The Birth of a New Series

How can you not enjoy a tale of two worlds in which the parents battle with the children over endless societal and cultural issues? Well, I do not know because my favorite book this year is The Namesake. The Namesake unfortunately got a little bit of a bad reputation among our classes but after a little reflection I realized how much I actually enjoyed the book. First of all, the book is set in the fairly modern era so as a teenager currently, I can relate to some of the issues in the world that occur during the life of Gogol. Also, it was fun to see Gogol get accepted to Yale and then live the life that so many of us young people want to live in downtown New York City (at least for some of our younger years). The number of immigrants to the United States increases every year so I appreciated the perspective from one of these families. I now have a greater understanding for the difficulties and challenges they must face as they adapt to a new lifestyle as a family in a completely foreign country. I cannot fathom what it would be like to flatly have to tell someone, ‘“We have no relatives in this country”’ (79). I look forward to spending time with my family and I cannot imagine the feeling of loneliness and emptiness I would experience if an entire ocean separated us. Also, I never really thought much about the inevitable rift between parents and children as a result of the willingness of certain family members to assimilate into society at different speeds. I really enjoyed following the plot even though it was a little sad at times, especially when Gogol would realize, “He cannot remember the last time he and his father had spoken” (177). Jhumpa Lahiri includes several complex symbols and themes throughout the book and although it seems boring, I actually secretly kind of like to follow these hidden meanings and see how they progress throughout a book. Of course I could not forget the drama that Lahiri writes about when Gogol’s wife Moushumi cheats on him. I think we all took pleasure in ripping Moushumi to pieces as “she wonders if she is the only woman in her family ever to have betrayed her husband, to have been unfaithful” (266). We all criticized the characters in The Namesake extensively and this was very humorous and entertaining. It is not nearly as fun to talk about how much we like characters like in The Importance of Being Earnest because people do not express such strong emotions. However, when we hate characters, the discussions are so much more spirited and lively and because we grew very frustrated with almost everyone in the book, every class was interesting and animated. And honestly, maybe the reason that I liked The Namesake the most was because it was the start of the "Dear Journal" comments by Ms. Serensky. If I am not mistaken, I believe the "Dear Journal" series started with something like this, “Dear Journal, I will never be good enough. All I do is work for this woman and all she does is criticize me.” I may not necessarily have written this in my journal but I would tend to agree with what the quote is saying. Well, all in all, The Namesake was a well-written book with a plot that I actually enjoyed, complex characters we could all ridicule, and a host of symbols and metaphors. 

Searching for the Thrill of It

            

10.       Defeating Mr. Brownlow in a political argument over the advantages to a privatized health care system. Of course he would never admit to this but ask the members of my class who had the more logical and legitimate points in the discussion. This feat is a rarity because when someone can choose when both parties of an argument may talk, winning can be rather difficult. This victory came after a slump of mine in the class so after I won, I was, “back as loud and full of brass and swagger as ever” (Kesey 107).

9.         Ms. Serensky recognized the Dream Team as an actual entity. I cannot recall the exact date when this took place but as soon as Ms. Serensky actually started to refer to Alex, John, Sam, and me as the Dream Team, I knew we had actually accomplished something special. I figured that when the Dream Team was mentioned she would retort with, “They are hardly considered a thing,” but fortunately I was wrong (Wilde 52).

8.         Achieving an 8+ on the AP English semester exam my junior year. At this stage in my literary career As were only dreamed of because they were never actually within reach. Then somehow on the biggest test of the year (aside from the AP test) I pulled out the best grade imaginable at the time. After getting the test back I told my fellow students, ‘“In a few days you’ll get the hang of it”’ (Lahiri 32).

7.         Being able to write with confidence and without hesitation. This actually occurred for me in the months leading up to the AP test my junior year. I always hated writing and it is for this reason that I value the moment when writing turned from a chore to just another task that I could accomplish without stress or frustration. Finally, writing was no longer “a perpetual wait, a constant burden a continuous feeling out of sorts” (Lahiri 49).

6.         Induction into Cum Laude. This was a very proud moment for me because I was recognized with the top twenty percent of my class for achieving a high GPA throughout my high school career. This accomplishment was especially significant because it was the culmination of several years of fairly hard work. While we were at the ceremony that night I started to think about how, “one must be serious about something, if one wants to have amusement in life,” and I happen to be serious about my education because this brings me amusement as you will read about shortly (Wilde 40).

