The Responsibility of Intellectuals (293)

I am making my way through White Teeth. It's really good, the stories are interesting and they connect so well (a pre-cursor to Crash, perhaps?). I couldn't help but see similarities between this book and The Namesake, particularly here: "'Well,' said Joyce...'you look very exotic. Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?' 'Willesden,' said Irie and Millat simultaneously. 'Yes, yes, of course, but where originally?'" (265) I don't know exactly where it is in The Namesake, but this is exactly what Gogol experiences at his birthday party with Gerald and Lydia. This form of exotifying and otherizing (xeno-izing?) is present in U.S. and England. So, yes, this is something that stuck out to me in this dense book. Happy reading, guys and see you next week!