The Namesake Movie Themes

Gogol is able to temporarily separate himself by accepting a job in New York City as an architect and by moving in with his American girlfriend named Maxime. Because of Maxime and her family, Gogol is able to experience a form of intimacy and acceptance that he has never before experienced (Lahiri 132). However, as much as Gogol tries to detach himself from his Indian roots and expectations, he soon realizes that he is unable to completely dismiss his past. Gogol ends up marrying an old Bengali friend of his mother’s named Moushumi and starts to accept some aspects of his culture (Lahiri 219). However, Gogol still struggles with finding balance between what elements of his being he should refuse or accept. After his father dies and his marriage falls through with Moushumi, Gogol realizes that can never fully accept or fully deny his true identity. As seen in the last few pages of the novel, Gogol sits down to finally read the book that he was named after (Lahiri 291). This symbolizes Gogol’s attempts to accept all aspects of his identity; American, Russian, and Indian included. Through this act, Gogol is able to grasp the idea that he can find satisfaction in knowing that his identity is not have to be one element, but instead is multivariable and a reflection of the journey he endured to find his true

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.

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,

Intergenerational conflicts mainly involves in the process of searching identity in a new country. In The Namesake, it seems like the major part of the book is about Gogol’s identity formation and confusion. In fact, Ashima is also part of the process of forming American identity. One of the significant incident is the name-changing process of Gogol. At first, we can see how Gangulis’ parents Ashima and Ashoke are “still proudly and deeply entrenched in their Indian heritage” (Bhattacharyya 77), when they were asked to name their baby after themselves or one of the ancestors. They think “This tradition doesn’t exist for Bengalis, naming a son after father or grandfather, a daughter after mother or grandmother. This sign of respect in America and Europe, this symbol of heritage and lineage, would be ridiculed in India” (The Namesake 28). But later when Gogol ask to change the name, his parents agrees either because becomes accepting individualism or doesn’t want to explain why they name Gogol at the very first place. This explains how much Gogol wants to possess a new identity beyond his parents’ traditional norms.

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.

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

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.

It is very confusing because, “Not only does Gogol Ganguli have a pet named turned good name, but also a last name turned first name. And so it occurs to him that no one he knows in the world, in Russia, or India or America or anywhere, shares his name. Not even the source of his namesake.” So not only does Gogol have to worry about his good name and pet name, but his name is also Russian. Who he really is seems to get lost in all of these names.

After his divorce, which is a second difficult experience in his life, Gogol spends time with his family, specifically at a party his mother is hosting before she leaves for India, which again influences him to accept his Bengali culture. At this party, Gogol explores his old house and finds the copy of The Overcoat that his father once gave to him, which makes him realize that “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” (Lahiri 433). In college and when he was Maxine, going by Nikhil gives Gogol a newfound perspective in his life, one where being shameful of his name does not really exist. However, after going through both his father’s death and his divorce, Gogol feels upset when thinking about how he changed his name, which “provides no solace at all” (433). With most of his family and Moushumi gone, few people are left to call him Gogol, reminding him who he once was. Gogol’s sadness shows how he has become comfortable with his birth name, which he originally hated. Through his reading of The Overcoat and his reflection on the possible nonexistence of his life as Gogol, Gogol accepts both his name and his culture, which ultimately shows how he becomes comfortable with

reinforces to Gogol that his name is a factor in his identity and how others perceive him.

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.

Firstly, the main protagonist, Gogol, is heavily affected by not having strong roots. We are introduced to his struggle with identity almost immediately after we are introduced to him. Gogol is described as a normal Bengali Indo-American individual; born in 1968 with thick brown-black hair and pale golden skin. At a height of almost 6 feet, he can be described with a slender body and with a face that is “lean, intelligent, suddenly handsome” and more prominent bones. Ashima also claims that she can see much resemblance in Gogol to her family and he shares many of his parents’ features as well. Aside from his physical features, Gogol can be described as an obedient, creative, curious, intelligent and sensitive individual. His creativity plays a humungous hand in his drawing skills, and later in his choice of career as an architect. It is well understood that Gogol meets the expectation of receiving good grades and can be described as a good student as well. As a child and, even through his teenage years. Gogol is seen as obedient and because he always believed in doing everything his parents wanted, he missed out on making a lot of fundamental choices that contribute to his identity. Accepting the advice of your parents is not wrong, but along the way, one should not get lost, which is what Gogol at some point does. He does, however, become an architect and goes to another university that the one that his father teaches at because he wants to do something for himself which is not necessarily in agreement with what his parents want for him. Throughout the book, Gogol struggles with his identity. As an example, at Gogol’s rice ceremony he is pressured by his family and family friends to choose either some soil, a pen or a

As identity becomes the core issue, Gogol’s name becomes quite significant. As a child, Gogol is used to the name Gogol so that when his parents ask his good name ‘Nikhil’ to be his official name when he starts schooling, he is reluctant to accept the new name. Lahiri states that “he

When Gogol is being signed up for Kindergarten he does not want to be called by his good name. When Gogol is left alone with his teacher, Mrs. Lapidus, she asks, “And what about you, Gogol? Do you want to be called by another name?” (59). Having a pet name and a good name is apart of the Bengali culture.

After the initial rejection of his name at a party, Gogol has decided to legally change his name. This change is driven by the character’s disgust at the name his parents had given him, although it is he that had rejected being called Nikhil in kindergarten. The name Gogol comes to represent two very different things to his father Ashoke, and Gogol. To Ashoke, the name represents his life being saved the fateful night of the train derailment. As Caesar writes, “To Ashoke, the name Gogol is...a reminder of the way in which the reading of [Nikolai] Gogol’s short story saved his life…” (108). To Gogol Ganguli, the name simply reminds him of a strange and sad writer he learned about in English class, with no meaningful representation in his own life. Gogol is frustrated that his parents named him something so silly, especially since it is not even a Bengali name. As Gogol stands before the judge, he is asked why he wishes to change his name, to which he responds, “I hate the name Gogol...I’ve always hated it ” (Lahiri 102) His rejection of the name Gogol allows him to escape the identity placed upon him by his parents. Although Nikhil is an Indian name, it enables him to try on a new and more sophisticated identity. The one by which he has his first kiss, his admissions to college, and subsequently the relationships that