EDU 3234 Readings And Project Work For Teaching Literature in ESL Contexts (Proposal for Research Paper)

Author: Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake)
Bharati Mukherjee (Jasmine)

Aspect of the writer’s work: Treatment of theme in both novels.

Title on Research paper: The portrayal of the theme of construction of
immigrant identities through characterization in
The Namesake and Jasmine.

Points:

-both novels represent the immigrant experience in the States.

-mainly search for each own identities.

-looking at the diaspora between two different cultures.In The Namesake, the family is a Bengali and in Jasmine is Punjabi.

-the issues and confrontations that both characters deal with.

-looking at both side of the characters on how they cope/adjust themselves according to the situation in America.

-the challenges in accepting one’s own identity.

-it chronicles on what is to become an American.

-the accepatance to live in a foreign country whose culture and thinking is entirely different from their homelands.

-tangled tied between generations.(can be seen from the novel The Namesake)

-family,tradition and self-experience.

-2nd generation Americans

Implications for Education:

-educating the students at a broader range on migrant issues.

-introducing new terms like diaspora so that the students will be familiar with such terms.

-spatial differences (setting).For example a person’s homeland and the place which he or she is going to migrate can make the students see the differences between the person’s life before and after decides something.This can show to the students the emotion of the person, the challenges,acceptability,culture gap and different ways of living from wider horizon.

-the students will be able to look at the experiences of different countries.

-understanding of the writers’ feelings.

-broaden the students knowledge in looking at things from a different angle.The students can relate to their own life experiences if they face the same situation like the characters involved in the story which in turn can enhance their thinking skills.

-better understanding of the Indian diaspora.

-talk about the migrant identities.

-can show example like in Malaysia the 2nd ,3rd or 4th generation of people.

Unexpected meeting with Adibah Noor. A sweet memory to be cherished.

Last Thursday I went to Kinokuniya to look for this book ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini. I was searching for this book and finally I managed to grab it. It is a novel about modern Afghanistan. Actually I came with this author when I saw a big poster in ouf faculty library. I read the review and I found it to be interesting. So I just grabbed it and took it to the payment counter. While I was waiting in the payment counter, I saw a lady quite familiar. I have seen in the Just English magazine where there is an article on Adibah Noor and I know how she looks like. I turned my head slightly down and it is Adibah Noor. I quickly greeted her and I couldn’t imagine I’m talking to a person after so many years I always wanted to see her. She also was very delighted to meet me and as usual I introduced myself. She also advice me not only to be a good educator but also a good teacher. For your information guys, she is still singing. Since there is not much time left and lots of her fans taking snaps, hugging and kissing her, I asked her for an autograph. She also told me to pass her warm regards to you all friends all also all the TESL lecturers in UPM. What a wonderful experience meeting with her. I told my parents whom I met today and they said that it is my luck that I managed to see her. I will not forget this wonderful moment.

The 5 main points

Today, we continued with some discussion on the 5 main points for the position paper. Mine have been approved by I still want to make sure its correct. So I showed the 5 main points to Dr.Edwin and guess what I can already start working on it. I was very happy that now I can start writing the first draft. What a wonderful experience on position paper. After all the weeks of preparing researching and reworking on the points, at last I managed to do it.
Good luck to others with your 5 points.

2nd meeting with Dr.Ed for research paper

Today, we had our 2nd meeting with Dr.Edwin. I was very happy that my research paper is settled and I can begin with my next journey that is preparing on draft. Overall, my outline is very detail and now I have to work on specifically on what I’m going to talk about. As I have mentioned earlier I will be doing on two different authors but dealing with the same issue. I will also be looking on this term ‘diaspora’ which deals with the two novels which I will be looking at.

