude of
his unsettled and distraught emotions, since he feels he has been 'lied to... all these years.'
Also making 'his entire childhood seem like fiction', Chris' discovery of the dishonesty
behind his parents' marriage causes him to sense 'his whole life turn, like a river suddenly
reversing the direction of its flow, suddenly running uphill'. As evinced in the use of
pathetic fallacy, deceit in the protagonists' families strikes hard at the core of selfhood, as
they feel their life has been nothing but fiction and thus futile. Furthermore, in contrasting
the third person omniscient narrator with the main character's first person voice, Lahiri and
Penn successfully accentuate the deception that changing their own unique name can alter
their selfness. After adopting a new label, 'Gogol says by way of explanation..."Nikhil is my
first name—, the immediate juxtaposition of 'Gogol' with 'Nikhil' stressing the storyteller's
refusal to call the principal figure by his chosen name. Similarly, despite renaming himself
'Alexander', the narrator, his sister Carine, continues to refer to him as 'Chris' whilst
flashbacks of him as a child confirm that his early identity and appellation are united. In
both texts, the raconteur contradicts the first person, which illustrates that changing the
Page 3 of 7
Stage 2 English Studies annotated student work for use from 2011
533566903 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
Knowledge and
Understanding
Demonstrates
knowledge and
understanding of
the ways in which
authors use stylistic
features such as
narrative techniques
and language
techniques such as
anaphora and
polysyndeton to
communicate ideas.
Reference to the
complex idea of the
‘pathetic fallacy’ is
not fully developed.
Knowledge and
Understanding
Demonstrates
knowledge and
understanding of
the ways in which
authors use a range
of textual
conventions and
how the author
broke with
convention by using
both the third
person omniscient
narrator and the
main character’s
first person voice to
accentuate the
meaning.
name will not change the person.
Positioning us to agree with the view that freedom, rather than repression, is favourable for
the development of individuality, is the author's construction of minor characters. Maxine's
careless, laidback and 'unkempt ways' are exemplified by her 'not shutting the door' and her
spontaneous decision 'to go skinny dipping' with Gogol. In her company, Gogol 'grows to
appreciate being utterly disconnected' from the rules in the modern world. In a similar way,
Chris stumbles across a Danish couple residing alongside a river; the boy wearing ripped
clothing and the girl topless. Hospitably, they invite Chris to join them and, by whooping
and admiring the echo, they demonstrate that 'this is nature', with its freedom and
tranquillity. By allocating attractive features to these boundless minor characters, Lahiri and
Penn ensure that freedom is celebrated, resulting in the protagonist's desire to remain in
this idyllic setting as it invites him to flourish. On the other end of the spectrum, the minor
characters who represent the repressive bureaucratic society, possess undesirable qualities.
Mr. Wilcox, a 'slight, bald, unamused,' impersonal administrator, coldly interrogates Ashoke
and Ashima in relation to the naming of their first child. Similarly, a kayak officer harshly
questions Chris if he has 'any experience', condescendingly emphasising the word 'any'.
These particularly negative minor characters demonstrate that an oppressive atmosphere
prevents people from making their own choices and therefore developing their uniqueness.
Importance of family in relation to identity is vividly illustrated by evocative imagery. It is
only in the presence of their Indian relatives that Ashoke and Ashima slip into bolder, less
complicated versions of themselves', 'their smiles... wider, revealing a confidence Gogol
and Sonia never see'. Comparably, the prolonged absence of their child Chris, causes his
parents to experience an extreme 'pain' that brings them 'closer', magnified by the camera
zooming into them kneeling side by side in front of a colourful church leadlight, creating
an aura of peace. Evidently, the visual image of the parents' mood improving drastically
indicates that family is imperative. Frequently, Lahiri incorporates the notion that Nikhil'
'sounds wrong...off-key', like 'when his parents speak English...instead of Bengali', the
discordance affecting him significantly. Conversely, a flashback of the plank that Chris
engraves early in the film with 'Alexander Supertramp' is immediately replaced by a frame
of a recent letter signed 'Christopher Johnson McCandless', which is complemented by a
reminiscent voice-over of Chris reiterating; 'to call each thing by its right name, by its right
name', the repetition reinforcing that Christopher McCandless is his correct title. Both
these acoustic effects portray that our unique appellation, given by our parents, fits best.
Comparable synaesthetic descriptions convey the necessity of familial relations.
Page 4 of 7
Stage 2 English Studies annotated student work for use from 2011
533566903 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
Application
Demonstrates a
perceptive
recognition of
connections
between texts by
integrating
discussion within
each paragraph and
linking the texts
using words like
‘comparably’ and
‘conversely’.
