The Namesake

In, "The Namesake," Jhumpa Lahiri continues to tell the life of Gogol throughout his college life. In these next 25 pages, Gogol's twenty-seventh birthday arrives, and for the first time, he does not spend it with his parents. He leaves to New Hampshire with his friends, and while they're there, they throw him a party with several people he does not know. While he is there, he comes upon an ignorant woman—Pamela. She begins to ask Gogol questions about where it is he is from in India, and then moves on to saying how all Indians are skinny and don't get sick, never considering that Gogol is also part of the American culture having been born here in America. Having been his first birthday spent without his parnets, Gogol felt arush of indepencdence. Neither of his parents called to wish him happy birthday because Gogol had decided to isolate himself from his parents to isolate form the ciulture. Even though he knows his parents will not call, he still expects that phone call and begins to miss the presence of his parents—something he had thought would never expected to occur.

Quote: "With work as an excuse, he does not go home to Massachusetts all Summer."

Question: Why are people so ignorant about different cultures?