5.         Springfest 2010. During springfest 2010 I was fortunate enough to be called up on stage several times and the reason this moment ranks at number five is because I was very proud to accept several awards in front of the school. One award in particular sticks out because when I got up on stage a certain someone, who may or may not be in the Dream Team, thought they deserved the award instead of me and they looked at me “with a look of the clearest hate I ever saw” (Kesey 99). This hate made me even more proud of my accomplishment.

4.         35 on the ACT with a 36 in math and science. I’m not sure how much explanation this one needs. Not to be too cocky, but I believe the numbers speak for themselves so I’ll let you do the math. I remember the painful anticipation of waiting to access my test scores: “There’s nothing worse. It makes you sick, it saps every bit of strength you got” (Kesey 60). But, let me tell you, that strength comes back awfully quickly when you see a 35 on the computer screen.

3.         National Merit Finalist. This was a very big accomplishment for Alex, Sara, and me because of the wonderful privileges we were given after we were recognized. NOT! We did not get any privileges for this except maybe a picture or two in the newspaper and a little time on the signboard, which I must say helped make this one of my more thrilling experiences. Also, it was a nice thing, “for it to be typed on applications to five Ivy League colleges” (Lahiri 99).

2.         Never getting a B on my transcript…yet. Well, once again this thrill speaks for itself. Unfortunately although it is thrilling now, it was not so thrilling while I was accomplishing this (that might be a slight exaggeration). But I definitely get a little satisfaction from knowing that I have not earned a B yet in any of my classes. Although people like Mr. Maas have outright told me they are trying to do everything they can to give me a B, I respond by calmly speaking to my transcript, “nothing that [he] can possibly do can alter my eternal devotion to you” (Wilde 17).

1.         Deciding to go to Duke University for my undergraduate education. All kidding aside, college is a very exciting time because of the learning opportunities available. I find it very thrilling to be surrounded by many incredibly intelligent students at Duke (like in AP English) where I feel confident that I can further my education and quench my intellectual vitality. Also, I look forward to the many exciting years of national championships and meeting new people from all over the country and the world. This is a truly thrilling endeavor and I owe a big thank you to the many teachers who have made this experience possible for me especially you Ms. Serensky. Often times you give me a hard time for my choice of clothing and to that I simply respond, “If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being immensely over-educated” (Wilde 30).

Duke Chapel

The Recurring Theme of Patriotism

My favorite poem from this year was a very easy choice for me. Just by looking at the current title and background of my blog, you should be able to guess it already; it is “Lady Freedom Among Us” by Rita Dove. My love for this poem started with the very first time I saw a picture of the statue named Lady Freedom on a handout from Ms. Serensky. Immediately I thought that Lady Freedom was “the most cultivated of ladies, and the very picture of respectability” (Wilde 50). The speaker in the poem targets people with unenthusiastic and negative views of America to emphasize that the right to freedom and democracy makes the United States one of the greatest nations on earth. The speaker wants people who take freedom lightly to remember the struggles our country has endured to preserve freedom. It is no secret that I am a very patriotic person so it should come as no surprise that I loved reading a poem about the positives of America. And although Lady Freedom’s gaze has seen some blemishes in American history, like the civil rights conflict with Martin Luther King Jr., Dove wants Americans to never forget that freedom makes us one of the greatest countries on earth. And it is this freedom that is exactly what she, Lady Freedom, represents. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable rights that Lady Freedom protects while standing atop the Capitol. These are the type of pillars that nations will continue to survive with forever, and currently, “Few girls of the present day have any really solid qualities, any of the qualities that last, and improve with time,” but Lady Freedom clearly possesses both (Wilde 47). Dove continues to urge Americans to thank the government for its success in preserving democracy and freedom for over 234 years. People all over the world willingly fight for democracy every day, especially within the last several months in Northern Africa. However, we have been fortunate enough to be afforded this privilege since the signing of the Constitution in 1787 and, “this is a matter of no small importance to me,” and I surely hope it is not a matter of small importance to you either (Wilde 51). I am very sorry to do this to you, but I must analyze my favorite two lines from the poem, “she has fitted her hair under a hand-me-down cap/ and spruced it up with feathers and stars” (Dove 12-13). Dove uses the “hand-me-down cap” as a synecdoche for Britain and since hand-me-downs have a negative connotation, Dove suggests that maybe America does not deserve the praise they receive for gaining freedom from England. However, Dove juxtaposes the positive diction like “spruced it up” with the “hand-me-down cap” in order to convey that America exists as much more that a mere “hand-me-down.” In fact, America exists as a free and independent country. Essentially, when Britain wanted to be our brother, America responded with, “I have no brother, I never had a brother, and I don’t intend to have a brother” (Wilde 48). America stood up to Britain and assertively took the stage as a new world power. Also in Dove’s original quote, she uses the “feathers” as a symbol for the bald eagle and the “stars” to represent the flag of the United States. Both the bald eagle and the American flag create a sense of patriotism from Americans. The feeling of patriotism, which I love so much, allows Dove to create a positive and jovial tone and assert that America exists as far more than a mere “hand-me-down,” America rules as a SUPERPOWER.

