Comparing The Namesake And The Secret Of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a novel about a girl named Lily. Lily lives in South Carolina in 1964. She has an abusive father and a mother who died 10 years ago. Rosaleen, Lily’s mother figure and caretaker, got into trouble and got into jail. Lily then decided to escape with Rosaleen to Tiburon, South Carolina. There they find the beekeeping Boatwright sisters (August, June and May) who hold the secret to Lily’s mother’s past. In the book The Secret Life of Bees there are many sad negative events; however, every negative event has a positive outcome.

Many people say that you need to read the book before you watch movie based on the book because the movie is always different. The movie for The Secret Life of Bees is no exception to that rule. The Secret Life of Bees is about a 14-year-old, white girl, named Lily Owens, living in 1964. While Lily was just 4 years old, her mother, Deborah, died, and her only memory of her mom is hazy and unsure. In her memory, Deborah was packing a bag to leave her abusive husband T. Ray and take Lily with her. Before they could leave though, T. Ray tried to force her to stay, and she grabbed a gun. T. Ray knocked it out of her hand, so Lily wanted to hand it back to her. Then she accidentally shot her mother, and she died. In the summer of ‘64, Lily ran

The devastating tragedy of losing a person's mother at an early age can drastically affect that person's life. It can impact the way someone thinks, corresponds with others, and the way someone handles themselves emotionally. In the novel The Secret Life of Bees Lily Owens loses her mother at the early age of four. During Lily's journey she finds comfort and support in the women that she meets. Throughout the novel Lily goes through many changes because of the impact of the motherly figures of the Black Mary, Rosaleen, and the Calendar Sisters.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a book discussing the internal strife of a young white girl, in a very racist 1960’s south. The main character, Lily Owens, faces many problems she must overcome, including her personal dilemma of killing her own mother in an accident. Sue Monk Kidd accurately displays the irrationality of racism in the South during mid- 1960's not only by using beautiful language, but very thoroughly developed plot and character development. Kidd shows the irrationality of racism through the characters in her book, The Secret Life of Bees and shows that even during that time period, some unique people, were able to see beyond the heavy curtain of racism that separated people from each

had passed away early when Lily was just a little girl , leaving her alone

The Secret Life of Bees delineates an inspirational story in which the community, friendship and faith guide the human spirit to overcome anything. The story follows Lily Owens, a 14 year old girl who desperately wants to discover the cause of her mothers death. Her father T. Ray gives her no answers, which leads their maid, Rosaleen, to act as her guardian. Together, Lily and Rosaleen run away to Tiburon, South Carolina and find a welcoming community. It is in Tiburon that Lily learns many life lessons, including many about herself. In her novel The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd explores a theme of spiritual growth through Lily's search for home as well as a maternal figure.

Difficult choices come and go from our life. Like trying to understand who you are as a person and where you come from. In the book The Namesake, a boy named Gogol grows up in a cultural Bengali family while living in a different country with different customs. Gogol is special because he is trying to balance the two cultures. Gogol tries to understand and learn his family's culture but tends to pick and choose things from each culture to fit his lifestyle.

Difficult choices come and go from our life. Like trying to understand who you are as a person and where you come from. In the book The Namesake, a boy named Gogol grows up in a cultural Bengali family while living in a different country with different customs. Gogol is special because he is trying to balance the two cultures. Gogol tries to understand and learn his family's culture but tends to pick and choose things from each culture to fit his lifestyle. His response to his cultural collision is very unique. From this cultural collision Gogol question himself and his life decisions.

As Gogol is growing up, he realizes that his name is not common among American people. He begins to question why he was named Gogol. His father suggests him to read about Nikolai Gogol, which Gogol refuses to read and makes excuses. He becomes embarrassed by it in school. He decides to change his name legally to “Nikhil”, a name that is simple and no one can question. This is an act of betrayal as well as cultural assimilation mainly against his father. His father had named him Gogol because when he had a near death experience, he was reading short stories by Nikolai Gogol. He was found alive with a torn page of the book in his hand. In a way, the Russian author had saved his life. By changing his name, Gogol betrays his father’s belief in the name of Gogol, a name that symbolizes

He decides that instead of being called Gogol he rather be called Nikhil, an “alternative” name his parent gave him years before. Also displayed in the novel, Gogol, also known as Nikhil, learns more about the origin of his name and it is safe to say he is not a fan of his who he is named after. Despite learning about the origin of his name, Gogol is still not aware of the traumatic experience his dad encountered that eventually led to him naming his son after the famous Russian author. Years pass and Gogol goes off to school, later revealed as Yale. The reader is able to see how Gogol lives life as a young male in a promising country. Gogol falls in love, continues to further his education, and experiences the many joys life has to present. Until the family is astounded by the news that Ashoke passes away from a myocardial infarction. This was a major turning point in the story and huge blunder to the Gangulis

The important themes of name and identity are very evident in Chapter 3. The chapter contains when Gogol firsts starts kindergarten. Ashima and Ashoke wanted him to go by "Gogol" at home but "Nikhil" at school. However this then leads to confusing him and he has no interest in another name. He considers that depending on where he is he may need to be two different people then leading to him having two different names. "He is afraid to be Nikhil, someone he doesn't know. Who doesn't know him." (Lahiri ). During his adolescent years Gogol connects a new identity with having a new name. His unusual name does not bother him until he turns eleven and he attends a class trip to a cemetery which is when he uncovers that his name is special. Some of the other gravestones have names he has never heard before so he makes rubbings of them because he

Gogol who has a demoralizing childhood, finds success in reinventing himself by changing his name, largely because his name was the most demoralizing aspect of his life. Gogol Ganguli is a distraught child who is faced with being a cultural outsider because of his foreign lineage. Growing up he realizes the vast differences between himself and a normal American child, one of those being his

He loses his virginity by using the name Nikhil, and that name has lead him to meet and have relationships with multiple women (Ruth, Maxine, Bridget and Moushumi). Even after making all determinations to erase his past, his failure to declare his identity is seen in his relationship with women. He lawfully changes his name to Nikhil before he leaves for college. The name Nikhil goes on to represent his individuality and separation from his parents. It also signifies him accepting American culture and distancing away from Indian culture. The twist comes into play when people starting calling him Nikhil and he gets startled. He likes the name Nikhil better, but he does not feel like Nikhil. On the inside, he feels like Gogol, no matter how much he dislikes the name. This adds to the controversy of his identity: is he Gogol or Nikhil. On the other hand, he is a mix of both: Gogol by day and Nikhil by night.

After his work Gogol visits to their house and sleeps with Maxine, Gerald and Lydia think nothing. Simultaneously Gogol falls in love with Maxine and automatically wishes to marry her. However Gogol`s sense of responsibility ignites his cultural roots after his father’s death and he ignores Maxine. Maxine too repents the truth that she cannot provide any solace to Gogol as she belongs to a different culture.

develops a resentment towards this name during his adolescent period and thereby , decides to use his legal name Nikhil, as some kind of an overcoat to the Indian culture. Though the name Nikhil brought him confidence but the glimpse of gogol was always present inside him . And in the way he feels some kind of dissatisfaction by getting away from his roots . “ Without people in the world to call him Gogol , no matter how long he himself lives, Gogol Ganguli will , once and for all,vanish from the lips of loved ones , and so, ceased to exist. Yet the thought of this eventual demise provides no sense of victory, no solace. It provides no solace at all.” (Lahiri 289). In the due course , all the efforts done by him payed him back with the confusion