After finishing reading the book and seeing that Gogol has reconnected with his Bengali roots, it seems to me that he will visit his mother often in Calcutta and will keep in touch with the Bengali friends that, for so long, have been like family to him. I imagine him becoming a renowned architect and an associate in the New York architecture firm he works at. Although his name, Nikkhil, will be included in the firm’s name, he will no longer reject the name Gogol, but will miss it since being called like that will remind him of his father. I imagine Gogol travelling the world, learning about other cultures and, eventually, meeting a girl that will make him happy.
The interrelationship between “The Overcoat,” written by Nikolai Gogol, and “Gogol,” written by Jhumpa Lahiri, may not be apparent at first, but with the help of “My Two Lives,” also written by Jhumpa Lahiri, one can see that both “The Overcoat” and “Gogol” are connected by ties that hold them together. Although Gogol and the speaker in “My Two Lives” share similar backgrounds and can directly relate to each other, Akaky can also connect to Lahiri and Gogol because all they all yearn for acceptance from those around them. One point of comparison is the practice of naming connects Akaky, from “The Overcoat”, and Gogol together by having similar practices. Another similarity between all three works is that each main character questions their identity, eventually overcoming their struggle of being seen as different.
Throughout the novel The Namesake you see the similarities and the differences between Gogol and Ashoke. Ashoke is born in India and he has made himself an educated man, he has also worked hard for his family to provide for them and show them how to succeed in America. Gogol is Ashoke’s son, Gogol has some hard times trying to figure out who he is as a person and who he wants to be. Both father and son seem to be so different on the surface when really, deep down they are so much alike.
The major reason that causes Gogol to rethink his relationships and his identity is the meaning of his name. When he was younger, he wanted to be called Nick and went by this name after high school. As he used the name, Nick, he severed ties with his traditions which showed from when he did not visit his parents and completely forgot his life before becoming Nick. Flashbacks were utilized several times in this film to portray Gogol growing up and the train crash which inspired Ashoke to name his son Gogol. In the scene where Ashoke drives with Gogol, he finally discloses how Gogol’s name really came to be. We see a flashback to the train collision when Ashoke was found
Who doesn’t know him. His parents tell him that they each have two names, too,as do all their Bengali friends in America, and all their relatives in Calcutta. It’s part of growing up, they tell him, part of being a Bengali...”(Lahiri,57). Consequently, this makes Gogol even more confused about the real identity of himself. Later on in the story, Gogol has to decide about the future of his pet name of “Gogol”. Gogol explains this thinking in this quote, “ without people in the world to call him Gogol, no matter how long he himself lives,Gogol Ganguli will, once and for all, vanish from the lips of loved ones, and so, cease to exist. Yet the thought of this eventual demise provides no sense of victory, no solace. It provides no solace at all.”(Lahiri,289). Gogol thinks
Gogol grapples with his name throughout the majority of the novel, yet this tension was in the makings even before his birth. Ashoke and Ashima being immigrants set Gogol up to live in two different cultures, American and Bengali. Many children of immigrants may feel like Gogol, having one foot in each world. Gogol framed his struggle with cultural identity through something tangible, his name. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake, Gogol’s struggle with cultural identity is exposed most greatly by the name others call him and his reaction to it.