Lady Freedom on top of the Capitol Building

Field Trip

Dear Journal,

            Today I took a most lovely trip to the gorgeous theater district in Cleveland, Ohio with my AP English 12 class. This was a day I had been looking forward to ever since the calendar for November came out several weeks ago. This morning we went to our first period classes and then met in Sands Community room to leave for our special fieldtrip to see Othello. Upon walking into the room I could feel the knowledge circulating throughout among the many studious and intellectual conversations. After being introduced to the legendary Mr. Serensky, I boarded the school bus with several friends and the three other members of the Dream Team. Of course in our typical spirit of competition, we could not simply pass the time on the way downtown with friendly chitchat. Instead, we used iPods to play games of hangman. As you can imagine dearest journal, the games quickly became more and more intense and the trash talking picked up as well. I know, trash talking may seem like a bit of an anomaly from the Dream Team, but I think in games that require some education and intelligence, a little bit of mockery or downright insulting comes with the territory. Well, as the ride continued, John challenged me to face him and there was a lot riding on the game because I really wanted to beat him and then rub it in his face. I picked a special word that is fairly long but only has one vowel (I cannot reveal some of my better words to even you journal). So as the story goes, he had three blanks left, but only one guess. I won after he guessed the letter J. After winning the game I began to let him hear about it and then this next moment sticks out in my memory so clearly, it is as if I am currently visualizing it, “Please stop, he says, mouthing the words. And then suddenly there is silence” (Lahiri 92). The silence was then filled with laughter because I thought his feeble attempt at peace was extremely humorous. After a few more uneventful games, our bus arrived downtown. We took a very nice group picture in front of some random red fence near the theater. When we entered the theater I was very surprised because it had a small and intimate feel to it. In typical Chagrin fashion, we sat in the boxes of the balcony where we had more freedom because we could move our chairs around and arrange ourselves as we pleased. I really enjoyed the play because it not only helped clarify some of the more confusing or unspoken scenes, but also because it was very cool to hear the actors recite many of the same lines that I had memorized for my data sheet. At times, I felt like I knew the exact words that were coming out of the actors’ mouths. The audience was extremely well behaved, especially for a group of high school kids. I could only hope that maybe someone from a well-known national newspaper was in attendance to praise us in his own article. Well, after the long but interesting show, we boarded the buses again to return to Chagrin Falls High School. Ms. Serensky had a special afternoon planned for us because we all stayed in Sands to discuss the play (take detailed notes) and then eventually have lunch. I would expect nothing less from Ms. Serensky than having to complete a detailed packet for homework about the many relations or discrepancies between the novel and play. As we were diligently discussing, everyone was beginning to grow tired and antsy because it was approaching two o’clock and we had not eaten at all yet. We were promised pizza and many other snacks but it seemed like the pizza maybe would not come before the eighth period bell. After some encouragement from students, Ms. Serensky called up Zeppes to find out the status of our pizza. She spoke directly yet calmly to the phone operator, ‘“I have something very particular to ask you. Much depends on your reply”’ (Wilde 43). Luckily, the pizza showed up soon after. I must attribute the speedy deliver to the stern and demanding voice of Ms. Serensky. I was feeling absolutely famished so when I finally got some pizza, sun chips, and sprite in me, “I was getting so’s I could see some good in the life around me…I was feeling better than I’d remembered feeling since I was a kid” (Kesey 256). The perfect day was capped off with feast of food and I left school feeling very satisfied.

