From the beginning of the novel, it is clear that one of the main themes of "The Namesake" is the immigrant experience. Ashima and Ashoke settle in Cambridge after an arranged marriage. But Ashima has trouble adaptig to her new life away from Calcutta, from her family. The very first paragraph sees her trying to concoct an approximation of a snack sold in the streets of Calcutta(p 1). As Ashima progresses through labor, she is terrified by the idea of raising a child "in a country where she is related to no one, where she knows so little, where life seems so tentative and spare" (p 6). Which brings us to another theme in the book: the conflicts of assimilation. Ashima and Ashoke's close friends are all Bengalis, substitutes for their families. Ashima resists all things American like celebrating Christmas. The Gangulis travel to Calcutta as often as possible.I personnally think Lahiri's depiction of the experience of foreigners in America is authentic. As a foreigner, I have recognized Ashima's feelings. Her nostalgia and sense of alienation mirrored mine. So far, I think this is a pretty good book. I really enjoy the accuracy of the descriptions and the simple style.
From the start of The Namesake, it is made quite evidant that the pregnant Ashima is in distress. Her anguish, however, is not directly because of her being pregnant, (which causes her alot of physical pain)but the fact that she is in the foreign land of America, and so far from home, and everything she ever knew. On page one, the qoute "she frowns, as usual, there's something missing," showing that there is a hole in Ashima's life.
Ashima is not the only person in the story to have issues. Her husband, Ashoke, a Bengali professor in Boston, constantly struggles with repressed memories of the train crash that he experienced many years before. Ashoke clearly remembers the screams, smells, and lack of sight, which haunt him, causing him the cringe when babies cry, and be uneasy when on a train or a plane. One thing that i found interesting about how Ashoke recalls the story was what another passenger had said to him. Ghosh, a man from Tollygunge, said "pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can." (p.17). At first, Ashoke does not think much about what Ghosh had said, as Ashoke was very closeminded on how one should go about living their life. Over time, however, Ashoke began to take Ghosh's advice, driving all around Massachusetts with his family with no destination, something he most likely would have seen as foolish before.
Another thing that i found interesting in the story was the profound effect that Gogol, and his sister Sonia, had on both Ashima and Ashoke. After having Gogol, Ashima found a new sense of meaning in life, replacing days of crying and missing her old country with busy schedules of running around Boston to pick up food, clothing,and other necessities of raising a child. Gogol also had a significant impact on Ashoke. Over time, things like babies crying and plane rides did not frighten Ashoke as much as they did before, and he finally began to put the horrific train incident out of his mind, largely crediting Gogol for this. What may have been the biggest impact that the kids had on the family was the extent to which the Gangulis "Americanized". For one example, rice and curry were starting to give way to more american meals such as hot dogs and peanut butter and jelly. Though these changes are small, they give an insight into the overall change that the entire family is going through.
I think the the theme of "The Namesake" is not mainly about the immigrant experience, but how when living in a foreign place, one's customs and culutre is lossed even if they try to keep them. Ashima is more committed to her Bengali roots than Ashoke when moving to Cambridge because Ashoke has been there awhile, and he chose to be there. Ashima's arranged marriage made her have to be there, therefore, she still tries to stick to her culture. This is an evident pattern with all the Bengalis who have had an arranged marriage and ended up in USA. The women continue wearing their sari's while the men obtain more of the Americanized look. When Gogol is born and they have to give him one name it is clear that this is what the "namesake" is. Ashima and Ashoke start to also lose a little of their culture day by day when living in America. When their children are born it becomes very clear what kind of people they will be; American. I think the author, Lahiri, is trying to show the immigrant experience, yet also she emphasizes the change of customs generation from generation. Not only is the "namesake" about Gogol's fight with dealing with his name, but also Ashima and Ashoke's fight with having to deal with the loss of their culture and their family. They know that their children will not grow up to be the same people they would've and should be if they were raised in Calcutta.
At the beginning of The Namesake, Ashima who is the young bride who is about to have her first baby realizes how isolated she has become. She wonders that if she were still in Calcutta she would have her baby at home and she would be surrounded by all the women in her family who could tell her what to expect.
While in the U.S., Ashima struggles through language and cultural barriers as well as her own fears as she delivers her first child. To bring a child into a world that she doesn't quite know yet could be very dangerous and frightening for the child.
A theme that is pointed out right in the beginning of the book are the various aspects and challenges of immigration. Ashima and Ashoke come to the United States but live separate from the American culture. We can see that Ashima keeps dressing in traditional clothes. And I agree with francesca and how she says that when people immigrate to another country their traditions and culture become lost. I think a lot of Ashima's and Ashoke's distress is from a fear of losing their culture and their child never knowing the real roots of himself.
I definitely agree that part one of this book primarily focuses on Ashoke and Ashima's experience in America, but I do not think that moving to America was the beginning of their loss of culture. In fact, I think the couple did a superior job in keeping their past with them.
Ashoke's decision to name his son Gogol is an example of Ashoke/Ashima keeping their past WITH them when they move rather than starting an entire new, confusing life. Chapter 1 of this book made it clear that Ashoke's trauma from a prior train accident has haunted him in India and America equally. He probably would have gone insane with fear if it weren't for his favorite story, "The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol. It was this story that Ashoke continued to hold in his hand and make him feel alive when he believed he was dying. When he knew he was going to be rescued, "instead of thanking God he thanked Gogol" (21) for saving his life.
To Ashoke, naming his son after a person that he believes saved his life comforts him, and since Gogol and his parents live in America, Ashoke has created a 'home away from home'-type comfort. Therefore, I think the immigration experience did not take away the family's culture, it expanded their lives ways it probably couldn't have in Calcutta.
Just something I wanted to add that I forgot was in my sticky notes - I think Lahiri's choice of words is what caught my attention from the start. She had such an attention to detail. She knew how to make me feel sensitive to the situations going on around the characters of this book. To bring in more insight, she used a lot of flashbacks in the beginning to make the reader feel even more involved with the characters, and give an even better understanding to them. I think the way Lahiri writes is definitely one of a kind.
The beginning of the novel shows how Ashoke and Ashima have to adapt to life in America. It is more of a struggle for Ashima because as said before, Ashoke has been to America in his past. Where as Ashima is just beginning a new family and life there. She is pregnant and scared to raise her child in a place where she knows no one and is extremely upset that her loved ones in Calcutta don't get to see her baby coming about. The marriage has affected her only because she has to leave her family and life in Calcutta behind. She feels isolated from all that she used to know and grew up in. In America all of Ashima's friends are Bengali people, maybe signifying a bond that makes her feel at home and that she is not the only Bengali who had to change her life. Immigration is hard for someone to handle, like many people today. Someone, like Ashima who knows very little to nothing about another culture, the language, the customs, and ways of living. Ashima is accustomed to her past life in Calcutta, therefore she has no interest in trying too hard to adjust to a new life in America at first. The move and adaptation is a major change in Ashima's as well as Ashoke's life. When their first child Gogol is born, the couple faces the struggle of naming him. Ashima suffers from some depression when she discovers her grandmother who remained in Calcutta is very ill, therefore leaving Gogol unnamed- against the Bengali tradition. The feeling of sorrow was created because there was nothing Ashima nor Ashoke could do about the grandmother's death, having to stay in Cambridge for a better life, and not being able to continue on in the tradition they were raised in.
I agree with Kristina, Lahiri definately knew how to make you feel connected with the characters and their feelings. Also, showing how differently Ashima and Gogol are based on their different respective cultures. For me, the feeling was created of what life is like for someone who is foreign and the troubles they face trying to develop a new life somewhere else.
Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli are new arrivals from Calcutta to America. They are trying to do their best to become Americans without losing their Indian traditions. There are many ways in which Ashima and Ashoke do so. First, when Gogol is born, they do not want to give him a name because they are waiting on a letter from Ashima’s grandmother. But, problems arise because the newborn cannot leave a hospital in America without a birth certificate. Mr. Wilcox, complier of hospital birth certificates asks “Then what about naming him after another person? Someone you greatly admire?” The Gangulis do not approve because within Bengali families, individual names are sacred. We also see that Ashima, though she sends her boy to school in America is teaching him to be bilingual. She teaches Gogol to call her “Ma” and Ashoke “Baba.” This will help Gogol stay attached to his Bengali culture.
In the midst of the section, we learn that Ashima’s grandmother is sick and that is the reason why the Gangulis have not received a letter with a “good name” for Gogol. We also learn that unfortunately, Ashima’s father dies. I thought that because the Gangulis have adapted some American culture, they might change their mind and name their baby boy after Ashima’s father. But, my foreshadowing was incorrect.
It is great learning about the Bengali culture. For example, an annaprasan is a rice ceremony for a newborn. Because there is no baptism for Bengali babies, annaprasan is meant to introduce them to a lifetime of consumption. On page 40, someone at Gogol’s annaprasan yells out, “An American boy must be rich!” This raises a few questions. Is Gogol considered an American culturally? What did Ashima think when she heard this remark? Does Gogol have to be rich to be considered an American boy?
Because Gogol is “Americanized”, he does not understand the purpose of his new name Nikhil. Gogol doesn’t want a new name. Gogol was not brought up in a strict Indian culture; therefore he does not understand the purpose of a nickname or daknam. This is exactly what Ashima was afraid of. This is evident because we see how stressed and worried Ashima is in America and how much she misses Calcutta. Gogol's name is an example of what Ashima didn’t want. The name they bestow on Gogol betrays all the conflicts of honoring their traditions in America. Gogol will not accept his new name and his schoolteachers ignore it as well. Does this show that Americans can be ignorant to other cultures/religions?
When I first began to read the this novel, The Namesake, I encountered the sense of fitting in, adapting, as well as the need to be an “American”. The changes from the culture differences from living in India and living in America are quite different. When Ashima and Ashoke came to America it had reminded me of a book I once read last year in English class with Mr. Walsh. Their isolation from the American culture reminded of the familiar isolation Valentino had once felt when he first immigrated to America in the novel, What is the What, by Dave Eggers. Once Valentino has settled in America he was faced with hardships. Just like how Ashima and Ashoke was unfamiliar with naming your child before you leave the hospital was one hardship they were faced with.
It is obvious that Gogol is not proud of his birth name given by his parents. Since he does not take pride in his given name he does not take pride in who he really is. This indeed breaks his mother’s heart, Ashima; because she is a woman who holds pride and honor in her culture. Which she tries to pass down to her children. Yet, Gogol rejects it and by this it foreshadows that Gogol would go out into the real world leaving the family knowledge heritage, of being Indian, behind him and entering a new world of being a true proud American.
