Similar Differences

I particularly enjoyed The Namesake and feel like I can relate to the characters in many ways.  My father immigrated to the United States from Syria and brought with him enriching culture.  Although my mother is not an immigrant, I still feel like I can relate well to Gogol and Sonia, born in America with immigrant parents.  My similarities make me feel extensive anger towards Gogol and his childish rebellion of culture, language, and parents, but I also understand some of his angst.  As a child, my father taught my sisters and I Arabic phrases and told us interesting stories about his homeland, but I was never pressured to take culture classes or speak the language, like Gogol.  I think my parent's ease with my interest in our heritage, unlike Ashoke and Ashima's pressure, made me embrace my culture more.  In intermediate and middle school, I felt discomfort due to the differences of my classmates' backgrounds and my own, but as I matured, I became more interested with my background.  I feel like if Ashoke and Ashima, although difficult, did not force their Bengali culture on their children, life would be happier for the Ganguli family.