What Is The Symbolism Of Gogol's Identity In The Namesake

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,

Difficult choices come and go from our life. Like trying to understand who you are as a person and where you come from. In the book The Namesake, a boy named Gogol grows up in a cultural Bengali family while living in a different country with different customs. Gogol is special because he is trying to balance the two cultures. Gogol tries to understand and learn his family's culture but tends to pick and choose things from each culture to fit his lifestyle.

The reader is convinced that Gogol has had many experiences of his name being said with hesitation and lack of ease that normal American names are pronounced with. Gogol must often compare himself to his peers via how teachers and other authorities handle his unique name. Furthermore, Gogol himself is consumed with doubt in regards to his name, what it means, and how it ties him to his heritage in a way he in unsure how to accept. However pleased Gogol may have been with Mr. Lawson’s approach, everything changes when the class reads “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol. “With growing dread and a feeling of slight nausea, he watches as Mr. Lawson distributes the books...the sight of it [“Gogol”] printed in capital letters on the crinkly page upsets him viscerally” (89). Gogol wants nothing to do with his name at this point, even the book it is printed in is “particularly battered, the corner blunted, the cover spotted as if by a whitish mold,” (89). The confusion Gogol associates with his own name infects him and things around him, just like the “warmth [that] spreads from the back of Gogol’s neck to his cheeks and his ears,” (91). The rest of his classmates, “begin to moan in unison,” (92), and Gogol “feels betrayed,” (91). Gogol takes the class’s negative reaction to the Russian author’s biographical information as a personal assault. It reinforces his rejection to his own name as “each time the name

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.

The audience can perceive the human complexities found in the characters’ lives, as the book reveals their inner feelings. For instance, Lahiri includes one of Ashoke’s painful memories, the train incident: “Being rescued from that shattered train had been the first miracle of his life. But here, now, reposing in his arms, weighing next to nothing but changing everything, is the second (30). Ashoke’s memory of his near-death experience during the train-wreck in India helps the reader comprehend Nikolai Gogol’s impact on Ashoke’s life and explains the reasoning behind the origin of Gogol’s name, which becomes a main topic of conflict in the story, as Gogol develops discontent towards the name. After Gogol confronts his father about the need for a name change, which he justifies as being due to no one taking him seriously with his current name, he realizes that “the only person chronically aware of and afflicted by the embarrassment of his name…was Gogol” (100). As a teenager, Gogol’s uneasiness towards the lack of his own unique identity led to a dislike for his birth name. Lahiri includes his perspective regarding his namesake to demonstrate how the conflict causes Gogol to change his name to Nikhil. With the viewpoints of both Gogol and Ashoke, the audience comprehends the main conflict and the reasoning behind each of the characters’ decisions,

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

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.

Gogol no longer likes his name like he did in elementary school. "What dismays him the most is the irrelevance of it all," (76). " “He hates that his name…/…has nothing to do with who he is, that it is neither Indian nor American but of all things Russian,” (76). his name makes him feel less connected to his Indian heritage at the expense of his father, for it "was his father's favorite author, not his," (76). Gogol blames his father for his "both absurd and obscure,"(76) name, and it is clear that it's lack of meaning is what causes him to change it.

Finding out about this story definitely made Gogol resemble a feeling of guilt and remorse. Especially with Ashoke´s death, it made Gogol want to honor him by hoping that Moushumi would change her last name. The story behind his namesake changed his life forever, it made him regret about the decision he made as a young man to become Nikhil. Gogol should have not made the choice so quickly until he learned the story behind his namesake; in addition, Gogol should have been more open minded. This is because he didn’t understand that a name doesn’t determine your identity.

Hence, having a name that was not rooted in either the American or Indian culture, but instead holding importance for coming from a pivotal moment in Ashoke's life, was sure to be confusing, Ashoke making sure to comfort his son when his good name Nikhil was introduced by saying, “Don't worry… To me and your mother, you will never be anyone but Gogol” (Lahiri 57). These words are especially important once Ashoke reveals how Gogol received his name, waiting just until his son would be leaving to college, as it made him realize that he did not want to be anyone other than Gogol. This discovery would also serve to make Gogol regret how much he wanted to delve into character Nikhil, as he represented a more courageous, confident side of himself in which he could put aside his culture, past, and oddness of his own name. Even after his death, character Ashoke continues to influence Gogol's thoughts and allow him to carry himself into acceptance of the name and himself, because only after his death does his son realize, “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”

He believes that the name Gogol, does not sound pleasant when spoken, and especially does not want this name on his college degree. Gogol began to think of changing his name after high school when he is more independent. When Gogol he attends his college,

develops a resentment towards this name during his adolescent period and thereby , decides to use his legal name Nikhil, as some kind of an overcoat to the Indian culture. Though the name Nikhil brought him confidence but the glimpse of gogol was always present inside him . And in the way he feels some kind of dissatisfaction by getting away from his roots . “ 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, ceased to exist. Yet the thought of this eventual demise provides no sense of victory, no solace. It provides no solace at all.” (Lahiri 289). In the due course , all the efforts done by him payed him back with the confusion

The main theme surrounding the concluding chapters of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake is Gogol’s final acceptance and appreciation for both his pet name and his American-Indian identity. Despite the years Gogol has spent in trying to subdue his Indian culture as well as his various attempts to eradicate his odd pet name, Gogol has learned by the end of the novel to cherish his origins and his own identity. His appreciation for his pet name is emphasized at the conclusion of the novel, when Gogol finally begins to read the collection of Nikolai Gogol's short stories that his father had given him for his 14th birthday. He expresses a genuine curiosity as to why he was named Gogol, and therefore begins to read the novel to understand his father’s

The Namesake written, by Jhumpa Lahiri, contains many significant representations, images, and symbols, although one sticks out in particular. The name Gogol is a significant symbol from the novel the Namesake that plays a prevalent rule in the story as a representation of his Indian culture. In the story this name is his casual pet name, and is only used throughout his schooling and by his close family. In grad school till later in his life Gogol feels uncomfortable with his name and feels it is childish so soon goes to court to legally change his name, showing him conform to American culture. This symbolizes the inner struggle of culture and whether Gogol will follow his Indian roots or American.