Upon opening the book, the title, "Namesake" had me curious as to what storyline could be about. The story starts off with Ashima getting stomach contractions from her pregnacy ready to give birth soon. I love the way Lahiri has the reader hooked. The reader is immersed within specks of details that teases he/she the background of the characters, not yet quite giving away the full story. We find out that Ashima is an Indian wife, married to Ashoke, a "doctoral candidate" who studies at "MIT" (p2). The reader can presume they are probably still quite young. I found it interesting the pace of the mood when Ashima has her pregnacy contractions. Here is a woman about to do one of the most lifechanging things ever and she refuses to call her husband by his "first name" (p2. REALLY? I'm under the impression that the foundation of their marriage isn't built upon the type of love you see in racy, passionate romantic stories, but a 'love' that is built upon a mutual respect and subtle companionship. Further into the story, we find out the couple was thrown into an arranged marriage quickly answering my suspicions of the type of bond these two people shared. Immigrants from India, new to a new place, a new home, a new culture. Ashima seems to be the one suffering from the worst case of homesickness as she reveals her concerns of raising a child without the warmth of family around, without the warmth of familiarity to people, places, and things. I mean that's typical with most early immigrant expieriences, (I, myself speaking from expierience.) However, like how the story started out with the newborn, Gogol, and the couple's first few years in Boston. Like baby steps, we see Ashima and Ashoke's journey into adaptation, I wouldn't say 'assimilation' seeing as Ashima still wears her saris and the couple only basks in the company of other Bengali friends. Ashima is not as lonely as she finds new things to keep her busy with Gogol and late Sonia while Ashoke pursues his career. As the young Gogol and Sonia grow older, we see the effects that American culture has on them as they eat "cheeses" and delicuts and enjoy the commerical Christmas widely celebrated in America like other kids their age. Though Ashima and Ashoke try their best to maintain and keep their Indian heritage alive in the household, it is clear the cultural bond between the parents and the children become deeper and more severed as time progresses. That is most evident in the shame and embarassment that Gogol harbors within his own name (giving me more insight into the title of the book). Despite his parent's efforts, Gogal politely refuses his culture and pursues almost like a doublelife. Going to parties, drinking, losing his virginity. The changing of his name from 'Gogol' to 'Nikhil' symbolizes the air of rebellion that has always festered in young Gogol's mind. Lahiri's slow transition from Ashima to Ashoke's perspective to Gogol's POV accompanies the changing tides of life the Gangulis find in America.
While reading the first part of The Namesake, I tried to figure out what some of the major themes (both current and upcoming) could possibly be. After thinking for a while, I realized that I did not know many themes for the book at all; I was just reading it and absorbing the information as I went along. Thinking back however, I realize that I have a few ideas as to what some of the themes could be.
Clearly, one of the themes of the entire book is assimilation to an entirely new culture. This does not mean moving to a different state or region. Assimilation, in this situation, means moving an entire lifetime away from what you are used to. It also means experiencing life in an entirely new environment. However, the book is not about leaving an old culture behind. It is also not about the substitution of one culture for another either. I think one of the themes of the book is a combination of those ideas. One of the many themes of The Namesake is this idea of combining many ideas/cultures/traditions/social norms into something greater. Throughout the book, Ashima creates this life of Calcutta while in America. When the family is in Calcutta however, they crave their American lifestyle and the life they once felt uncomfortable with.
Ashima and Ashoke moved directly out of their comfort zones in order to provide a better life for themselves and their children. Part One of The Namesake also expresses the desire to move out of a comfort zone and onto something better. Throughout Part One, I think it is very apparent that the themes mentioned throughout this blog are true. However, I think that when combined, they create a truer meaning for the theme of The Namesake.
I agree with what Kristina said about the danger and fright Ashima feels when she brings a child into a world she doesn't know. (I'd just like to say that I think that the author, Lahiri, does an amazing job here in creating an honest vulnerability for her character that readers can connect with.) And I would also like to add that the same fright and danger must have been felt by Gogol because in general much of what parents feel spills over to their children. And I think this is also a (perhaps minor) theme of the book, or at least of this part of the book. Gogol grows up trying to run away from his culture and his name, while his parents -- namely Ashima -- try to hold on to it. Gogol even runs away from it on his first day of kindergarten -- he has a chance to keep his good name in place, grow used to it, and continue the customs of his parents; but he doesn't, and he instead uses the pet name. He has one name and this fact connects him further to American culture. Plus, the idea that a child can disregard a parent's wishes, although here it is fully innocent, is an American idea.
The loss of the Bengali culture and the gain of American culture seems to become more present when Sonia is born, almost as if with each generation another piece of the Bengali puzzle is replaced by an American piece. Not only is Sonia's (which is a nickname for Sonali) pet name done away with altogether, it is also chosen by her parents. Both of these things are against the Bengali custom. And when the Ganguli's hold a party, a guest even says of Sonia "'This one is the true American'".
Another theme of the book that I think becomes evident when we readers are told of Ashoke's traumatic experience with the train crash is something to do with fate. Ashoke survives the train crash because of his beloved book by Nikolai Gogol, The Overcoat -- had the light not remained in Ashoke's direction for that length of time, and had the pages not dropped from his raised hand and produced more movement, the rescue team would not have noticed that Ashoke was still alive. If that isn't some sort of fate, I don't know what is. Furthermore, that Gogol chose not to go by his good name in kindergarten can certainly be categorized as a fateful moment; and for such a small choice, it had great impact on the rest of his life.
The Namesake tells a very relevant story of immigrants assimilating into American culture. I think the story of Ashima and Ashoke coming to America is so relevant to today because I see the same things happening with my own family and many others around me. I’m a fourth generation Italian. The difference between the way things are run in my household and the way things were in the households of my parents is drastically different. Every generation that has unfolded since my great-grandparents immigrated here from Italy has competed with the loss of a genuine Italian culture and lifestyle. This is what we, as readers, can receive from The Namesake.
I agree with Kaela’s observation about Gogol’s decision to disband his good name and also the family’s further assimilation once Sonia is born. I think Gogol choosing to stay Gogol instead of Nikhil opens the reader up to the idea of regret. Although at the time, when Gogol was first starting school, keeping his pet name seemed like the natural choice. It seemed natural for Gogol to go against his parent’s wishes and customs because of his new American life. Many years down the line, when Gogol is in high school, he feels regret for not keeping his good name, Nikhil (which he reasons with himself can at least be shortened to “Nick”). I’m not yet sure if this feeling of regret will tie into his inclination to sway from his parent’s Indian roots, but that would make a lot of sense as culture and it’s preservation is a prevalent topic in this novel.
I also think Rachael makes a great point about how this novel has a lot to do with the syncretism of cultures. It does seem that Ashoke and Ashima’s Indian roots, although somewhat preserved, have a way to adapting to American life and transforming to fit their needs more effectively. I’m very curious to see how this adaptation of two very different cultures works out for this family by the end of the novel.
While the books we are assigned to read for English class during the schoolyear always somehow relate to a certain theme, a specific section of our curriculum, and our summer reading serves as some sort of introduction to the year ahead. However, aside from the course-specific how-to books (How to Read Literature Like A Professor, anyone?), how exactly these works relate to this course and to this point in our lives varies. So, imaginably, as I began reading Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, I could not help but wonder how Ashima and Calcutta and her awkward relationship with her husband was relevant to myself and the class I am about to take, aside from the fact that the book is a piece of literature and that it takes place in Boston.
However, as I read on, I grew to know Ashima and Ashoke, I was introduced to Gogol and Sonia, I made the connection between the book’s title and the significance of Gogol’s very name (to everyone in the story), I endured Ashima’s constant discontentment, I became familiar with Bengali culture and, in doing so, discovered several underlying ideas, themes apart from the obvious, and began to connect them to the present situation. Obviously, the book surrounds the ideas of immigration and diversity, of cultural decay and cultural growth, of resistance and adaptation. Beneath these ideas of resistance and adaptation, beyond Ashima’s and Ashoke’s struggles to preserve this culture and its identities dwell themes that relate to our current identities, our places as students: those of dependence and independence. Ashima’s homesickness and difficulty with change brought to mind the changes that we will soon be experiencing as we abandon our lives as we know them and head off to college, doomed to independence for the rest of our lives.
Additionally, I am fascinated with this book’s presentation of the evolution of cultures. As the audience watches Gogol grow, they watch the Ganguli family Americanize. Even their eight-month-long trip to Calcutta, the very homeland of Bengali culture, emphasizes how incredibly American the next generation of their family has become, focusing on Gogol’s and Sonia’s constant annoyance. Then, with the series of ill-fated incidents that occur over the course of their visit and the highlighted losses of so many family members (for both sides of the family), the trip reveals that even Ashima and Ashoke do not fit as well there (Calcutta) as they once did. Even without the trip, this idea is prevalent, everpresent in the pages of The Namesake with every familiar detail dropped. Lahiri manages to subtly incorporate this thought every time she connect with her young American audience with mentions of the simple but specific “ordinary roads where plastic wading pools and baseball bats are left out on the lawns” and “shoes…worn inside, trays of cat litter…placed in the kitchens” (51). While each member of the family changed differently—Ashoke obviously more willing towards change than Ashima, Sonia and Gogol born into this new culture—the story still manages to convey the idea of America’s inescapable influence, the all-encompassing culture of the United States.
From the begining of the book you are aware that Ashoke and Ashima's background. At the begining of the book we find out how Ashima was plucked from her comfortable surroundings in Calcutta and has now come to live with Ashoke in America. She has had to learn to adapt to the customs of America while dealing with how to raise her baby boy. Their new son becomes the begining of their adapting to America. While naming their son they want to keep the tradition of his pet name(Gongol) and his good name (Nikhil). This becomes more difficult when Gongol enters school because no one understands what the Ganguli's are trying to do so Nikhil basically is thrown out the window. On pg 58 when Ashoke was attempting to explain why he wanted his son to be called Nikhil not Gongol I couldn't imagine what was running in Gongol's head. A first day of school is stressful enough then adding a name he isn't comfortable with. When the Ganguli's take their trip back to Calcutta neither Sonia or Gongol seem very excited. They have to leave their comfortable surrounding of America. When I came to this part of the book I thought back to how Ashima felt when she came to America not knowing much about life here and how to live, this must have been how Sonia and Gongol felt not knowing much about the life they were about to live in Calcutta. After their trip to Calcutta and they arrive back in America the end of chapter 4 brings a new side of Gongol. We find Gongol going going to a party at a college with his friends. While there he finds himself not wanting to tell Kim his real name so he ends up using Nikhil which ends up bringing out a whole new person from Gongol. I think this is going to be an occuring theme in the book where you need to be comfortable in your name to be who you are. After what he learned in English class I feel that Gongol is uncomfortable with his name and background now. It just seems it must be hard for Gongol because his name is so unmodern like that of his sister Sonia. I love the way that Ashima and Ashoke continuously are trying and trying to keep their culture alive in their childrens lives even though Gongol and Sonia are so Americanized.
It seems pretty clear that a sense of lost culture is evident in most blogs. To connect to these blogs, I would like to start by saying that you can take the girl out of India but you cannot take India out of the girl. Her name, meaning "she who is limitless, without borders" fits but doesn't fit (p26). She leaves the borders of India but feels a stranger anywhere else, so she needs protective borders. Ashima struggles with the preservation of her heritage to an extend much greater than her husband, Ashoke. From the very beginning she promised herself that she wouldn't stray away from the life she once lived. In Calcutta, Ashima had studied English, so I had almost expected her to wish to become familiar with the culture, but she hadn't for a while. "Ashima think its strange that her child will be born in a place most people enter to suffer or to die" (p4). Her negative attitude towards adjusting to American culture sticks out like a sore thumb. Even before she left Calcutta, her grandmother was her only relative that believed she would preserve her heritage. Eventually, Ashima became friends with people in America, but because they were from Calcutta or of Indian heritage.
Ashoke is very different from Ashima, he is very accepting. He connects his life to his favorite Russian author who also spent most of his life away from his home, as an outsider. His appreciation for the life he came so close to losing lives through his first born child, Gogol. Gogol is as American as they come. He listens to records, eats hamburgers, and rides his bike around the block. When he visits Calcutta, he has a hard time adjusting to the Bengali culture. This is the kind of thing Ashima had always feared. Even as a young boy Gogol had rejected the idea of having a name other than Gogol. For a while he embraces the power of his name. He admires its ability to differentiate him from the crowd. At age fourteen it was clear he had grown to wish his name meant something specifically to him. I cant really figure out why Ashoke has yet to explain to him the true reason behind his name. Maybe if he had explained it to him, Gogol may have actually read The Overcoat the two times he had the chance to.