Unexpectedly, Gogol's 'eyes well with tears' when his father announces that his good name
will be 'Nikhil' and his 'pet name'; 'Googol', and can only be comforted when his father
fervently reassures him that to his parents he will 'never be anyone but Gogol.' Similarly,
Penn depicts Chris struggling to fight back tears when he appreciates, too late, that
'happiness is only real when shared' with one's family. The addition of red eye make-up
enhances Chris' pain and sorrow. In both cases we see the parents providing unconditional
love, the building blocks of our disposition.
In spite of the significance of a name, its function as an outer layer of identity, changing it
does not alter the individual. There are many external influences which shape our
personality, explored through a plethora of techniques by Lahiri and Penn in their
respective texts. Initially, the auteurs establish that self-enlightenment is a journey, a
rollercoaster with its highs and lows during which we often feel alone. Nevertheless,
seclusion allows room for reflection and is thus vital to personal growth. Furthermore, the
importance of experimenting in diverse environments is emphasised, since in both familiar
and foreign surroundings, comfort and distress can formulate character and idiosyncrasies.
Also promoting individuality, is a limitless environment, which stimulates the making of
choices, bringing accomplishment and contentment. Nevertheless, self-development will
stagnate when deception comes into play, since progression cannot emerge from lies. Thus
honesty, particularly in the presence of those with whom we are close, is pivotal, just as
family and the unconditional love we receive from our parents is the pacemaker of every
person's temperament.
Word count 1997
Additional comments
This is an ‘A–‘ example.

The work demonstrates mostly fluent and precise writing using an appropriate style and structure
with only occasional grammatical errors or overly complicated sentences where the meaning is
not clear (e.g. ‘to experience the counterpart of their own society’ or ‘comparable synaesthetic
descriptions).

Throughout the critical essay there is perceptive analysis of connections between texts (e.g. the
ceremonial setting, the narrative techniques, the importance of family and the significance of a
name).

The work demonstrates the perceptive analysis of a range of ways authors use language
techniques to influence the reader’s opinion. There is discussion of techniques such as
alliteration, imagery and flashbacks and how they serve to position the reader or viewer to feel a
certain way about the characters and themes.
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Stage 2 English Studies annotated student work for use from 2011
533566903 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
Performance Standards for Stage 2 English Studies
A
Knowledge and
Understanding
Analysis
Application
Communication
Knowledge and understanding of a
wide range of ways in which
authors use stylistic features and
language techniques to
communicate complex and familiar
ideas, and to influence the reader’s
response.
Analysis of complex connections
between personal experiences,
ideas, values, and beliefs, and
those explored in familiar and
unfamiliar texts.
Use of a wide range of language
skills and techniques to create
sophisticated and coherent texts
that address the meaning and
intention of the task.
Fluent and precise writing and
speaking, using appropriate style
and structure for a range of mainly
unfamiliar audiences and contexts.
In comparative exercises, a
perceptive analysis of
connections between texts, based
on analysis and synthesis of
similarities and/or differences.
In comparative exercises, a
perceptive recognition of
connections between texts,
through responses that integrate
discussion of texts and move
easily between them.
Detailed knowledge and
understanding of the ideas, values,
and beliefs in familiar and
unfamiliar texts.
Knowledge and understanding of
the ways in which creators and
readers of familiar and unfamiliar
texts use a range of textual
conventions to make meaning.
Perceptive analysis of a range of
ways in which authors use
language techniques to influence
opinions and decisions in familiar
and unfamiliar texts.
Appropriate use of form and
register to convey mostly complex
meaning in a range of unfamiliar
contexts.
Detailed and appropriate use of
evidence from texts to support
responses, with textual
references incorporated fluently in
discussion.
Skills in using the textual,
structural, and conventional
features of text types for a range
of familiar and unfamiliar
contexts, audiences, and
purposes.
B
C
Knowledge and understanding of
the ways in which authors use
stylistic features and language
techniques to communicate
complex and familiar ideas, and to
influence the reader’s response.
Analysis of some complex
connections between personal
experiences, ideas, values, and
beliefs, and those explored in
familiar, and some unfamiliar,
texts.
Knowledge and understanding of
some ideas, values, and beliefs in
familiar, and some unfamiliar,
texts.
In comparative exercises, a clear
analysis of connections between
texts, based on analysis of
similarities and/or differences.
Knowledge and understanding of
the ways in which creators and
readers of mainly familiar texts use
some textual conventions to make
meaning.
Analysis of a range of ways in
which authors use language
techniques to influence opinions
and decisions in familiar, and
some unfamiliar, texts.