Diaries. It’s a good way of getting to know ourselves better

Today, we went on a new topic that is discussing on diaries. I really like to read authors diaries because it gives me an awareness of the people who is talking about his or her life. Also, the person’s experiences and his or her revelations in it. It also can act as a source of relieve especially for people who are undergoing the same situation as in the person in the diary. This will make the reader to create a strong bond between himself or herself and the person in the story. Dr.Ed proposed this question to us on ‘What do diaries tell us about the writer?. My response is that it tells about the writer’s feelings and revelations about personal ideology which is controlled through religion, values, cultures and ethnicity. It is also private and personal. Apart from that, writer’s of diaries have a positive impact towards their work. This what makes them to write freely, openly and without any feelings of shameness or guiltness. Also Dr.Ed stated that fictional diaries are literary genres which is closely related to the issue being said by the writer. For your information friends, I do not keep any record in diaries but after listening to Dr.Edwin’s lecture, I thought maybe I should start keeping a diary. It will be useful to understand myself better as well as for keeping an account of whatever information which I find it to be useful. Thanks to Dr.Ed for introducing us to the background of diaries as well as alerting us the impotance of diary. Your lecture has open my eyes to the world of diaries. Besides that, Dr.Ed has also suggested for us to look for this author Sue Townsend on her work ‘Secret Diaries of Adrian Mole’. So my duty over this weekend is to go to Kinokuniya and find this book. Also friends, not forgetting our readings on “Quotes from “The Andy Warhol Diaries” and also Kafka, 1910 Diaries. Hmmm, lots of reading to be done.

The Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela.Discussion on the 2nd part

Today, we continued our discussion on autobiography. Dr.Ed discussed on the use of clothing. This aspect can be seen in the story where it says ‘Apartheid’s regulations extended even to clothing. What it shows here is that the use of clothing is considered as symbolic to freeman and prisoner. There are other variety uses of clothing like to show the hierarchical position in society. If we take a glance during the early Vitorian and Romantic period, the ladies usually wear heavy gowns with jewelleries and hair bands attached them. For those who do not come under this category will only wear simple clothing. This is because of the royal patriarchal family where men and ladies have dresses which show their position in the society whereas those who do not fall under the royal family are not required to wear the same clothing as they because the power and status will decrease. Apart from that the use of clothing can also be as a form of controlling people which reflects theirselves. Dr.Ed has also stated there are lessons which we can gain from this story. One of it is the need to speak out for own rights. The word “our” is talking about the community. We have to be strong in order to speak because only by speaking we can reveal our judgement and acceptability of what we are saying. Also be willing to pay the price for your stand shows that you are doing for yourself, not for anybody, so whatever decision you make will not go waste. Generally, Nelson Mandela is actually trying to express his willingness to sacrifice his youth. Does it sound very motivational? Yes indeed and he is a person who has a strong heart on giving whatever things that he need to say. What a wonderful person.

Discussion on research paper: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri and Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee

For my research paper, we had a meeting on Wednesday. All of us met in JPPL building to discuss what we are going to do. I will be doing on Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake. Firstly, I told Dr.Ed that I will be working on this one novel but actually we have to work on two novels. I said WOW!, so I have to choose another novel. So during the class, I kept thinking which author I am going to work on. I was scratching my head, scribbling all the authors which I knew on a paper until the paper is full of blue ink. Then suddenly, I came across with this author by the name Bharati Mukherjee. Sounds like a sister to Rani Mukherjee, one of the actors in Bollywood movies don’t you think. Actually she is either a sister or actor in Bollywood movie, she is infact a quite well established writer. She has written quite a number of fiction and non – fiction books and most of it touches on Indian immigrants life experiences . One of her novels which I will be working is entitled Jasmine. Both Jhumpa and Bharati are Bengalis from Calcutta and their stories mainly about Indian ‘diaspora’ of immigrants going to a different country and how they cope with the changes and challenges they face in a country which is different from their own of time and space. It’s really interesting to find out what is in tore in their life. It makes you think, appreciate and preserve your own culture. So after the class, I quickly ran down and told Dr.Ed that I will be working on this author and guess what, he said Okay, carry on. So I will be working on two different authors but dealing with the same issue. There will be a lot of research going to be done and I have to go the library to find articles, magazines or journals for this paper. Also Dr.Edwin told us to do an outline of what we are going to do. Over the weekend, I will be working on this. I have to look on the theme which I ‘m going to work on and also the implication towards education in the classroom. I hope friends, you also have started your research paper. So this weekend, I will put on my door ‘RESEARCH IS GOING ON’ . Have fun.