The family as a whole made a tremendous transformation. Ashima adjusted to America to the point where she preferred the city to a suburb. Ashoke was successful enough to have his name on a black plaque outside of his office. Gogol, like any teenager, changed his mind about life depending on what was currently happening in his life. His younger sister Sonia hasn't exactly stuck out to me though. She has yet to leave an impact. The only thing I find interesting about her is that her parents call her by an American version of the name they gave her.
I read the previous comments above mine and I have to say that we all are touching on the same themes (so good job for us). However, I took notes while I was reading the first section and decided to find some themes that continue throughout the section and condense them into the following four:
1. The struggle to Maintain One's Cultural Identity -This is obvious from the very beginning when Ashima wishes she could have her baby surrounded by family, the traditional way of having an Indian baby. This sentiment is also echoed when Ashima notices that her son will be deprived of the upbringing she once had in India (p.25). (By the way, I loved how on this page Lahiri juxtaposes Ashoke's pride in his son and the positive aspects of having a baby with Ashima's own pessimistic view on the life her son will have.) This struggle to maintain a cultural identity is again noticed when the Gangulis need to pick a name for their son (p. 26). They want to stick to tradition and have Ashima's grandmother give them the name, but American society is literally forcing them to pick a name on the spot.
2. The struggle to find one's identity -This theme mainly occurs through Gogol who has a hard time dealing with his Indian heritage and his own Americanization. This is first seen on pg. 57 when his parents send him to school as Nikhil. He cannot give his teacher his new name because he is afraid to be someone he doesn't know. Taking on this new name is embracing a new life that Gogol is not sure he is ready for, so he retains Gogol as his name. This struggle to identify oneself is also noted on pages 70-71 when Gogol realizes that his name is an oddity in his American school. He identifies himself more with the names on the tombstones, with those who belong to a different era and society, than he does with his own classmates. As he gets older, this struggle only intensifies. When Gogol goes to the party, he changes his name, becoming a completely different person, becoming Nikhil. As much as he hated being Gogol, he enjoys living those few hours as Nikhil so much for one to question: has he finally found who he wants to be?
3. The Rejection of a Foreign Culture -This theme is addressed almost immediately in the book as Ashima realizes that there is something missing "as usual" in her meal (pg. 1). Even if it isn't so obvious at times it is still there. Notice on pg. 4 the hospital bracelet, The "American seconds", everything that is Ameican in some way is addressed separately from Ashima, as if she is out of place in the very American hospital. Also, on page 5, the description of Ashima's home gives one the feeling of warmth and comfort: it is clear to see that Ashima loves that place. However on that same page she describes the white hospital, the "ice cream", the "cold baked chicken": all of these things are cold and distant. They do not comfort Ashima in any way and this can be felt through the vocabulary Lahiri uses. Going along with this idea of Ashima rejecting what she believes is a cold America, her very first glimpse of the country on pg. 30 is that of a cold, stoic, uninviting, dirty, dead, and empty place: the complete opposite of her sultry and bustling home in Calcutta. Nothing ever feels as comfortable to Ashima as it should; on pg. 51, Ashima always addresses her house as a house, not a home. Clearly, Ashima has yet to accept America and is in face rejecting the country, though this theme is not solely reserved for just her. Sonia and Gogol both get sick when they are in India; their bodies are literally rejecting the environment that is so foreign and almost unwelcome to them.
4. The Protection of Books/Knowledge -Although this one comes up less frequently, i still feel it is important to address. The most obvious example of this is on pg. 18, where it describes how "he was still clutching a single page of 'The Overcoat'" and how in fact it was the page moving in Ashoke's hand that got him rescued. The books seem to act as a guardian of sorts to Ashoke and the Gangulis. On pg. 50, Ashima goes to the university's library to feel comforted when she is feeling lonely and if one goes farther back, Ashoke was able to walk all over town with a book in his hand without tripping or falling. My persepctive on this is that Lahiri is trying to emphasize the importance of books and knowledge in our lives and how they can possibly save us in our bleakest moments.
Our story unfolds as a new life is about to begin for a newlywed couple. Ashima Ganguli is a recent Bengali transplant, having left Calcutta, India for Cambridge, Massachusetts in the hopes of supporting her husband Ashoke Ganguli’s continuation of his engineering education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Though the marriage was arranged in India, the couple, nonetheless, remains obedient to the Indian cultural tradition of matrimony in the United States, easing into a life of affection for one-other without a hitch.
Yet the American environment itself proves to be a challenge for Ashima, as she finds herself homesick for her family and her homeland. This is immediately made apparent once a pregnant Ashima is introduced to the reader, attempting to recreate the flavor of her homeland while making do with the American products that are available to her. The unique result is her combination of East-meets-West in a pregnancy concoction of “Rice Krispies and Planters peanuts and chopped red onion in a bowl,” with her adding “salt, lemon juice, thin slices of green chili pepper, wishing there were mustard oil to pour into the mix” (1).
While Ashoke finds fulfillment in his studies, Ashima finds herself consistently homesick for India, especially after she gives birth to the couple’s first child, a boy who is haphazardly named Gogol. The feelings of isolation she experiences in her new homeland eventually culminate in her expressing to Ashoke: “I don’t want to raise Gogol alone in this country. It’s not right. I want to go back” (33). Ashima is accustomed to multiple generations of family living alongside one another and contributing to the child rearing. However, in America, she and Ashoke have no family other than each-other and Gogol, and the American emphasis is on the nuclear family.
In a sense, Ashima represents a unique brand of immigrant in America. Spurning the “American Dream,” Ashima does not long for a white picket fence, red shutters, or the recipe for the perfect apple pie. She does not wish to create a pseudo American family and she doesn’t attempt to fit in with other Americans. Instead, she longs for India. She longs for her family. She longs for a true family dynamic similar to that which she once had back in India. Ashima refuses to be assimilated into the American population as other immigrants might choose to do, which I admire. It’s admirable of her to want to hold on to certain aspects of her culture to remind her of home and her roots. However, her refusing to make the best of America and its culture will only give her a negative outlook on her life, making her become stressed and adding additional strain on her family. Considering the fact that she does miss her family and is homesick, it is deterring her from fully adjusting to her new environment.
On another note, I feel that author Jhumpa Lahiri’s writing brings out the essence of a situation so well, without allowing it to be clouded by unnecessary details. Lahiri has such a simplistic way of writing, and I know that she has kept only the most necessary words when she describes a situation, such as when Ashima is preparing her pregnancy “concoction.” I feel as though I am standing beside Ashima, watching her go about her daily routine. It feels that organic. The novel is incredibly well-written, but it’s not overly showy. It gets to the essence of a scene so that, as a reader, I can analyze the meaning behind it independently. I can allow her words to mean whatever I would like them to be, but it doesn’t feel inaccurate.
One particular instance within the book that caught my eye was the moment in which Mr. Wilcox visited the Ganguli family in the hospital, informing them that they must choose a name for their son or else he cannot leave the hospital. However, the family is waiting for a letter to arrive from Ashima’s grandmother in India, bearing the newborn’s name. Lahiri writes, “For they learn that in America, a baby cannot be released from the hospital without a birth certificate. And that a birth certificate needs a name” (27). In America, there are rules and regulations, red tape and demands that cannot be avoided for the sake of anything, not even tradition or a grandmother’s letter. The procedure that Ashima goes through in the hospital clearly illustrates the divide between Indian culture and the new, American culture that is just beginning to reveal itself during the late 60‘s, early 70‘s. While the American mantra at the time demanded things to be available “NOW”-Peace NOW, Love NOW, Equality NOW-certain foreign cultures continued to praise tradition while evoking a patience and faith for things to unfold on their own. It seems as though the Ganguli family is being given an ultimatum: adapt to their new country or be lost in translation. Such is reflected later in the book, when a young Gogol is being registered for kindergarten.
Though his parents insist to the principal, Mrs. Lapidus, that Gogol be called by the name Nikhil, his “good” name, instead of Gogol, she reacts with confusion. The idea of a child possessing a “good” name and a “home” name doesn’t go down well with her. As well, since the young Gogol is not accustomed to being called by his good name, he doesn’t respond well to it. This combination of factors conflicts with the principal. Instead of complying with the requests of his parents, Mrs. Lapidus refers to Gogol, asking him, “Do you want to be called by another name?” (59). Gogol, in turn, declines, thereby cementing his school-wide identity. This passage angered me, especially the principal going behind the backs of Gogol’s parents to name him herself. She may be a school authority, but she isn’t Gogol’s parent. She may be given leverage when interfering in private affairs if she sees that Gogol’s health and well-being are at risk, but this is no such instance. Gogol is a child, and the insignificance of a child’s disliking of his name is something that he would easily forget within a week. However, Mrs. Lapidus takes the situation too seriously, something I sense might have something to do with her disapproving of Indian customs.
I like what Kaela brought up about Gogol attempting to be more like the other children when he dismisses being called Nikhil in school, since that wasn’t something I thought of when I first read the passage. I can imagine that Gogol may have had fears about attending school, and his own awareness of his two names may have been too much to bear. Even though the other students at school wouldn’t have known about his two names, his knowledge of that fact would have made him feel like an outsider, and could have prevented him from bonding with his classmates.
What I don’t understand is why the Ganguli family does not change Gogol’s name to Nikhil on his birth certificate. If Nikhil is to be his good name that people are to call him outside of his home, shouldn’t it be the name on his birth certificate? The name Gogol is supposed to be restricted to informal situations, almost like a nickname would, so it would not make sense to have such a name on a birth certificate.
It’s unfortunate to see that the care and attention that the Ganguli family gave to devising a name for their son has gone awry in an ironic twist of fate. It also seems to be a bit of a precursor for what is to come in terms of their relationship with Gogol. Though they had their own good name in mind for him-Nikhil-he had his own-Gogol. His parents may have their own idea of what would be best for Gogol in a situation, but in the end, he may just go with his own intuition.
As Vena said, this book revolves around the immigrant experience. This is an interesting read for me because I had to go through the immigrant experience and learn to fit in with a new culture, so I can relate to the characters. The only difference though, these characters came from such a cultural country that it is even harder to adapt to America. When Alfonse mentioned the “hole” in Ashima’s heart, it reminded me of “What Is The What” which also revolved around the immigration experience. The main character in “What Is The What” constantly reminisces of his life back in Africa and can’t separate himself from the life he used to live to the life he lives now. I feel like Ashima is going through the same thing. I agree with Francesca when she says that their culture is hard to hold onto because they are not always surrounded by it in America. I think the reason why they see their friends from Bengal every Saturday is because it is the one thing in America that reminds them of their home; the one thing that keeps their culture alive in such a scary place. I’m sort of confused over what you’re trying to say Alex. What do you mean they had already been beginning to lose their culture? But I do agree with you that they were trying really hard and were doing a pretty good job of keeping their culture alive. Lahiri use of adjectives creates such imagery that keeps the story going for me. If she did not use all the descriptive words and give me an idea of the scenery or such, I don’t think the story would flow as well as it does. Another thing I like about the book is that it talks a lot about culture and integrations information about their culture that helps us understand their past. For example, the use of Indian words with translations give the reader a different perspective of the culture and helps us connect to the characters easier when we learn to understand their culture.
Questions: How come the letter never reached them when they received letters from the rest of the family members?
Did the grandmother purposely not send it?
I’ve noticed that Gogol is not as close with his father as he is with his mother. He can’t even talk to his father during dinner when his mother isn’t there. Is this a cultural thing? Or is this just because he is always at work?