Appropriate use of evidence from
texts to support responses, with
textual references incorporated in
discussion.
Knowledge and understanding of a
narrow range of ways in which
authors use stylistic features and
language techniques to
communicate mainly familiar ideas,
and to influence the reader’s
response.
Analysis of simple connections
between personal experiences,
ideas, values, and beliefs, and
those explored in familiar texts.
Use of language skills and
techniques to create texts that
address the meaning and
intention of the task.
Generally fluent and functional
writing and speaking, using
appropriate style and structure for
familiar audiences and contexts.
In comparative exercises,
analysis of connections between
texts, based on some
understanding of similarities
and/or differences.
In comparative exercises,
recognition of some connections
between texts, through responses
that compare and contrast texts,
usually in a sequential rather than
an integrated way.
Appropriate use of form and
register to convey simple meaning
in a narrow range of familiar and
unfamiliar contexts.
Knowledge and understanding of
some ideas, values, and beliefs in
mainly familiar texts.
Knowledge and understanding of
some of the ways in which creators
and readers of a range of familiar
texts use textual conventions to
make simple or factual meaning.
Page 6 of 7
Descriptive analysis of a number
of ways in which authors use
language techniques to influence
opinions and decisions in familiar
texts.
Use of a range of language skills
and techniques to create clear
and coherent texts that address
the meaning and intention of the
task.
Mostly fluent and precise writing
and speaking, using appropriate
style and structure for a range of
mostly familiar audiences and
contexts.
In comparative exercises,
recognition of connections
between texts, through responses
that compare and contrast texts in
an integrated way.
Appropriate use of form and
register to convey complex and
simple meaning in a range of
familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
Skills in using some of the textual,
structural, and conventional
features of text types for a range
of mainly familiar, and some
unfamiliar, contexts, audiences,
and purposes.
Competent use of evidence from
texts to support responses, with
some use of textual references in
discussion.
Skills in using some of the textual,
structural, and conventional
features of some text types for
familiar contexts, audiences, and
purposes.
Stage 2 English Studies annotated student work for use from 2011
533566903 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
D
Knowledge and
Understanding
Analysis
Application
Communication
Knowledge and restricted
understanding of some simple
stylistic features and language
techniques used by authors to
communicate mainly familiar ideas,
and to influence the reader’s
response.
Reference to simple connections
between uncomplicated personal
experiences, ideas, values, and
beliefs, and those explored in
familiar texts.
Use of some language skills and
techniques to create texts that
partly address the meaning and
intention of the task.
Achievement of a level of fluency in
writing and speaking, in a mainly
appropriate style.
Knowledge and understanding of
some familiar ideas, values, and
beliefs in familiar texts.
Knowledge and understanding of a
restricted number of ways in which
creators and readers of a narrow
range of familiar texts use some
textual conventions to make simple
or factual meaning.
E
In comparative exercises,
answers that make partial
comparisons and contrasts.
Reference to some ways in which
authors use a range of language
techniques to influence opinions
and decisions in familiar texts.
Occasionally appropriate use of
form and/or register to convey
simple meaning in familiar contexts.
Some use of evidence from texts
to support a response, with use of
a narrow range of textual
references.
Skills in using some of the textual,
structural, or conventional
features of a text type for a
familiar context, audience, or
purpose.
Knowledge and understanding of a
restricted range of simple stylistic
features and language techniques
used by authors to communicate
familiar ideas, and to influence the
reader’s response.
Recognition of a simple
connection between a
straightforward personal,
experience, idea, value, or belief,
and that explored in a highly
familiar text.
Identification of an idea, a value, or
a belief in familiar texts.
In comparative exercises,
answers that make a simple
comparison or contrast.
Knowledge and understanding of
the ways in which a creator or
reader of a highly familiar text uses
textual conventions to make factual
meaning.
In comparative exercises, some
awareness of connections
between texts, through partial
responses that mainly deal with
texts separately.
Reference to the way in which an
author uses language techniques
to influence opinions and
decisions in a highly familiar text.
Attempted use of a restricted
range of language skills and/or
techniques to create a text or
texts that attempt to address the
meaning or intention of the task.
Emerging development of fluency
in an occasionally appropriate style.
Occasionally appropriate use of
form and register to convey literal
meaning in highly familiar contexts.
In comparative exercises,
identification of limited
connections between texts,
through fragmented responses
that deal with texts separately.
Restricted use of evidence from
texts to support a simple
response, with limited textual
reference.
Skills in using the textual,
structural, or conventional
features of a text type for a highly
familiar context, audience, or
purpose.
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Stage 2 English Studies annotated student work for use from 2011
533566903 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010