Who Is Jhumpa Lahiri's 'The Namesake'?

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

The audience sees more clashing of generations and tradition as the story progresses. Specifically, when Gogol starts to date Max (Jacinda Barrett) a white American girl. It is evident that Ashima and Ashoke are not thrilled with the idea of their son dating Max however, they never try to stop it as they want him to be happy. Nair essentially compares Gogol’s family with Max’s by showing the couple interact with both families. When Gogol and Max are at Max’s parent’s vacation home they embrace him extremely quickly as one of their own, so it seems. Ashoke and Ashima are more conservative when it comes to Max especially the first time they meet her. Gogol warns his girlfriend not to embrace him in any fashion—as his parents are not

They have never been on a date in their lives and therefore they see no reason to encourage Gogol, certainly not at his age." Both of Gogol's parents grew up learning the Bengali culture. They know that living in another country may change some of their traditions, but they still want to withhold the culture as much as possible. Nevertheless, Gogol doesn't so much care for his Bengali culture because it is now affecting his life. Gogol's relationships have been affected by his cultural collision, "His relationship with her is one accomplishment in his life about which they are not in the least bit proud or pleased... He wishes his parents could simply accept her as her family accepts him, without pressure of any kind." Both Gogol and his parents have been brought up differently about things. Because they don't see eye to eye their relationship isn't like it used to be. Now that Gogol is growing up, his diverse traditions are affecting his life with his girlfriend and his family. All of Gogol's life is not being afflicted because Gogol has stopped continuing the Bengali culture. It is just grasping the American culture more than he did in the past.

Gogol is an Indian-American who striving to accept himself as one along with struggling against his desires in life. His conflicts are first brought upon himself when he struggles between his Bengali heritage and his own desire for an independent, American lifestyle. Gogol makes constant effort to assimilate into American society, but also does feel guilty betraying his roots. For example, while dining with the Ratliffs, his girlfriend’s very rich American family, Gogol becomes “conscious of the fact that his immersion in Maxine’s family is a betrayal of his own” (Lahiri 141). Despite spending his time engaging in activities that assimilate further

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.

Therefore, the characterization of Gogol listening to Maxine over Ashima characterizes Gogol as wanting to distance himself from his culture and family in order to try and embrace a new period of independence and Western culture- this is symbolized by Maxine. Furthermore, the fact that Gogol will move into Maxine’s house reinforces the idea that Gogol wants to create distance away from his family because he will completely immerse himself in a family that is not his own. Overall, Lahiri uses situational irony created by characterization of symbolism to illustrate that humans will try and distance themselves from their family in order to try and establish independence- this is shown through Gogol only listening to Maxine. Later on in the novel, Moushumi displays a similar characterization of Gogol in a different way. While Moushumi was still married to Gogol, she started an affair with her the boy to whom she lost her virginity- Dimitri. However, after these dates, she would go back home to Gogol as if nothing happened- hence dramatic irony. The narrator explains this routine, “They begin seeing each other...The meals are ambitious: poached fish; creamy potato gratins; puffed chickens roasted with whole lemons in their cavities. There is always a bottle of wine… drink coffee and cognac and smoke”(263) The narrator then goes into more details about their dates until it is revealed that

After becoming Nikhil to the outside world, Gogol struggles to find his identity after rejecting the one his parents gave him. On the weekend trip home, he meets a girl named Ruth, whom he then begins a relationship with. While he likes Ruth a lot, he never introduces her to his parents. This is most likely because he knows they would not approve of her, nor is he sure of himself because of his identity creation through Ruth. As Song writes, “His first girlfriend Ruth...suggests a particular version of American identity, one forged in the progressive counter-culture formations of the 1960s, into which Gogol might merge” (357). Furthermore, Ruth represents an American identity that Gogol lays hold of and seeks to embrace. After dating for a while, Ruth goes to study abroad at Oxford and after returning, their relationship begins to fall apart and they breakup. His head-over-heels style in which he forms relationships leaves him very open to becoming disheartened after his relationships

. The relationship between Moushumi and Gogol is driven by Moushumi’s desire which is greater even than Gogol’s own, to confirm to a certain image of a modern American. She and Gogol never seem to relax into the idea that they might find their identity in one another and visit to dinner parties with her friends in Brooklyn where Gogol feels awkward and uncomfortable. And this signal a division between them. Moushomi’s dissatisfaction with the marriage eventually leads to her unfaithfulness towards her husband which later leads to divorce and separation between them. Their need of independence and satisfaction is much greater than their sense of loyalty or commitment to each other and find their identity.

3. Role Conflict-conflicts that someone feels between statuses because the expectations attached to one status are incompatible with the expectations of another status (Henslin, p.121). Gogol had role conflicts between being a boyfriend to Maxine and a son to his mother Ashima. He did not know how to balance both roles equally. Gogol was always with Maxine and her family. When his mother wanted him to come home to visit with her and Ashoke, Gogol said no at first because he was going to be with Maxine and her family on a little vacation. He never made time to spend with his own family at first until a tragedy happened in his family, where he really discovered himself.

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

""is Gogol your first name or your last?" Brandon wants to know…. "actually, that's my middle name," Gogol says by way of explanation, sitting with them in the common room to their suite. "Nikhil is my first name. It got left out for some reason." (p.103)

I believe that a very prominent theme in this story is the struggles in society relating to classes. One of the things that Gogol most often points out is the dress and ranking of the characters in this story. For instance, the barber Ivan Yakovlevitch is described as a very dirty man who does not care about his appearance, probably emphasizing his lower class ranking. Kopek is described as very well dressed and has a somewhat higher ranking of “Major.” Meanwhile, when he spots his nose masquerading as a very high ranked man, it is dressed exquisitely. The nose draws envy of everyone with its appearance and apparent rank. The ludicrousness of a nose causing envy and admiration and fear in people, even in Kopek who owns it, really emphasizes how ridiculous Gogol perceives the class system to be.

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

Maxine was very confused when she first saw Gogol, or as she knows him, Nick. There was a transition that was performed on Gogol after the death of his father which made him more connected and bonded back to his origins of life. Maxine was not able to comprehend the changes he went through and could not handle the social normalities of his own culture, compared to her own. In America, there are numerous television shows about dating and matchmaking, no one really questions these types of television shows. However, if someone of Indian origins were to see these television shows, they would be appalled by it and question the logistics of the operation.

This can be shown when Gogol’s in Maxine’s house in New Hampshire and Pamela says “But you’re Indian… I’d think the climate wouldn’t affect you, given your heritage” (157). People don’t seem him as American, which alienates him and causes him to put a wall between his past and his present. With the adoption of the name ‘Nikhil’, he can live only in the present but he cannot forget his old name. Subconsciously, he is still Gogol and so he does not respond immediately when he is addressed as Nikhil. He tries to become an entirely different person from what really he is. As Nikhil, he embodies the AmericnGogol struggles to carry the burden of two names. Nikhil resembles American names, yet ‘Gogol’ and his past follow him everywhere. Gogol is an outsider in American society whereas he does not feel intimacy with Bengali