After reading all these previous blog entries, I’m glad to notice everyone picked up on the painfully obvious, though I lack complete agreement. It kind of bothered me how many tended to lump the whole family together. To me they all functioned really differently from each other. The Ashoke/Ashima perspective in the beginning was actually quite simple, a relatively normal immigrant experience that eventually shifted into something different once the perspective shifted to Gogol. People commented on how the family seemed to drastically change into Americanization, but I don’t completely agree that it was at such a high level. It seemed that the parents were mostly compensating for their children. And for Gogol, our protagonist, we saw a struggle more directed to finding identity on a holistic scale, not just moving from one culture to the next.
On page 34, when Ashima goes to the supermarket with baby Gogol, she comments on how strangers, “all Americans,” ask her questions about the baby. Yet isn’t it odd to lump together all Americans like that? After all, she was probably in either Cambridge or Boston—both diverse cities. Yet Ashima felt victimized and lost due to her somewhat foolishly stereotyping all Americans. Then, on page 93, there’s another instance of ignorance by Ashima and Ashoke—“Assured by his grades and his apparent indifference to girls, his parents don’t suspect Gogol of being, in his own fumbling way, an American teenager.” From this, I kind of inferred that Ashima and Ashoke held negative stereotypes about American teenagers/culture, that they were the opposite of “good kid” Gogol. (And this also leads her to be ignorant to things her own son is doing, like smoking pot.)
This suggests that while they may have adapted to an American lifestyle, they didn’t necessarily accept or adapt to American culture, which is why I think it’s important to separate Gogol from his parents, as Gogol was much more immersed in the culture. I mean, the whole 8 month stay in Calcutta shows how separated the two generations of parents and children are. This is only highlighted in the fact that Gogol refuses to show interest in his father’s interest in Gogol. Instead, he becomes an emo kid who reads Nietzsche and listens to The Who. (Don’t even try to tell me he’s not emo. Nietzsche, guys, Nietzsche.) In fact, Gogol was relieved to leave Calcutta, an act that symbolizes detachment from Bengali culture.
Which brings me to my next point. Gogol’s struggle with his name symbolizes his struggle with his identity. In this first third, he has no real identity. He’s some kind of half-breed, not really one or the other. Gogol’s issues are way more complicated than they are for his parents.( Actually, there’s a chance of a connection with his Ashoke, but when Ashoke decides not to tell Gogol the story of the train, it shows that it’s not going to happen yet.) At the end of chapter 4, when Gogol introduced himself as Nikhil, it’s a rebirth. A new identity, new beginning. He sheds the name that had no real identity, no real meaning to him (what was Russia to him?! Exactly.) and becomes somebody new.
In chapters 1-4 of The Namesake, we see a couple of themes starting to form. The first theme that I see is evident on p.1 when Ashima tries to concoct an Indian snack that she enjoyed in Calcutta, which is the "struggle to maintain one's culture". Ashima doesn't want to lose her Indian heritage. This "struggle to maintain one's culture" is also evident on p.24, when all of Ashima's visitors are Bengali and on p.26, when Ashima and Ashoke want to stick to Bengali traditions and have the grandmother pick the name for their baby.
As we read further into The Namesake, the second theme that is noticed is "the struggle to assimilate into a new culture". This theme is evident when the hospital that the Gangulis are at, forces them to choose a name for their son before they can leave, which Ashoke and Ashima struggle to do because it would force them to break tradition and accept the way of a new culture. This theme is further evidenced from p.31-33, when Ashima sees "in horror" how their landlords live and when she tells Ashoke that she "wants to go back". This resistance to American culture shows just ow much trouble Ashima has assimilating into a new culture.
After reading Part 1, I feel the connection between Ashoke and Ashima's experiances with those of my own parents when they first came to America (My parents are immigrants from India just like them). My mother, like Ashima, had trouble assimilating into the new American culture, but eventually she did and has been quite successful. It makes me wonder if over time, Ashima will to...
I have to be honest that without having to read this book I probably would not have read it. Although I didn’t find that plot that interesting, l like the how author goes about writing story. I may be saying this because I don’t normally read these type of books, but I like the events are put together so. For starters the author gives you different backgrounds, but leaves information out for later. Most author give a brief description of characters because the theme of the story to them is more important, but this story to me seems like the author wanted to write a story specially with the character in mind not specifically to send a message leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions.
What surprised me the most is Ashoke’s reason for living his homeland. At first I thought it might have been for financial reasons, but it seems he wanted to experience something new. Before his accident he was satisfied with his life, but the helpless he felt led to him migrant into a country with different values and way life differ for his to a great extent. I the helplessness of his accident showed him what in time he could never do so he decided to make use of the time had .Ashoke said something I found interesting which was “He was born twice in India and a third time in America.” I knew why he would say he was born in India twice, but to say he was reborn again in America shows how much he has changed.
Ashima on the other had does not seen to have changed at all. In fact until Gogol she spent a lot of time alone dealing with her depression. I find it ironic that Ashoke’s pet name means one who transcends grief and Ashima means she who is limitless. If you think about it the names can be used to characterize either one of them. Maybe this was the author telling us they belonged together. Also it’s surprising that she never pronounces his name because apparently it’s intimate. I can understand what she means, but still that’s one weird tradition.
When reading story I found each person is having their own internal struggle. Ashima is struggling with being a foreigner which she describes as a” lifelong pregnancy”, Ashoke with his past and Gogol with his identity. As for Ashima I think she is trying to hold on to what ever she can from India because she missing all the important events in her family and friend’s live and also losing loved ones over time. Ashoke to me seems indifferent about being in America and only focuses on job and taking care of his family though at times in his dreams he relives the most traumatic moment in his life.
Gogol on the other hand is going through what almost every teenager goes through which is trying to fit in. It’s not fair to say Gogol is rejecting his culture rather its safe to say he found a new one. He did not grow in the world his parents did so for them to simply assume things based on where they grow up will led them to understand less about their son. Besides Ashoke leaves his homeland to see a world beyond the one he knew and so is Gogol whose new found freedom gives the assurance that he can now do things he could not do before thus t him to change his name. To some it’s a big deal to Gogol it something he could not do anything about until now. I found it interesting that although Gogol changed his name the narrator still called him Gogol. Maybe the author is making the point that even though his changed his name, it has not changed who he is.
The first part of The Namesake touched heavily on literally being a foreigner but this idea of alienation came heavily on the symbolism of Gogol’s name. The book merely began with Ashoke and Ashima to show the difficulty of coming to a foreign land alone, the children are the real subjects of assimilation.
The parents represent two (not complete) opposites of experience as Ashoke is able to become apart of America while Ashima is too in fear of loosing her culture to try to fully assimilate into this society. Due to their parents’ trying to balance to the two cultures: Indian and American the kids are stuck in awkward middle ground where Gogol fears that he will not be accepted. This fear stems from his name, a name neither Indian or American but Russian. He becomes faced with this dilemma of low-self esteem where his name is “not really [him],” where it does not represent either of his cultures (89). In Indian culture one’s good name means something thus its meant to represent him but his name lacks meaning throwing him into turmoil and confusion leading to self discomfort. His name follows neither cultures giving him no real footing, much like stepping out of one’s homeland and into a foreign land where many beliefs are different (much like his parents’ trip to America).
Gogol’s name works to disconnect the two generations as more and more culture is lost in the Ganguli family. Their inability to follow the tradition of having a good name and a pet name for Gogol is only the first level of alienation from their home culture as their children grow up with less and less belief and care for the Indian culture. The Namesake brings Ashoke and Ashima into a foreign culture and illustrates that alienation and then brings it a step further by showing the alienation faced by their children when they do not embrace their parents culture but rather the foreign culture.
So everybody keeps talking about the whole “immigrant experience” theme, but (despite the back cover of the book), I don’t really think that the point of the story is describing this experience. After all, we see very few of the more technical parts of the immigrant experience – such as getting green cards (and eventually citizenship), learning English, finding jobs, etc. Rather, The Namesake focuses more on the cultural blending of our (very recognizable) American culture with Ashima’s beloved Bengali culture. I’d actually go even further than that – this book seems to me to be about any blending of American culture with another culture – through, yes, the “immigrant experience.” The thing is, the immigrant experience itself is so varied depending on anything from gender to age to race to religion, but this endeavor to maintain the old culture even while surrounded by the new is, I think, a struggle every immigrant faces. There are a few scenes in this book that feel pulled out of my own life – everything, from Gogol’s birth at Mount Auburn Hospital to looking at pictures with his pregnant mother before watching Sesame Street on her bed to maintain his skill at English to, even, flying a few rows behind his family his parents’ homeland, is eerily familiar.
Gogol’s very existence seems, to me at least, to be symbolic of his mother finally accepting that she is a part of this strange new American culture. We see her finally starting to adapt to her new home after he is born. He adds purpose to a life that had otherwise literally been empty, and this is what finally makes her accept the United States. Of course, his birth also shows Ashima the kindness of the people around her – in other words, yes, she is alone, but she is certainly not the only person in the world. Americans not only bring her a quiche when she has first given birth and is too tired to cook (33), but they also accept her as a part of their society and – maybe more importantly – accept her son (34). And then, the final symbol of her growing appreciation for the United States: After first being exhausted and having to stand on the train, she is offered a seat by a young girl. Then, when she forgets her purchases on the same train, the MBTA is ridiculously helpful and returns everything. As her friend, Maya Nandi says, events like this happen “only in this country” (43). In other words, Ashima begins to learn the positive aspects of the United States. Unfortunately, they are very much physical advantages – she can sit down, she can retrieve things from lost-and-founds, etc – but she does not have what she truly craves: a traditionally large Bengali family to help her care for and raise her son.
Her son, though, symbolizes her struggle even through his name. The entire idea of “good names” and real names – what you are versus what you aspire to be, your private live versus your public life – is fascinating to me. Essentially, your name is what you must live up to – but this is not an American custom, and for this reason, it is difficult first for the hospital workers (28), then for Gogol’s first teacher (59) to grasp the idea. Ashoke and Ashima are forced to accept this, much as they are forced to accept general American culture – whether they want to or not. This is more difficult for Ashima than for Ashoke, mainly because Ashoke, with all his books, has a fierce desire to see as much as possible, but Ashima clearly prefers the Bengali lifestyle she and her family were raised to love. Interestingly, Gogol’s “good name,” Nikhil, means “he who is entire, encompassing all” (56). Does this mean that he – as the child of immigrants whose traditions are massively different from those of the Americans around them – must try to be this symbolic blending of Indian and American (and, somewhat bizarrely, Russian) cultures?
He obviously rejects this role with the rejection of his name – though as the novel progresses, he clearly becomes more accepting of it. Though Gogol seems unaware when he does it, his gradually increasing desire to be called “Nikhil” represents his gradual Americanization, especially at that party the night before SATs. Nikhil is not the same person as Gogol; as he realizes afterward, “Gogol had nothing to do with it” (96). Nikhil is Americanized; he has a name that is easy to pronounce, that is obviously Indian, that is not the same as the name of some mad genius Russian writer. Intriguingly, Gogol chooses the name that was his all along, the name that means “all-encompassing” but will also be strange and new to this American girl, and not the names that fly through his head when he is introducing himself. After all, he could have called himself “Colin or Jason or Marc...and their conversation could continue, and she would never know or care” (96). Essentially, this choice is Gogol accepting his fate as a Bengali-American, somebody who must both speak Bengali at home and excel in English class at school. Here, we see Gogol choosing to be “entire.”
