In the Ted Talk Why children of immigrants experience guilt it talks about how kids have to feel guilt of having to help their immigrant families. They say that guilt is not a bad thing and needs to be balanced. Guilt is a warning, something to note, but not to be afraid of. “Healthy guilt alerts us to our morality, to our morality, to the pain and hurt that we might be causing to other people.”(2 Kohli)
In the book The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is a book about a family that moves to Massachusetts from India. The mother Ashima is pregnant and tries to leave the hospital without naming him because of culture. The doctor says that can’t be done and they give him the name Gogol which is a pet name. Gogol then receives his “good name” Nikhil which is his more official name. Kids start making fun of Gogol’s name. Gogol changes his name to Nikhil. He then goes to Yale for architecture. Then his father tells him why he was named Gogol. Everyone in the family moves away from each other. The father is ill and in the hospital, and later is found out to be dead from a heart problem. Everyone moves back to Boston because of his death and Gogol becomes depressed. Gogol is depressed and is then told by his mom to go on an arranged date. Where he meets a girl he knew from past Bengali events. “I hate the name Gogol… I've always hated it.” (101 Lahiri)
Has your character experienced guilt, or are they feeling confident in their choices and decisions?
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