Chapter two was an emotional rollercoaster. Some events were joyful and celebratory such as the first rice ceremony while some events were melancholy like Ashima’s father dieing. The first event that took place in the book was Gogol's birth. This event brought me joy and happiness because, the parent characters otherwise known as Ashima and Ashoke were overjoyed at the sight of their infant. In addition, Gogol's birth is an important stepping stone to their life in America. His birth started their life in America because that's when Ashima and Ashoke, specifically Ashima started to realize what living as an American family was like. Before and for a short period of time after Gogol was born. Ashima was set on having her grandmother name him
In the beginning of the novel, Gogol’s struggle with his identity begins with his name. The first issue was when he was first born. His mother, Ashima, and his father, Ashoke, had planned on waiting for a letter containing the chosen names for their child from Ashima’s grandmother in India, to arrive. But the hospital would not let them be discharged until the baby had a name. Soon enough Ashoke had come up with a name. When Lahiri writes, “But for the first time he thinks of that moment not with terror, but with gratitude” (Lahiri 28), it is evident that after the train accident Ashoke does not remember the
His response to his cultural collision is very unique. From this cultural collision Gogol questions himself and his life decisions. Gogol isn't embarrassed by his Bengali culture, he shares both cultures. Except Gogol is more immune to the American traditions so he uses it more. Because
He is bewildered as to why his father named him Gogol as it not Bengali nor a normal American name which leads him to struggle to understand himself and his identity. In Bengali families, "individual names are sacred, inviolable. They are not meant to be inherited or shared" (28). However, Gogol grows up living in America, where children are often ashamed of their differences from others. As a teenager, Gogol desires to blend in and to live unnoticed. This presents a struggle between two cultures. Ashima and Ashoke want to raise Gogol and his younger sister with Bengali culture and values. On the other hand Gogol grew wanting to belong by relating mostly to peers and the surrounding culture in America. It is only much later in their lives that they begin to truly value their Bengali heritage and that Gogol finds the importance in his name. During high school Gogol struggles to accept his name as he sees it has no real significance not him. When Gogol heads for college he rejects his identity completely and legally changes his name to Nikhil which allows him to somewhat feel a sense of belonging as this name relates to his Bengali roots, even though he had been ashamed of those exact roots in schooling. Gogol dreads having to go visit home and return to a life where he is "Gogol". To him, Gogol is not only his name; it bears all his discomfort and struggles to fit into two different cultures as he grew up. His life at college makes it easy for Gogol to live as
Many second generation minorities from immigrant parents are driven subconsciously to conform to new culture and social norms. For foreign born parents and native born children integrating the two cultures they inhabit brings about different obstacles and experiences. In Jhumpa’s “The Namesake” the protagonist Gogol is a native born American with foreign born parents. The difference with birth location plays an important role in assimilating to a new society in a new geography. The difficulty for parents is the fact that they’ve spent a decent amount of time accustomed to a new geography, language, culture and society which makes it difficult to feel comfortable when all of that changes. For Gogol the difficulty only lies with the cultural norms imposed by his parent’s and the culture and social norms that are constantly presented in the new society.
I think Gogol will keep working as an architect and perhaps in some future he will meet a decent woman. It’s hard to preserve your self-esteem when you been cheated. Gogol will make new friends, so he can boost his confidence and self-esteem. After the betrayed of Moushumi, Gogol had a hard time dealing this problem. He was on his 30’s when he got married and divorced at the same time. On the next page during the party, his mother will introduce him to new candidates for a wife. But he will refuse to marry one of them. After serval years passed, Gogol will find himself with the necessity of finding
The setting impacts the narrative in chapter seven because it's the time when Gogol's father - Ashoke - passes away. It makes the narrative seem more bleak and sad. In the beginning you are told that he went to the emergency room for a upset stomach, but then you find out he had a heart attack. It's a type of shock that makes thing bleak and sad, because you didn't know it was coming which, incidentally, caused this reaction. Gogol goes to the hospital to identify Ashoke's body and naturally a hospital isn’t a fun and exciting place, plus you add on the sadness of Gogol dead father.
The author Jhumpa Lahiri shows how much Gogol has developed and matured throughout the course of the novel. From the the beginning of The Namesake to the end, Gogol is shown developing intellectually. Gogol intellectually improves himself by allowing himself to be more acquainted with his name and identity which gogol prefers to be referred to as. In the third chapter of The Namesake, Gogol takes on one of his first challenges when Gogol is introduced to his first year school. Gogol is perturbed when he finds out that Ashok and Ashima were allowing the other children to call Gogol by his “good name,” Nikhil instead of Original name Gogol. Although, Gogol had never had someone refer to him by anything other than Gogol throughout his entire life, Gogol is perplexed as to why he is being referred to by two names. The Principal of the school refers to him as “Nikhil” in a conversation, Gogol chooses not to respond. As Gogol is in the office with Mrs.Lapidus Ashok says “Go on Gogol”. In doing so Ashoke bagans to worry that by doing so Mrs.lapidus would began to catch on, however,
Gogol’s Parents, Ashima and Ashoke, gave him a name to add meaning and purpose to his life. The meaning is shown through Ashoke giving his son a name that represents hope for a better life and second chances yet it also represents tragedy. Nikolai Gogol, at the scene of Ashoke’s train wreck has passed away and this has a connection with Gogol’s life. When looking at his life it seems to be filled with confusion, disappointments, and dead-ends (Such as?) as he struggles to figure out whom he is and where he believes the curse of his namesake will lead him next.
see a short story about a poor man wishing to survive in a cruel world. However,