Interestingly, prior to learning about Nikolai Gogol in English class, Gogol does not ever take interest in the literature his father so loved. Gogol would rather read The Hobbit than “The Overcoat,” even when he is given The Short Stories of Nikolai Gogol as a birthday gift (75), even when his English teacher tells him to read the short story for homework (91). Unlike his father, Gogol’s desire to see the world cannot be satiated by books; Gogol wants to see the world with his own eyes, which we know because he sulks about it on his flight to India (80). Ashoke, however, was perfectly content to read his books – to read his “Russians, and then reread them” instead of seeing the rest of the world (12). Of course, this changes after his conversation with Ghosh on the doomed train – the conversation that ultimately causes Ashoke to leave his home and family (15). Gogol’s desire to see the world mirrors that of his father so perfectly that we as readers can see, quite clearly, that Gogol truly is his father’s son. Will this manifest itself more obviously as the novels goes on and Gogol grows up (and presumably/hopefully grows out of his detest for Bengali culture and becomes more “all-encompassing”)? I think so.
I do think we see this similarity clearly one last time before this part ends. The Gangulis all end up on a train to see Delhi and Agra, and once again, bad luck befalls them. A man on the train is murdered (86), which is eerily reminiscent of Ashoke’s train accident so many years prior. Trains, in The Namesake and in general, represent moving on into different stages of life; after all, the first train we see in this novel is the one that is essentially Ashoke’s catalyst, causing him to move to the United States (15) and, ultimately, to name his child Gogol (26). We also see the train as Ashima’s moving forward into a new stage of her own life, a stage that accepts the United States as her new home (42). And then, finally, we see Ashima on the train once more after her father’s death, leaving his things – and anymore regrets she might have – behind (46).
From the beginning of the story, I found out that the "Namesake" was very similar to my mother experience upon moving to America. Unlike Ashima my mother did not have an arrange marriage and I was already born to accompany her to America. Just like Ashima, my mother also had a difficult time adapting in Cambridge because she was so used to having a big family and once in America it was just her husband and I. I respect both Ashoke and Ashima and my parents greatly for leaving their homes and traveling half way around the world and basically starting a new life there. Which leads me to the theme of the book which i think is difficulty adapting to a new environment and maintaining one's own culture while adopting another.
When Gogol was born it seemed as though his birth made Ashima more depressed than happy because it made her more homesick. "She cries as she feeds him, and as she pats him to sleep, and as he cries between sleeping and feeding. She cries after the mailman's visit because there are no letters from Calcutta." (34) Her heart was always in Calcutta and she always thought about how it would be to raise Gogol in Calcutta with the help of her family members.
The fact that most of Ashima and Ashoke's closest friends are Bengali reveals how people tend to stick with their own kind when in a different environment because it provides comfort. This was the same for my parents when they immigrated to America. They stayed close with the very few Tibetans living around the Boston area at that time.
"Rana couldn't bare to tell his sister over the phone, himself: that her father died yesterday evening of a heart attack playing patience on his bed." (46) " Ashoke's parents both dead from cancer, Ashima's mother from kidney disease." (63) I can't imagine how Ashima and Ashoke must of felt with the deaths their parents leaving them both orphaned in a foreign land. They must of felt so much regret for not visiting their family earlier, and with the deaths it made living in America even more difficult.
As the Ganguli's start adopting American holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas and less Bengali traditions, this shows the difficulty of keeping in touch with one's roots. Slowly Gogol and Sonia become Americanized and forget their native tongue and speak mostly in English. I don't find any fault with Gogol and Sonia because I too am in the same position and it is very difficult trying to maintain my Tibetan roots while accustoming to the American culture. I think Lahiri does an excellent job of depicting the immigrant experience and how it involves loosing one's roots. Being an immigrant myself, I find many similarities with this story.
I also agree with Kristina. Lahiri did a great job with detail and she knew how to draw a picture in your mind. I don't think any other writer could capture the story of an immigrant's experience like Lahiri did with the Gangulis.
Strangely, the first thing I thought of when I started reading was how similar Ashima was to someone I knew...my own mother. Unlike Ashima, my mother is from Vietnam, but the fact remains that they are both first generation immigrants into America from a different land. Reading the first few pages sort of made me realize something. Is this how my mother felt when giving birth to my older brother and to myself? The isolation? The solitude? The dread? The fear? The anxiety? The inherent questioning and confusion over American values? Maybe so...it wouldn't be difficult to imagine.
But the similarities end there. One thing I want to touch on is the concept of arranged marriage. I don't know about the rest of Vietnam, but I know for certain that my mother was not involved in a forced marriage. It seems that for Indians, arranged marriage is a tradition. Indeed, for many other places it is also tradition. But I still see it as unfair, as a mere side effect of patriarchal societies, because in arranged marriage systems it is clear that the man gets the advantage. He can choose practically whomever he desires, and his decision would be fortified by being successful enough for the parents to not be able to resist. The woman on the other hand is subjugated to the man's, as well as her family's, will, unable to protest at all. Personally I don't think a marriage or relationship like this cultivates love or tightness between the couple at all - which could very obviously lead to horrible outcomes not limited to divorce, domestic violence, or the child growing up to be one very traumatized fellow.
I don't want to sound like a jerk but the part that explains how Ashoke survived a train derailing incident seemed like a huge deus ex machina to me. "...when he raised his hand the wad of paper dropped from his fingers" (18) and this was enough for a rescuer to notice and save him. Really? And the page itself was significant, too. It was part of a book written by a Russian writer, Nikolai Gogol - the basis for the name of his son. It's good to know that this is in fact fiction, and not a true story. Otherwise I'd be pretty surprised. I also caught notice of something that may otherwise be insignificant, but I found to be humorously ironic. Before the trainwreck, he spoke to a man named Ghosh implored Ashoke to take advantage of his youth and be free. Ashoke, with a boring response, says that his father told him that's what books were for. Fastforward to his hospital bed, and he's waking up in tears from dreams where he was able to live freely, and without the aid of books. I guess getting nearly crippled reversed his mindset on freedom and mobility, for the better.
"Instead of thanking God he thanks Gogol, the Russian writer who had saved his life..." (21) Strong statement here. And I like it. It's good to know that at least his values are firmly placed in the right spots. ...Meanwhile Ashima still clings to tradition. What she said after her child was immediately born made me borderline angry. She said she PITIED him...for supposedly being born alone. Alone meaning without other relatives around. Really now? He doesn't have his two parents there? To be fair, it's true that I may not understood nor appreciate her tradition...but even so. For me, my mother was happy to have my brother and I born in America. She recognized how compared to Vietnam, there was more opportunity here, more chances for success, and less chances of being a casualty of a war that also consumed her. But if a writer was able to get me so emotionally riled up over one of her characters, then I guess she's done her job well, eh?
To reply to Nidale, I believe she is right. It is not about the literal immigrant experiance but rather what it means and symbolizes ina family structure. I think this book is really commenting on how families develop in a land where the main culture is not their own and how it affects the connection of the parents to the kids. The name of Gogol is the main point, this shows more as the family grows closer through experiance and culture but only after Gogol embraces his culture will he embrace his family and namesake.
I can relate to what Philip is saying, because my own mother came from Vietnam and gave birth to two children in America. She faced isolation; language was not a barrier she had overcome. What I was surprised about was that Ashima pitied Gogol for being born alone in the world. I whole heartedly agree with Philip, Gogol was born into a family with two parents, what more can Ashima have asked for?
I can not truly understand Ashima’s traditions and her thoughts on being alone. Thinking of how Ashima pitied Gogol, I think of my own mother. There was no one in the hospital room to talk to her, no husband, and no friends. How alone she must have felt... What did she think, giving birth to two children who would have no father and scarce relatives?
I found the good name and the pet name interesting. A pet is a sort of indulgence, and that is the way I see the pet name. I once read in a psychology textbook that even in poverty, Indians are much happier than Americans. Indians have tighter familial bonds and grow to rely on each other, whereas being poor in America means isolation and anger. The poor in India have little material comforts and I see the pet name as an indulgence. The pet name is what the parents can decide, but it is not needed because the elderly decide the so called good name.
I found a striking similarity between the characters in “The Overcoat” and “The Namesake.” While narrator was giving a brief overview of what Ashoke liked bested or remembered best about the book, there was one part that caught my eye. There is the woman who can not choose her son’s name. “A series of queer names his mother had rejected,” (28) now this sounds a little like the Bengalis, only queer names were not rejected but waited upon and never received. In a way the names were rejected, because they never reached the Bengalis in America. The name Gogol had replaced all those names.
This section is all about rebirths. Ashoke has been born three times (21. Each time, his rebirth is after a major event, things that changed his life. Then, Gogol is born again with his new name, Nikhil. There is Gogol, pre Nikhil, as an adolescent. Then, as he is growing up, he decides his own name or well, decides to use his actual name. This is where the idea of freedom comes in; Gogol has decided to become a different person, through a different name. Maybe Gogol has accepted his pet name. He uses his good name for strangers and mere acquaintances, just like his parents and ancestors did.
The use of a Russian name instead of an Indian name symbolizes a different rebirth. It is the changing of cultures or the mesh of cultures. Ashoke is bringing in his savior, Nikolai Gogol, together with the Indian culture.
What I really liked about book is that it is set in Massachusetts, and in an area I am very familiar with. I have walked down Massachusetts Avenue. I have been to Porter Square and Harvard Square. It is interesting to know how well Jhumpa Lahiri describes MIT. She must be very familiar with the buildings, because all her descriptions are accurate. From the black doors, and gold lettering of professors’ names, Lahiri has everything down.
This entire novel is filled with powerful symbols. In the first section, birth stands as a symbol and foreshadow of new experiences and enlightenment. As Alex stated, knowledge is heavily emphasized in this section. Additionally, Ashima's process in giving birth and raising Gogol being the first time, away from her family and in a new country illustrates her growth and development as an independent woman. Furthermore, Ashoke's growth is depicted as "he was born twice in India, and then a third time, in America." (21) Growth and knowledge are key points in this section.
I also find Lahiri's use of irony interesting. It is ironic how Ashima is fighting to hold on to her Bengali culture and family, whereas Gogol rejects his culture. Even Ashoke has somewhat adapted to the American lifestyle. It is also ironic how Gogol shows no interest in his father's favorite book. Lahiri develops this irony to display Gogol's decline from his Indian background. It is as if Gogol is an outcast to Bengali culture, as he is accustomed to American culture, yet he is still an outcast in America, due to his name. Lahiri's mastery of irony makes her story more effective and unique.
I have to agree with everyone who praised Jhumpa Lahiri’s writing style, but I concur for different reasons. To me what is most impressive is her ability to convey the characters’ emotions, in all of their complexity, without saying outright how they are feeling. These characters become multidimensional through their actions and reactions to their environment, and it seems like we’re all in agreement that what these environments (USA and India) mean to Gogol is very different from what they mean to his parents.
Both Nidale and Jeri argue that the point of the book is not to “describe this immigrant experience” but to “[comment] on how families develop in a land where the main culture is not their own and how it affects the connection of the parents to the kids.” Though I agree that there are more prominent themes in the novel, I find this argument problematic simply because I don’t see how you can divorce a family’s “development in a land where the main culture is not their own” from this abstract idea of an immigrant experience. To me, this process of assimilation, and in the case of Ashima, the refusal to assimilate, is very much entangled with her unique immigrant experience. The fact that Gogol’s parents are immigrants is really the foundation of the novel and all of Gogol’s inner conflicts and struggles. Even though there is a gradual acceptance of American culture in the part of Ashima throughout the novel, the family’s road to that stage, and even what comes after it, should be considered part of their immigrant experience; after all, they are and will always be Indian immigrants in America, and therefore so are their experiences, which are not limited to learning English and acquiring citizenship.
