The Namesake Essay

For starters, Ashoke and Gogol were different because they didn’t really have the same culture even though both of them are Indian. Ashoke was born and raised in India, unlike Gogol who was born and raised in America. Ashoke felt as if he was living in a foreign land because even though he had lived in America for many years, it was not a part of his culture. When they move back to Calcutta for eight months Ashoke felt alive and he felt like he could enjoy life because he wasn’t being judged by others. On the other hand, Gogol was born and raised in America and he had adopted the American culture. Gogol hated leaving The United States to move to Calcutta for eight months. In addition, he felt like an outsider because even though he was Indian he had never been around that culture so he didn’t really see the Indian culture as being a part of him. Gogol was more American than he was Indian, because he had been raised in America rather than India.

Even after Ashoke dies Gogol takes it upon himself to withhold the tradition of shaving his head. This is something Gogol witnessed his father do when he was young and his grandfather had passed away. Ashima even tells him he does not have to do it however, Gogol wants to.It is here that he begins to understand why his parents continue these sort of traditions even though they have been away from India for so long. The older Gogol becomes the more he begins to realize that family and traditions are important because family will not always be around and traditions will. As Gospol reasons that “Rather than opposing tradition since it no longer wields any real power, the young invest it with sentiment,” (Bollywood, 27). This is true of Gogol. He stops opposing traditions and instead puts sentimental value into it after losing his father. Traditions can be however, be changed and adapted as needed such as Ashima is fine with the idea of her children not marrying Indians or having love marriages. Ashima and Ashoke had an arranged marriage which is traditional. They adapted their way of thinking and did not force their children to marry Indians.

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

On Gogol’s first day of school, he gets his first taste of the cultural tension that his name and “good name” generate in

Before his father’s death, Gogol struggles with his name and being pulled between two cultures, and is at a point in his life where he is least comfortable with himself. Gogol dates

As Gogol grows, he begins to hate his name as Gogol, and requests to change his name to Nikhil. ""What is the reason you want to change your name, Mr. Ganguli?" the judge asks. … "I hate the name Gogol," he says. "I always hated it."" (p.101-102) as Gogol brings up this topic to discuss during dinner befor he changes his name in the summer, Gogol claims that because he is an Indian with a Russian name in America, nobody is taking him seriously, thrust requesting to change his name into Nikhil, even if it makes a huge hassle to change his legal documents. With out the question of his rare name and confusion of the choice, Gogol accepts himself more easier and believes that he has become more Americanized. Gogol sees himself more Americanized as people do while he attends parties and other group activities in his social circle.

In Jhump Lahiri’s The Namesake Gogol Ganguli is constantly forced to choose between his American side and his Bengali side. Throughout the novel he has many relationships and goes through many stages of life, especially with his name. Gogol is running from his culture, but his culture has been so forced and pushed on him his entire life he will never really be free from his Bengali culture. From a young age Gogol has had a separation from his culture. So it is up to him to choose whether he wants to follow his cultural traditions or be a full and true American.

In light of Gogol’s parent’s cultural roots and norms it is difficult foreign born Americans to assimilate into a new society. Gogol’s sudden change in “normal” can be traumatic discouraging for him to conform into what is “normal” in America. “The New World offers professional opportunity and financial betterment but also insists on assimilation and acculturation, a rejection of old habits, traditions and conditioning, and a merging with the culture of the new context […] invited to experience the death of the self as he has known it. He is asked to despise home culture which is seen by the New World as inferior, as less

(12). Ashima and Gogol are facing the same process of integrating into two totally different cultures but maintain different levels in assimilating and forming American identities.

Using The Namesake, is a perfect example of the struggle some might face. Gogol, one of the main characters is a first generation Indian - American. Both parents were born and raised in india,

In the novel we see Gogols shame towards his culture displayed through his unease with his cultural traditions when Maxine is invited to his house for lunch. Gogol thinks to himself of the meal his mother has prepared by saying “it is a meal he knows has taken his mother over a day to prepare, and yet the amount of effort embarrasses him” (148). Gogols

He is making something of himself and venturing into the life of a real adult. After he earns his graduate degree in architecture, he moves into an apartment in New York City. He then gets a laid back job at an architecture firm and gets invited to a loft party by a co-worker. There he meets a classy girl named Maxine and they immediately hit it off. The two spend so much time together that Gogol hardly ever stays at his own apartment anymore. His mother asks him to visit home before his father leaves for a research job in Ohio, and he brings Maxine along to meet the family. When Gogol is telling his father goodbye, his father calls him “Gogol” in front of Maxine, which is odd for her because she has only known him as Nikhil; however, she doesn’t ask many questions and quickly drops it. As readers, we may assume Maxine is thinking she doesn’t even know the man she is dating and we wonder if she is much more curious than she may seem. After returning from a party with Maxine and her parents, he receives a call from his younger sister, Sonia, informing him of his father’s death. This is extremely symbolic because not only has Gogol lost his father, but because of the connection between his father and his name, he has also lost a piece of himself. Maxine offers to go with Gogol and is very upset when he turns her down, but Gogol was firm in his decision because he knows he must comfort his family in their time of mourning. On the eleventh day,

Despite the differences in life perspective, the two characters continues to live in respect of each other. However, the unfortunate death of Ashoke rings a bell to Gogol’s realisation. Gogol realises that Ashoke’s intention has never been to shape his son to what he wants him to be, Ashoke just wished Gogol learns to accept who he is, either Indian or American. What matters is Gogol knows how to find the balnance between who he is and who he wants to be. “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.

Outside of home and in school, Gogol was forced to adopt an American culture and behavior patterns. I believe maintaining a different culture at the same time as adapting to American culture was difficult for him and it shaped his personality. For example, Gogol was born in America, but his parents Ashima and Ashoke always kept their own tradition and culture, such as food, clothes, house, and language. This lead Gogol to be confused about which culture to follow and since he was exposed to American culture more by school, outside and peers, he adopts American culture more.

A major turning point in his life was when his dad died. He realized life was short and he no longer wanted to be apart from his family. However, he is still with Maxine, a self centered and jealous girl. Despite his father’s passing, Maxine still wants Gogol to go on vacation with her for New Years. Gogol is not quite ready to leave his family so soon and replies, “I don’t want to get away” (Lahiri 182). This shows how Gogol’s priorities are changing. Before, he would have never thought twice about accepting Maxine’s invitation, but now he wants time to think and appreciate the moments he lost. This quote is placed by the artery that connects the two halves of the heart to represent his transition from spending his life immersed in romantic love to spending as much time as possible with his family. Gogol has many fond memories of his dad from when he was a kid. He remembers the time when he and his father walked all the way out to a lighthouse at the beach, while his mother stayed back with Sonia who was too young to come along. It was a moment shared between only him and his father and archived in only their minds. There was no picture taken to capture that moment. His father, wanting Gogol to remember this well into adulthood said, “Remember that you and I made this journey together to a place where there was nowhere