Othello the play

An Interesting Date

 Conversation between Dr. Chasuble and Maxine Ratliff

Chasuble: ‘“And how are we this morning?”’ (22)

           

Maxine: Pretty good how about you dear?

Chasuble: ‘“Very sad indeed”’ (26).

Maxine: Why on earth is that?

           

Chasuble: Well of course because I have to go to your parents’ house for lunch this afternoon. I just want it to be you and me.

Maxine: ‘“I suppose you’ve never been subjected to someone’s parents on the first date before”’ (135).

Chasuble: Listen, ‘“I have preached at harvest celebrations, christenings, confirmations on days of humiliation and festal days,”’ but lunch with the parents of a girl as adorable as you makes me quite nervous to say the least (27).

Maxine: ‘“Come on…I’ll show you the house”’ (131).

Chasuble: ‘“What seem to us bitter trials are often blessings in disguise,”’ so let’s drive on over there (28).

[Upon arriving at the house of Maxine and her parents]

Maxine: ‘“I should probably warn you that I live with my parents”’ (129).

Chasuble: ‘“You need have no apprehensions,”’ I will not judge you because of that (28).

Maxine: Also, I forgot to tell you that ‘“There’s plenty of wine in the trunk of the car”’ (145).

Chasuble: ‘“These are very joyful tidings”’ (28). But I’m gonna get real weird with it. Will your parents mind?

Maxine: ‘“Why on earth would they mind?”’ (129)

Chasuble: I mean real weird. Is that still gonna be okay?

Maxine: I think it’s a good thing I drove. I’ll just take you home if you start to embarrass yourself.

[Later that night]

Maxine: I’ve been doing some thinking recently and I think I have decided that I want to adopt a child. Things here in this giant house with my parents are getting a little boring.

Chasuble: ‘“But have you any grave doubts on the subject?”’ (27)

Maxine: ‘“You’ve never had a dog, have you?”’ (135)

Chasuble: Why on earth are you comparing a dog to a child. That just does not seem proper Max.

Maxine: I’m sorry I just meant that I would enjoy the companionship.

Chasuble: ‘“But is there any particular infant in whom you are interested?”’ (27)

Maxine: ‘“You should stay with me”’ tonight and we can discuss this matter (139).

Chasuble: ‘“My Child! My Child!”’ I failed to mention earlier that I am a married man. I had no idea that you would start talk about adopting a child with me on our first date. I just wanted to find a girlfriend because my wife is out of town so frequently.

Maxine: First of all, do not ever call me child.

Chasuble: ‘“But is a man not equally attractive when married?”’ (26)

Maxine: No, of course not. Look it was nice meeting you. What was your first name again?

[Exit Chasuble as Maxine slams the front door behind him]

Maxine (on right)

The Art of Bunburying

Dear Journal,

I could not be happier that today Ms. Serensky’s AP English class made me the focus of their class discussion after reading Act 1 of The Importance of Being Earnest. It was nearly the best day I ever had because they were all condemning me for my sneakiness and craftiness. They thought that they were ridiculing me but in reality, I took it as a compliment. I love to be described as mysterious, devious, and suspicious especially when it comes to my creative use of my dear friend Bunbury. The class was in disbelief that an innocent Englishman like me would do something so immoral as to ‘“invent an invaluable permanent invalid called bunburry, in order that I may be able to go down into the country whenever I choose”’ (6). I could not stop laughing to myself when I heard Sam Schiferl exclaim, “it is despicable that a gentleman like Algernon would deceive his friends and family by exploiting the vulnerability of invalids.” Alex Hurtuk then added that he was very upset that I would ever do anything other than, “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” However, this cunning maneuver allows me to so easily escape the company of in-laws who I do not want to dine with. It makes perfect sense and it is quite a genius idea if I do say so myself. Bunbury will become even more valuable after marriage because, ‘“a man who marries without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious time of it”’ (7). This was the other thing I saw very humorous in the class discussion—the willingness to criticize me for my cynicism towards love and marriage. It is extremely odd that a bunch of seventeen and eighteen year-old students would criticize an experienced lover such as myself on a topic that they have no real experience with. This only contributed to the fact that this was the best day I could ever have because I enjoyed watching the students make idealistic and ignorant claims about falling in love and making a definite proposal. As the ridiculing of my clever use of Bunbury dwindled, the class shifted to slamming Lady Bracknell, and let me tell you, ‘“I love hearing my relations abused”’ (15). In fact, it is really ‘“The only thing that makes me put up with them at all”’ (15). The end to a perfect day was finished off as I observed a pack of hyenas all acting like savages and going in for the kill on my closest relatives.
Sincerely,
Algy