What I believe is the heart of the matter and the predominant theme surfacing in The Namesake is the concept of contextual identity. Ashima is a character that illustrates the pains one has to go through when moving to a foreign country. She eventually gives in and understands that her identity in America has to be modified, that some aspects of her Bengali culture are unheard of or incompatible in America, and most importantly, that her identity cannot stay intact. Ashoke is an example of someone who has more developed and flexible contextual identities: he works and lives in America, but goes to India to get specifically to get married. This is the source of beauty and complexity of Gogol’s character, he really doesn’t have any identity. When “it occurs to him that no one he knows in the world, in Russia or India or America or anywhere, shares his name” (Lahiri 78) the reader understands that Gogol is lost and going through an identity crisis: he rejects his Indian heritage, but fails to completely fit in and embrace his American one. Gogol’s name is so far the biggest symbol in the book, it symbolizes the incomplete ties he has with any one culture, his sense of confusion and isolation.
From the moment I first started reading The Namesake, I noticed the rich detail throughout the very first few pages. As most have previously stated this adds a lot to putting the reader into a position to really get into the setting of the novel (although the setting is in Boston, a place where all of us should know pretty well anyway). The story being set in Boston makes it come even more alive for me in this book as I can easily picture most of the things that Lahiri mentions. I’m very surprised at how fast she moves the story though each chapter, as it picked up quite fast through Gogol’s life.
As far as a major theme that I have pick up on for this book is the way one who has immigrated to a distant land often loses their own culture and identity. I like what Jean said about how Gogol’s birth was signifying a new life in the foreign land. But with Gogol’s life there seemed to be much death in the family on both sides as time went on. I saw this as a symbol of how the old culture was slowly dying out from their family as they tried to live their lives in the new land. As the time moves forward even more, the parents in their own way lose what they used to be, what they knew. Each pretty much got a change in their way of dress and lifestyle.
Another part of the story that I though supported this theme was the field trip to the graveyard when Gogol gets to color over the grave stones, only picking the ones that seemed odd to him. I saw this as some kind of symbol representing how previous cultures have died out before. The Puritans and Native Americans’, who were there hundreds of years before the story takes place, have all lost a good amount of their culture, and I thought that it represented how the Gangulis are on their way to lose their culture too.
Since the title most likely gives an insight of the contents in the book, I took the time to look up the official definition of a NAMESAKE. A namesake , which according to dictionary.com is a person named after another. So, even before commencing this novel I wanted to know who was the special person that had that “special” name, and who was he/she named after. Every time I was introduced to a character , I stayed alert. But it was no use, because I did not get a revelation right away. Of course while I was trying to discover this character I also noticed the “immigrant experience” , “challenges of immigration experience”, “lost culture”, sense of “discomfort”, all of that good stuff. These are all great themes and ideas, but I mostly focused on the cause, in order to come to these conclusions myself. Ashima feels discomfort because she is homesick and out of place, which in time causes her immigrant experience to be a displeasing one. Even when she has her little bundle of joy, she is still not happy. For example, on page 24-25 the reader can not help feel alone depressed, and even “pity”
I figured she would eventually get used to it but she doesn’t. I think this is because she is not exposed to the American ways yet. Even when she was in the hospital being exposed the affections of the Americans; Even when she went to get groceries; even if she had American landlords, an American son, its not enough. She stays inside her home most of the time. Its like when there is bad weather and it is raining, if you stay inside one wont experience its effect regardless of what the news states. SO as Ashima stays in the comfort of her home, she can not escape her thoughts of Calcutta .
At this point I have been focusing on Ashima, only because the narrator is focused on her at this point. However, of course the presence of her husband Ashoke, along with her newborn Gogol bring out her character further as well as their own. The three people in that immediate family give us the insight of a --I would like to say --typical family. The first generation of American born children struggle with the understanding of their roots , such as a good name or a pet name. Meanwhile, the parents are trying to hold on to their culture, attempting to embed it into the manners of living of their children. From personal experiences since my own parents were immigrants, their was always a personal internal clash between the parents and children. This is because they both see the world differently, one through perhaps Bengali eyes, and one through the eyes of an American . There are also external conflicts, just like on page 59, where Mrs. Lapidus, who despite of the parents wishes, calls Nikhil by his pet name --Gogol. Even with the new addition of their family, Sonia (towards the end of chapter 4), I think these conflicts will still remain.
After reading the first two pages of The Namesake I was already hooked. The very beginning was a little slow because it just talked about Ashima preparing her snack mix, but it was still interesting because of what the food was. She wasn’t just making herself something; she was taking care to get the mix just perfect. Lahiri foreshadows immediately that a baby will be born, but I didn’t expect it so quickly.
I don’t think that Lahiri is trying to portray Ashoke as uncaring, but I disliked him from when he stepped outside the curtain when his wife wanted him. It probably isn’t that big a deal, but I still thought of the husband in a Sally Field movie that I saw last summer. He leaves his wife in an empty apartment alone and takes her daughter from her in the middle of bombing or shooting without a care at all.
I changed my mind about Ashoke completely after I read about his life in India and his love of books and the train accident. The way that he was found and rescued reminded me of the Titanic. Those that survived were surrounded by the dead, severely injured , and couldn’t shout for help. The rescuers are about to pass by Ashoke and he would have been left to die, but he signals nonverbally that he is alive, like Rose and her whistle. He entire ordeal just made me feel so sympathetic toward him.
I want to read more descriptions of the baby. Lahiri is so detailed in writing about food, dress, places, but I feel like I know very little about how the characters look aside from their clothing, Gogol least of all.
The way that Ashoke reacts to the news of Ashima’s fathers death is surprising. It is expected that he would be upset since his wife’s father died, but I didn’t think he would fall apart the way he did. He only knew Ashima and her family for merely a few weeks before they were married and moved to America, so it’s hard to imagine that father-in-law and son-in-law would have a close relationship. I also expected to read about the trip to India, but Lahiri chose to omit that and skip to 1971. She doesn’t have to tell us what happened; we can assume and it isn’t necessary.
Although Ashima promised her grandmother that she wouldn’t change when she went to America, that she would remain the same, it is clear that the Gangulis are beginning to assimilate into American culture and lifestyle. I would have thought that after her grandmother died, Ashima would have tried even harder not to, but it seems like the opposite has happened, although not intentionally. They bought an American house, Gogol wears American clothes and plays with American toys, and their new baby girl is given only one name as opposed to the traditional two. Then there is that whole section on pages 64-65 that tells of all the other little details, everything else that they do that shows how different they’ve become. Gogol is so American that he dislikes his name and sort of rejects Indian culture, favoring the Beatles over Indian cassettes and the Hardy Boys over Nikolai Gogol. Nikolai Gogol is Russian of course, but he is still a part of Ashoke’s heritage and Gogol’s identity. The scene when Ashoke is about to explain to his son why he was given the name he wears is so heartbreaking. It turns out that he doesn’t tell him so as not to soil a happy occasion with stories of death, but I can’t help feeling that Ashoke is saddened and hurt over his son’s efforts to distance himself from the lifestyle of his parents.
When I first came to the U.S. at age 6 from Vietnam, my family and I had to deal with cultural and language differences just like the Ganguli family. It was not easy for me to learn the English language, and it was not easy for my family to get a job. Coming to the U.S. meant that my family had to give up or sacrifice the Vietnamese lifestyle they had and the properties owned. Gogol seems to hate his new name “Nikhil,” maybe because he does not want to have any kinds of relations to Bengali traditions. But, I don’t understand why an American-born Bengalian would want to betray his heritage. His father even said that “Don’t worry, to me and your mother, you will never be anyone but Gogol (57).” Perhaps Gogol thinks that having two names affect his relationship with his friends, girlfriend, and other people around him.
The Namesake appealed to me from the start because it was about the idea of immigration, identity, and assimilation into a foreign culture. Coming to America and growing up in an immigrant family, I understand and witness the loneliness Ashima feels. Ashima feels lonelier than Ashoke because she did not really have a choice to come to the United States, it was an arranged marriage, part of life's plan, just as many immigrants today choose to come to America not because they wish to but because they need to find money to support their family.The constant struggle to maintain their Indian culture in a different environment is shown when the hospital forces Ashoke and Ashima to pick a name. The silly ideas that the hospital suggested like naming the child after another member just shows how not understanding American society is. America is a diverse country but foreign cultures like arranged marriage and how to name a child is still abnormal to American society. When Ashima left her father's gift on the train. I think it was a sign of Ashima letting go of what was in Calcutta. A part of her realized that it was time to move on.Back to Philip's point on arranged marriage, I don't think it is necessarily a bad idea especially for Indians who live in small communities. It eliminates problems like infidelity and divorces which occurs so much today. For example, Ashima learned to love Ashoke while Gogol continues to struggle with finding the perfect one. It's so sad to see Gogol hate his culture as he struggles to find his identity. I understand because he has grown up in America. To Gogol, home is The Beatles, cheese and Christmas,not the streets of Calcutta. Part of Gogol growing up is learning to assimilate and appreciate both cultures.
The novel begins with the detailing of the early life of young Indian natives Ashima and Ashoke and there journey to the United States of America; more specificly Cambridge Massachusetts. Off to a rocky start in a foriegn land the couple instinctively feels out of place, and well, foriegn. They know, nor do they understand anything about the customs or values of the people they encounter on an every day basis, and with a child on the way they seek no more comfort but rathedr further concern, for they fear for there child growing up so far away from home ( Calcutta India). Ashima and Ashoke, considerably young, are a couple of an arranged marriage, which is typical to there culture back at home. Since there marriage is arranged and not an act of love at first sight, there interactions are short and dull; there is no constant desire to be around one another on a regular basis, and they lack the public or even private display of affection that an American couple is caught displaying on a regular basis. At first it is dificult, more so for Ashima as opposed to Ashoke to adapt to this new life style they have created in this distant land; she longs for her for her relatives, her home, her friends. Although Ashoke experices this same distress and underlying suffering, he is commited to a job at a University, and unlike Ashima is too busy with making himself a career to feel this dis heartening pain. I feel as though the main theme in part one of the novel is the isolation and distress faced by immigrants that more then often goes unnoticed. The novel attempts to build upon this over idea of having to make something out of yourself even when it seems easier to surrender to your emotins and give in. I find it amusing that unlike Ashima and Ashoke, American young adults (or atleast the marjority of us) would give anything to visit or live in a world that is so new too us; a world that we have yet to experience. It is easy to pick of this theme of the cultural gap between the American youth and the Indiana youth, but it is harder for the audience to sincerely relate to the experience of immigration.
First I have to praise Lahiri writing style and argue it a little. I don't think her Lahiri through an excellent writer is the rich. I think she presents her ideas simply but in beautiful way. It is very light and with her characters mainly Gogol and his mother she shows the thoughts going through their heads.
I think Lahiri is making a point that in a nation made up of immigrants many can relate too. That though we, Americans, view ourselves as normal we are in fact very strange to others. I think a point is being made here: America pack heat, that even now having just arrived to America in a few weeks the sense of bombardment and loneliness and not being able to relate to anything really is over whelming.That a family means many different things in many different places. To some its mom and dad. However to Gogol's mother its the network of all the people who have watched her grow up, taught her and guided her over the years. In America to some a husand is family and that ok but to others is the near being completely alone.
This site will be the summer resource for students in Mr. Gallagher and Ms. Clapp's AP Literature courses. You'll come here to discuss summer reading, college searches and applications, and literary topics in general.
