Month: October 2019

There is a lot that happens between the span of these chapters, but through it all we truly see Dave grow. Although he is only 14, I feel like he does many things that older kids would be doing or maybe just compared to me we have very different lives. Dave starts off as a lonely teenager at the beginning, even saying that Kevin is his only friend because their parents force them to be. Dave does not have someone he can truly rely on or even call a friend. Most people around him just bully him and don’t see much in him. This is most likely due to the fact that he is white and goes to a school that is mostly populated by blacks. But then Dave meets Marlon and their relationship quickly grows. At first, what connects these two is the fact that they are both Celtics fans, but after that, they see each other a lot more often and seem as if they are best friends. We can tell that Dave truly likes being around Marlon and has respect for him. Marlon does not really show how he is feeling but because he always seems to stand up for Dave, he may also feel the same way. I believe that chapter 6 was the most interesting of all chapters, as we begin to see Dave’s and Marlon’s friendship break apart. Dave drags Marlon to dig snow and the boys end up seeing a group of guys. Because Marlon stands up for himself he ends up getting beat up, Marlon just watches feeling helpless. This causes Marlon to believe that Dave does not care and is just a selfish person who wouldn’t stand with him against the guys. Dave feels guilty and wants to make up for his mistakes but doesn’t know-how. Could it be the force that keeps their friendship apart? I believe that Dave and Marlon make great friends and they have a lot to learn from one another.

Green is a novel that focuses on a white boy names David and grows up in Boston. He faces many hardships with his race and how people view him. David does not want to deal with any racism and go to a private school instead, but he is forced to go to Martin Luther King Jr high school, which is a high school with the majority of students being black. The only white students are David and Kevin but Kevin is half Armenian, leaving David to be the only truly white student at his school. There are many students at his school that pick on him solely because of his skin color. In today’s world, it is often seen how blacks are mistreated but this book flips the situation. That was one thing I really enjoyed so far through reading this book. Throughout my personal years of high school, I felt like there was a big emphasis on racism towards African Americans, but reading a book where the situation is in reverse is interesting. Not only are blacks being oppresses by racism but this book shows how white people could be as well. The book continues by introducing characters like Benno, who is Davis’s quite brother and Marlon who David becomes a bit closer to through chapter 2. David tries his best to make friends and fit in but he truly does not because of his skin color. He makes his mom buy him and basketball suit from an NBA team, but the students at school quickly show him that it was a bad idea. Although there is an obvious difference if the student’s race, I notice that there are subtle things that connect the students such as basketball. Maybe David is not so different from the rest of the students, but they might not be able to understand that.

The film “Moonlight” was about a boy named Chiron who has to deal with his sexuality while growing up in Miami. He goes through many other hardships in his life on-top of the many people who are viewing him for being different. I thought that the film was very intense as Chiron faced many obstacles trying to set him back. This film brought me to the realization how how gay people are living their lives in the real world. I believe it is true that they do face many hardships because of who they choose to be. But Chiron was not set back from the obstacles he faced as he grew up building up his own identity and not letting others decide who he is. Despite being able to build his own identity, it is confusing if that is who Chiron truly is. During the first two acts of the film I believe that Chiron was mostly the same character, but after moving to Atlanta he became a new person. I though that the movie was great and I did enjoyed it. The film opened my mind up to the many hardships that someone trying to figure out their identity must face.

In chapter 10, Gogol and Moushumi begin to grow apart further, as it is very noticiable in this chapter. This chapter focuses more on Moushumi as she creates an affair. We already know how Gogol is feeling about the relationship, but Moushumi appears to be feeling the same way. I believe the reasson for all this is because it was all aranged. Although they both may have been able to connect in someway, it was all arranged meaning they never truly wanted this marriage. Moushumi reunites with an old friend of hers, Dimitri, and then the two of them begin an affair. Moushumi feels true love between the two, something she does not feel with Gogol.

In chapter 11, the focus shifts back to Gogol and explores more about how he is feeling about the relationship. Gogol is very invested in his architecture work but we see he does care about Moushumi. He missed how their was more love in the relationship before but has grown weaker overtime. Gogol wants to show his appreciation and love for his wife and remind her that he does love her. Moushumi leaves for a conference in palm beach but does not take her bathing suit and Gogol notices, but does not suspect anything. For lunch at work, Gogol decided to go out to find a christmas gift for Moushumi, still wanting to prove that he loves her. He does not really know what she desires and ends up buying tickets to travel to Italy. He returns back to his apartment at the end of the chapter and is informed that his wife has returned. I believe that Moushumi has made a big mistake but at the same time she wants Dimitri and not Gogol. The right thing that Moushumi should have done was told the truth to Gogol. I dont believe she will stop with Dimitri, the reasson being is that she is not in love with Gogol.

Chapter 12 takes place during christmas eve. Ashima makes dinner for her family a final time before leaving to Calcutta to spend more time with her family. She is happy about Sonia and her husband Ben and says that Gogol and Moushumi are better off being apart if they do not love each other. Gogol and Moushumi divorce as Gogol finds out about Dimitri, I believe this was the best for Gogol to be able to move on and focus more on his personal life and finding someone that he truly wants to be with. At the dinner, Gogol finds the book that was once given to him by his father and saw it as an oppourtunity to finally connect to his father. I thought this was a great ending as Gogol found himself back at his given name and not Nikhil. Gogol’s name had alot of meaning to him and the people around him and this was proven from beginning to the end of the novel.

Chapter 7 begins with Ashima and her life. She now lives alone in Pemberton road as Gogol lives with Maxine, Ashoke is working as a professor in Cleaveland and Sonia who has moved to California. Ashoke then calls his wife Ashima to inform her that he is in the hospital and that it is just an upset stomach. Ashima then begins to worry and starts thinking of possible worse things that could happen to him. She then calls back the hospital and is informed about her husbands death. Gogol then learns of his fathers death and travel to Cleaveland, where Ashoke was working, to pick up his belongings. This part of the book reminded me of a prevoius chapter earlier in the book where both Ashoke and Ashimas parents past away. Their deaths were both very unexpected and sort of came out of nowhere in the book. I was suprised to read about Ashokes death as I too was not expecting it and left me stunned. There is then a family gathering that is held for Ashoke and Maxine joins as well. I saw this as Maxine being their for Gogol and supporting him at his time of need.

In chapter 8, Gogol ends things with Maxine. This makes me confused about Gogol and how he feels about women, does he truly see himself settling with a women? Gogol’s mother wants him to have a girlfriend and arranges him to meet Moushumi. They go on three dates together and fall in love with each other, Gogol then propeses to her and she accepts. Moushumi used to be with an American banker, which proves to be trouble later for Gogol.

Chapter 9 fast fowards an year, and Moushumi and Gogol’s parents begin to prepare a ceremony for their marriage. They then move in together as husband and wife living a happy life. But Gogol then sees an old wedding dress in Moushumi’s closet and worries if they should have married, if the American banker was Moushumi’s true love. Gogol and Moushimi then are at an apartment, a dinner party by Donald and Astrid. In a conversation, Moushumi reveals what her name means then reveals that Gogol is Nihkil’s first name. I found this to be rude as that might have been sensitive information to Gogol but was randomly said in public. I believe it is at this point at which Gogol and Moushumi begin to grow apart.