Ch 3
What grade is Gogol in during chapter 3?
Pre-K
How old is Gogol during this chapter?
14
What college is Gogol going to?
Yale
Who is the principal at Gogols school?
Ms. Lapidus
What does Gogol love about India?
The architecture of the palace in Agra
What is Gogols "good name"?
Nikhil
Who does Gogol meet at his second birthday party? (Use details)
Moushumi, an Indian girl who is from England. She has an English accent and does not watch TV. She perfers books over people.
What does Gogol change his name to?
What did Ashima and Ashoke name their second child?
Sonali "she who is golden"
What realization does Gogol come to while in India?
His parents only know Calcutta. While seeing other parts of India, he realizes his parents are also foreigners in their own home.
What happens on Gogols first day of school?
He does not want to be called Nikhil. He wants to be called Gogol but his father does not allow it. The staff at the school decides to call him Gogol instead and this upsets Ashima and Ashoke.
Where do the Gangulis move to during this chapter?
India,Calcutta
What happens between Gogol and his parents?
Before Gogol goes to college, he is angry and tells his parents that Gogol is not a Bengali name and it is a very bad name. That Gogol was a depressed person. Ashima and Ashoke are confussed by this but allow him to make his own choice.
Why are the Ganguli children upset during chapter 4?
They are upset because they are moving to India when they have lived in the US their whole life. Gogol was a 10th grader at the time and was sad about leaving his friends.
How long do the Gangulis stay in India?
8 months and because Ashoke took a sabbatical from work.
What big event happens to Ashima during chapter 3?
She is pregnant again with a baby girl
What does Ashoke give Gogol on his birthday and why?
He gives him Nikolai Gogol's short stories. He wants to tell him why he is named Gogol but instead leaves him with a quoe. "We all came out of Gogol's overcoat" which is a reference to one of his most famous stories.
What is Gogols freshman year in college like? Paint me a picture.
While at college, Gogol is smoking, drinking, and partying. He keeps true to his Indian routes and does his duty as a son. He takes the tain home regularly to visit his family. He argues with Ashima and Ashoke often and thinks of college as his "home".
What is Gogols highschool experience like?
He starts drinking and smoking without his parents realizing. He ends up at a college party one night (where his dad works) and ends up kisisng a girl named kim. He starts calling himself Nikhil as he is ashamed of the name Gogol.
What does Gogol find out during his 11th grade English class?
His teacher assigns some readings from Nikoli Gogol and explains Gogol had a sad life. He had mania and depression and eventually died from self inflicted malnutrition. This upsets Gogol.
How long have Ashima and Ashoke been living in the U.S by the time chapter 3 is over?
10 years
Why does Gogol celebrate his birthday twice?
Gogol first has a birthday party with his school friends, watching basketball and eating pizza. After, Ashima throws him another party with all their Bengali friends from Boston (traditional party).
What big event happens at the end of chapter 5?
During Gogols senior year, he is going home to Boston on the train. His train gets delayed because someone has commited suiced on the tracks. Once he finally reachs Boston his father is waiting for him. Gogol is confussed as to why Ashoke waited so long and was so worried. Ashoke finally explains the train accident that happened to him in India.
Dissect Gogols character. Tell me about him and his personality.
He is a spoiled child. He often times hates his Indian heritiage and does not understand his parents. He acts reckless at times.
Who does Gogol fall in love with during chapter 5? How did they fall in love?
Ruth. He met her on the train when he was going home to visit his parents. They later fall out of love when she leaves to study abroad for a year.