50 comments:
From the beginning of the novel, it is clear that one of the main themes of "The Namesake" is the immigrant experience. Ashima and Ashoke settle in Cambridge after an arranged marriage. But Ashima has trouble adaptig to her new life away from Calcutta, from her family. The very first paragraph sees her trying to concoct an approximation of a snack sold in the streets of Calcutta(p 1). As Ashima progresses through labor, she is terrified by the idea of raising a child "in a country where she is related to no one, where she knows so little, where life seems so tentative and spare" (p 6). Which brings us to another theme in the book: the conflicts of assimilation. Ashima and Ashoke's close friends are all Bengalis, substitutes for their families. Ashima resists all things American like celebrating Christmas. The Gangulis travel to Calcutta as often as possible.I personnally think Lahiri's depiction of the experience of foreigners in America is authentic. As a foreigner, I have recognized Ashima's feelings. Her nostalgia and sense of alienation mirrored mine. So far, I think this is a pretty good book. I really enjoy the accuracy of the descriptions and the simple style.
From the start of The Namesake, it is made quite evidant that the pregnant Ashima is in distress. Her anguish, however, is not directly because of her being pregnant, (which causes her alot of physical pain)but the fact that she is in the foreign land of America, and so far from home, and everything she ever knew. On page one, the qoute "she frowns, as usual, there's something missing," showing that there is a hole in Ashima's life.
Ashima is not the only person in the story to have issues. Her husband, Ashoke, a Bengali professor in Boston, constantly struggles with repressed memories of the train crash that he experienced many years before. Ashoke clearly remembers the screams, smells, and lack of sight, which haunt him, causing him the cringe when babies cry, and be uneasy when on a train or a plane. One thing that i found interesting about how Ashoke recalls the story was what another passenger had said to him. Ghosh, a man from Tollygunge, said "pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can." (p.17). At first, Ashoke does not think much about what Ghosh had said, as Ashoke was very closeminded on how one should go about living their life. Over time, however, Ashoke began to take Ghosh's advice, driving all around Massachusetts with his family with no destination, something he most likely would have seen as foolish before.
Another thing that i found interesting in the story was the profound effect that Gogol, and his sister Sonia, had on both Ashima and Ashoke. After having Gogol, Ashima found a new sense of meaning in life, replacing days of crying and missing her old country with busy schedules of running around Boston to pick up food, clothing,and other necessities of raising a child. Gogol also had a significant impact on Ashoke. Over time, things like babies crying and plane rides did not frighten Ashoke as much as they did before, and he finally began to put the horrific train incident out of his mind, largely crediting Gogol for this. What may have been the biggest impact that the kids had on the family was the extent to which the Gangulis "Americanized". For one example, rice and curry were starting to give way to more american meals such as hot dogs and peanut butter and jelly. Though these changes are small, they give an insight into the overall change that the entire family is going through.
I think the the theme of "The Namesake" is not mainly about the immigrant experience, but how when living in a foreign place, one's customs and culutre is lossed even if they try to keep them. Ashima is more committed to her Bengali roots than Ashoke when moving to Cambridge because Ashoke has been there awhile, and he chose to be there. Ashima's arranged marriage made her have to be there, therefore, she still tries to stick to her culture. This is an evident pattern with all the Bengalis who have had an arranged marriage and ended up in USA. The women continue wearing their sari's while the men obtain more of the Americanized look. When Gogol is born and they have to give him one name it is clear that this is what the "namesake" is. Ashima and Ashoke start to also lose a little of their culture day by day when living in America. When their children are born it becomes very clear what kind of people they will be; American. I think the author, Lahiri, is trying to show the immigrant experience, yet also she emphasizes the change of customs generation from generation. Not only is the "namesake" about Gogol's fight with dealing with his name, but also Ashima and Ashoke's fight with having to deal with the loss of their culture and their family. They know that their children will not grow up to be the same people they would've and should be if they were raised in Calcutta.
At the beginning of The Namesake, Ashima who is the young bride who is about to have her first baby realizes how isolated she has become. She wonders that if she were still in Calcutta she would have her baby at home and she would be surrounded by all the women in her family who could tell her what to expect.
While in the U.S., Ashima struggles through language and cultural barriers as well as her own fears as she delivers her first child. To bring a child into a world that she doesn't quite know yet could be very dangerous and frightening for the child.
A theme that is pointed out right in the beginning of the book are the various aspects and challenges of immigration. Ashima and Ashoke come to the United States but live separate from the American culture. We can see that Ashima keeps dressing in traditional clothes. And I agree with francesca and how she says that when people immigrate to another country their traditions and culture become lost. I think a lot of Ashima's and Ashoke's distress is from a fear of losing their culture and their child never knowing the real roots of himself.
I definitely agree that part one of this book primarily focuses on Ashoke and Ashima's experience in America, but I do not think that moving to America was the beginning of their loss of culture. In fact, I think the couple did a superior job in keeping their past with them.
Ashoke's decision to name his son Gogol is an example of Ashoke/Ashima keeping their past WITH them when they move rather than starting an entire new, confusing life. Chapter 1 of this book made it clear that Ashoke's trauma from a prior train accident has haunted him in India and America equally. He probably would have gone insane with fear if it weren't for his favorite story, "The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol. It was this story that Ashoke continued to hold in his hand and make him feel alive when he believed he was dying. When he knew he was going to be rescued, "instead of thanking God he thanked Gogol" (21) for saving his life.
To Ashoke, naming his son after a person that he believes saved his life comforts him, and since Gogol and his parents live in America, Ashoke has created a 'home away from home'-type comfort. Therefore, I think the immigration experience did not take away the family's culture, it expanded their lives ways it probably couldn't have in Calcutta.
Just something I wanted to add that I forgot was in my sticky notes - I think Lahiri's choice of words is what caught my attention from the start. She had such an attention to detail. She knew how to make me feel sensitive to the situations going on around the characters of this book. To bring in more insight, she used a lot of flashbacks in the beginning to make the reader feel even more involved with the characters, and give an even better understanding to them. I think the way Lahiri writes is definitely one of a kind.
The beginning of the novel shows how Ashoke and Ashima have to adapt to life in America. It is more of a struggle for Ashima because as said before, Ashoke has been to America in his past. Where as Ashima is just beginning a new family and life there. She is pregnant and scared to raise her child in a place where she knows no one and is extremely upset that her loved ones in Calcutta don't get to see her baby coming about. The marriage has affected her only because she has to leave her family and life in Calcutta behind. She feels isolated from all that she used to know and grew up in. In America all of Ashima's friends are Bengali people, maybe signifying a bond that makes her feel at home and that she is not the only Bengali who had to change her life. Immigration is hard for someone to handle, like many people today. Someone, like Ashima who knows very little to nothing about another culture, the language, the customs, and ways of living. Ashima is accustomed to her past life in Calcutta, therefore she has no interest in trying too hard to adjust to a new life in America at first. The move and adaptation is a major change in Ashima's as well as Ashoke's life. When their first child Gogol is born, the couple faces the struggle of naming him. Ashima suffers from some depression when she discovers her grandmother who remained in Calcutta is very ill, therefore leaving Gogol unnamed- against the Bengali tradition. The feeling of sorrow was created because there was nothing Ashima nor Ashoke could do about the grandmother's death, having to stay in Cambridge for a better life, and not being able to continue on in the tradition they were raised in.
I agree with Kristina, Lahiri definately knew how to make you feel connected with the characters and their feelings. Also, showing how differently Ashima and Gogol are based on their different respective cultures. For me, the feeling was created of what life is like for someone who is foreign and the troubles they face trying to develop a new life somewhere else.
Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli are new arrivals from Calcutta to America. They are trying to do their best to become Americans without losing their Indian traditions. There are many ways in which Ashima and Ashoke do so. First, when Gogol is born, they do not want to give him a name because they are waiting on a letter from Ashima’s grandmother. But, problems arise because the newborn cannot leave a hospital in America without a birth certificate. Mr. Wilcox, complier of hospital birth certificates asks “Then what about naming him after another person? Someone you greatly admire?” The Gangulis do not approve because within Bengali families, individual names are sacred. We also see that Ashima, though she sends her boy to school in America is teaching him to be bilingual. She teaches Gogol to call her “Ma” and Ashoke “Baba.” This will help Gogol stay attached to his Bengali culture.
In the midst of the section, we learn that Ashima’s grandmother is sick and that is the reason why the Gangulis have not received a letter with a “good name” for Gogol. We also learn that unfortunately, Ashima’s father dies. I thought that because the Gangulis have adapted some American culture, they might change their mind and name their baby boy after Ashima’s father. But, my foreshadowing was incorrect.
It is great learning about the Bengali culture. For example, an annaprasan is a rice ceremony for a newborn. Because there is no baptism for Bengali babies, annaprasan is meant to introduce them to a lifetime of consumption. On page 40, someone at Gogol’s annaprasan yells out, “An American boy must be rich!” This raises a few questions. Is Gogol considered an American culturally? What did Ashima think when she heard this remark? Does Gogol have to be rich to be considered an American boy?
Because Gogol is “Americanized”, he does not understand the purpose of his new name Nikhil. Gogol doesn’t want a new name. Gogol was not brought up in a strict Indian culture; therefore he does not understand the purpose of a nickname or daknam. This is exactly what Ashima was afraid of. This is evident because we see how stressed and worried Ashima is in America and how much she misses Calcutta. Gogol's name is an example of what Ashima didn’t want. The name they bestow on Gogol betrays all the conflicts of honoring their traditions in America. Gogol will not accept his new name and his schoolteachers ignore it as well. Does this show that Americans can be ignorant to other cultures/religions?
When I first began to read the this novel, The Namesake, I encountered the sense of fitting in, adapting, as well as the need to be an “American”. The changes from the culture differences from living in India and living in America are quite different. When Ashima and Ashoke came to America it had reminded me of a book I once read last year in English class with Mr. Walsh. Their isolation from the American culture reminded of the familiar isolation Valentino had once felt when he first immigrated to America in the novel, What is the What, by Dave Eggers. Once Valentino has settled in America he was faced with hardships. Just like how Ashima and Ashoke was unfamiliar with naming your child before you leave the hospital was one hardship they were faced with.
It is obvious that Gogol is not proud of his birth name given by his parents. Since he does not take pride in his given name he does not take pride in who he really is. This indeed breaks his mother’s heart, Ashima; because she is a woman who holds pride and honor in her culture. Which she tries to pass down to her children. Yet, Gogol rejects it and by this it foreshadows that Gogol would go out into the real world leaving the family knowledge heritage, of being Indian, behind him and entering a new world of being a true proud American.
Upon opening the book, the title, "Namesake" had me curious as to what storyline could be about.
The story starts off with Ashima getting stomach contractions from her pregnacy ready to give birth soon. I love the way Lahiri has the reader hooked. The reader is immersed within specks of details that teases he/she the background of the characters, not yet quite giving away the full story. We find out that Ashima is an Indian wife, married to Ashoke, a "doctoral candidate" who studies at "MIT" (p2). The reader can presume they are probably still quite young. I found it interesting the pace of the mood when Ashima has her pregnacy contractions. Here is a woman about to do one of the most lifechanging things ever and she refuses to call her husband by his "first name" (p2. REALLY? I'm under the impression that the foundation of their marriage isn't built upon the type of love you see in racy, passionate romantic stories, but a 'love' that is built upon a mutual respect and subtle companionship.
Further into the story, we find out the couple was thrown into an arranged marriage quickly answering my suspicions of the type of bond these two people shared. Immigrants from India, new to a new place, a new home, a new culture. Ashima seems to be the one suffering from the worst case of homesickness as she reveals her concerns of raising a child without the warmth of family around, without the warmth of familiarity to people, places, and things. I mean that's typical with most early immigrant expieriences, (I, myself speaking from expierience.)