Alex Hurtuk

Sam Schiferl (with other students in the background

Ashima Ganguli Interview - Tiger Times

Interview Transcript with Ashima

Me: Ashima Ganguli, thank you so much for joining me today for this interview. I really appreciate your time.

Ashima: Oh Thomas, it is quite an honor son.

Me: Well then, lets get right to it. Last year in AP English, you expressed some concern about raising a child in a country that was so foreign to you. Were you ever able to get over these concerns?

Ashima: You are correct as a future mother who has just moved from India I am deeply concerned. In fact, ‘“I am terrified to raise a child in a country where we are related to no one”’ (6). I have started to gain more Bengali friends in America, but friends are just not the same as family. Without my mother and father nearby it will be difficult to ever really move past my concerns of raising children in a country that is so far from my homeland and from where my parents once lived.

Me: Indian culture differs in many ways from American culture so how has it been difficult participating in a class where all of the other 21 students were all Americans?

Ashima: Obviously this was extremely difficult for me. I tried to teach them about my heritage but many times they seemed to rebel against us. It was almost as if they denied my Bengali viewpoints not because they did not like the Bengali customs, but because they wanted to defy me, like many other teenagers.  

Me: So as you stated many times last year in discussions, you plan to have kids soon after graduating from high school. How will you handle the issue of teaching them Bengali or American customs and traditions?

Ashima: Thomas, I have been asked this question many times in the past year because many students seem to be interested. The question is best answered with a little vision that I sometimes dream about in my head. Repeatedly I see this dream of going to the ocean with my husband and young son. And as my son ventures out on the rocks with my husband I call out, “‘He’s too little,… He’s too little to go so far”’ (186). The reason this story illustrates my approach to the assimilation of my future children is because the ocean symbolizes the American culture that they will want to assimilate into. Also, my own lack of enthusiasm to allow this future son to journey into the ocean demonstrates my reluctance to allow him to assimilate into American culture. Does this answer the question Mr. Donley?

Me: Very much so Mrs. Ganguli. Next I would like to know whom you turned to in times of desperation last year because we all experienced it. It is truly grueling at times.

Ashima: Well I really did not have many close friends here in America. Often times I would write to my relatives in India because as you already know, I ‘“have no relatives in this country”’ (79). I really relied on my good friend Joeseph Sitzwohl and I turned to him with all of my problems. But I did not start to trust him until many months after we met because my first impression was that he was a unique intellectual type person. But as we both grew closer I learned I could really confide in Joe.

Me: That brings me to another question I would like to ask. How did you handle Joe leaving AP Eglish?

Ashima: As I just said, his decision to leave was very hard on me because I did not have anyone else I was so close to.

Me: But you should not be angry with him. He just wanted some time to work on some of his songs that he has recently produced. He has a whole album and all of the songs are quite good if you have not heard any of them yet.

Ashima: Do not try to tell me how I should feel about my friend’s behavior. You know Thomas, you are a bold reporter to make a statement like that.

Me: You can blame my AP English class. This year they have imbedded in me the willingness to quickly criticize others. I am terribly sorry.

Ashima: Just do not let it happen again.

Me: I do not mean to be rude, but you did have other classmates.

Ashima: I was not finished yet Mr. Donley.

Me: Well actually, I am finished because that is all of the time I have today. Thank you very much for meeting me today and this will appear on Monday in the Tiger Times as the feature story.

Ashima: Great, I am looking forward to it. 

Ashima's Senior Picture