However, like how the story started out with the newborn, Gogol, and the couple's first few years in Boston. Like baby steps, we see Ashima and Ashoke's journey into adaptation, I wouldn't say 'assimilation' seeing as Ashima still wears her saris and the couple only basks in the company of other Bengali friends. Ashima is not as lonely as she finds new things to keep her busy with Gogol and late Sonia while Ashoke pursues his career.
As the young Gogol and Sonia grow older, we see the effects that American culture has on them as they eat "cheeses" and delicuts and enjoy the commerical Christmas widely celebrated in America like other kids their age. Though Ashima and Ashoke try their best to maintain and keep their Indian heritage alive in the household, it is clear the cultural bond between the parents and the children become deeper and more severed as time progresses. That is most evident in the shame and embarassment that Gogol harbors within his own name (giving me more insight into the title of the book). Despite his parent's efforts, Gogal politely refuses his culture and pursues almost like a doublelife. Going to parties, drinking, losing his virginity. The changing of his name from 'Gogol' to 'Nikhil' symbolizes the air of rebellion that has always festered in young Gogol's mind.
Lahiri's slow transition from Ashima to Ashoke's perspective to Gogol's POV accompanies the changing tides of life the Gangulis find in America.
While reading the first part of The Namesake, I tried to figure out what some of the major themes (both current and upcoming) could possibly be. After thinking for a while, I realized that I did not know many themes for the book at all; I was just reading it and absorbing the information as I went along. Thinking back however, I realize that I have a few ideas as to what some of the themes could be.
Clearly, one of the themes of the entire book is assimilation to an entirely new culture. This does not mean moving to a different state or region. Assimilation, in this situation, means moving an entire lifetime away from what you are used to. It also means experiencing life in an entirely new environment. However, the book is not about leaving an old culture behind. It is also not about the substitution of one culture for another either. I think one of the themes of the book is a combination of those ideas. One of the many themes of The Namesake is this idea of combining many ideas/cultures/traditions/social norms into something greater. Throughout the book, Ashima creates this life of Calcutta while in America. When the family is in Calcutta however, they crave their American lifestyle and the life they once felt uncomfortable with.
Ashima and Ashoke moved directly out of their comfort zones in order to provide a better life for themselves and their children. Part One of The Namesake also expresses the desire to move out of a comfort zone and onto something better. Throughout Part One, I think it is very apparent that the themes mentioned throughout this blog are true. However, I think that when combined, they create a truer meaning for the theme of The Namesake.
I agree with what Kristina said about the danger and fright Ashima feels when she brings a child into a world she doesn't know. (I'd just like to say that I think that the author, Lahiri, does an amazing job here in creating an honest vulnerability for her character that readers can connect with.) And I would also like to add that the same fright and danger must have been felt by Gogol because in general much of what parents feel spills over to their children. And I think this is also a (perhaps minor) theme of the book, or at least of this part of the book. Gogol grows up trying to run away from his culture and his name, while his parents -- namely Ashima -- try to hold on to it. Gogol even runs away from it on his first day of kindergarten -- he has a chance to keep his good name in place, grow used to it, and continue the customs of his parents; but he doesn't, and he instead uses the pet name. He has one name and this fact connects him further to American culture. Plus, the idea that a child can disregard a parent's wishes, although here it is fully innocent, is an American idea.
The loss of the Bengali culture and the gain of American culture seems to become more present when Sonia is born, almost as if with each generation another piece of the Bengali puzzle is replaced by an American piece. Not only is Sonia's (which is a nickname for Sonali) pet name done away with altogether, it is also chosen by her parents. Both of these things are against the Bengali custom. And when the Ganguli's hold a party, a guest even says of Sonia "'This one is the true American'".
Another theme of the book that I think becomes evident when we readers are told of Ashoke's traumatic experience with the train crash is something to do with fate. Ashoke survives the train crash because of his beloved book by Nikolai Gogol, The Overcoat -- had the light not remained in Ashoke's direction for that length of time, and had the pages not dropped from his raised hand and produced more movement, the rescue team would not have noticed that Ashoke was still alive. If that isn't some sort of fate, I don't know what is. Furthermore, that Gogol chose not to go by his good name in kindergarten can certainly be categorized as a fateful moment; and for such a small choice, it had great impact on the rest of his life.
The Namesake tells a very relevant story of immigrants assimilating into American culture. I think the story of Ashima and Ashoke coming to America is so relevant to today because I see the same things happening with my own family and many others around me. I’m a fourth generation Italian. The difference between the way things are run in my household and the way things were in the households of my parents is drastically different. Every generation that has unfolded since my great-grandparents immigrated here from Italy has competed with the loss of a genuine Italian culture and lifestyle. This is what we, as readers, can receive from The Namesake.
I agree with Kaela’s observation about Gogol’s decision to disband his good name and also the family’s further assimilation once Sonia is born. I think Gogol choosing to stay Gogol instead of Nikhil opens the reader up to the idea of regret. Although at the time, when Gogol was first starting school, keeping his pet name seemed like the natural choice. It seemed natural for Gogol to go against his parent’s wishes and customs because of his new American life. Many years down the line, when Gogol is in high school, he feels regret for not keeping his good name, Nikhil (which he reasons with himself can at least be shortened to “Nick”). I’m not yet sure if this feeling of regret will tie into his inclination to sway from his parent’s Indian roots, but that would make a lot of sense as culture and it’s preservation is a prevalent topic in this novel.
I also think Rachael makes a great point about how this novel has a lot to do with the syncretism of cultures. It does seem that Ashoke and Ashima’s Indian roots, although somewhat preserved, have a way to adapting to American life and transforming to fit their needs more effectively. I’m very curious to see how this adaptation of two very different cultures works out for this family by the end of the novel.
While the books we are assigned to read for English class during the schoolyear always somehow relate to a certain theme, a specific section of our curriculum, and our summer reading serves as some sort of introduction to the year ahead. However, aside from the course-specific how-to books (How to Read Literature Like A Professor, anyone?), how exactly these works relate to this course and to this point in our lives varies. So, imaginably, as I began reading Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, I could not help but wonder how Ashima and Calcutta and her awkward relationship with her husband was relevant to myself and the class I am about to take, aside from the fact that the book is a piece of literature and that it takes place in Boston.
However, as I read on, I grew to know Ashima and Ashoke, I was introduced to Gogol and Sonia, I made the connection between the book’s title and the significance of Gogol’s very name (to everyone in the story), I endured Ashima’s constant discontentment, I became familiar with Bengali culture and, in doing so, discovered several underlying ideas, themes apart from the obvious, and began to connect them to the present situation. Obviously, the book surrounds the ideas of immigration and diversity, of cultural decay and cultural growth, of resistance and adaptation. Beneath these ideas of resistance and adaptation, beyond Ashima’s and Ashoke’s struggles to preserve this culture and its identities dwell themes that relate to our current identities, our places as students: those of dependence and independence. Ashima’s homesickness and difficulty with change brought to mind the changes that we will soon be experiencing as we abandon our lives as we know them and head off to college, doomed to independence for the rest of our lives.
Additionally, I am fascinated with this book’s presentation of the evolution of cultures. As the audience watches Gogol grow, they watch the Ganguli family Americanize. Even their eight-month-long trip to Calcutta, the very homeland of Bengali culture, emphasizes how incredibly American the next generation of their family has become, focusing on Gogol’s and Sonia’s constant annoyance. Then, with the series of ill-fated incidents that occur over the course of their visit and the highlighted losses of so many family members (for both sides of the family), the trip reveals that even Ashima and Ashoke do not fit as well there (Calcutta) as they once did. Even without the trip, this idea is prevalent, everpresent in the pages of The Namesake with every familiar detail dropped. Lahiri manages to subtly incorporate this thought every time she connect with her young American audience with mentions of the simple but specific “ordinary roads where plastic wading pools and baseball bats are left out on the lawns” and “shoes…worn inside, trays of cat litter…placed in the kitchens” (51). While each member of the family changed differently—Ashoke obviously more willing towards change than Ashima, Sonia and Gogol born into this new culture—the story still manages to convey the idea of America’s inescapable influence, the all-encompassing culture of the United States.
From the begining of the book you are aware that Ashoke and Ashima's background. At the begining of the book we find out how Ashima was plucked from her comfortable surroundings in Calcutta and has now come to live with Ashoke in America. She has had to learn to adapt to the customs of America while dealing with how to raise her baby boy. Their new son becomes the begining of their adapting to America. While naming their son they want to keep the tradition of his pet name(Gongol) and his good name (Nikhil). This becomes more difficult when Gongol enters school because no one understands what the Ganguli's are trying to do so Nikhil basically is thrown out the window. On pg 58 when Ashoke was attempting to explain why he wanted his son to be called Nikhil not Gongol I couldn't imagine what was running in Gongol's head. A first day of school is stressful enough then adding a name he isn't comfortable with. When the Ganguli's take their trip back to Calcutta neither Sonia or Gongol seem very excited. They have to leave their comfortable surrounding of America. When I came to this part of the book I thought back to how
Ashima felt when she came to America not knowing much about life here and how to live, this must have been how Sonia and Gongol felt not knowing much about the life they were about to live in Calcutta. After their trip to Calcutta and they arrive back in America the end of chapter 4 brings a new side of Gongol. We find Gongol going going to a party at a college with his friends. While there he finds himself not wanting to tell Kim his real name so he ends up using Nikhil which ends up bringing out a whole new person from Gongol. I think this is going to be an occuring theme in the book where you need to be comfortable in your name to be who you are. After what he learned in English class I feel that Gongol is uncomfortable with his name and background now. It just seems it must be hard for Gongol because his name is so unmodern like that of his sister Sonia. I love the way that Ashima and Ashoke continuously are trying and trying to keep their culture alive in their childrens lives even though Gongol and Sonia are so
Americanized.
It seems pretty clear that a sense of lost culture is evident in most blogs. To connect to these blogs, I would like to start by saying that you can take the girl out of India but you cannot take India out of the girl. Her name, meaning "she who is limitless, without borders" fits but doesn't fit (p26). She leaves the borders of India but feels a stranger anywhere else, so she needs protective borders. Ashima struggles with the preservation of her heritage to an extend much greater than her husband, Ashoke. From the very beginning she promised herself that she wouldn't stray away from the life she once lived. In Calcutta, Ashima had studied English, so I had almost expected her to wish to become familiar with the culture, but she hadn't for a while. "Ashima think its strange that her child will be born in a place most people enter to suffer or to die" (p4). Her negative attitude towards adjusting to American culture sticks out like a sore thumb. Even before she left Calcutta, her grandmother was her only relative that believed she would preserve her heritage. Eventually, Ashima became friends with people in America, but because they were from Calcutta or of Indian heritage.
Ashoke is very different from Ashima, he is very accepting. He connects his life to his favorite Russian author who also spent most of his life away from his home, as an outsider. His appreciation for the life he came so close to losing lives through his first born child, Gogol. Gogol is as American as they come. He listens to records, eats hamburgers, and rides his bike around the block. When he visits Calcutta, he has a hard time adjusting to the Bengali culture. This is the kind of thing Ashima had always feared. Even as a young boy Gogol had rejected the idea of having a name other than Gogol. For a while he embraces the power of his name. He admires its ability to differentiate him from the crowd. At age fourteen it was clear he had grown to wish his name meant something specifically to him. I cant really figure out why Ashoke has yet to explain to him the true reason behind his name. Maybe if he had explained it to him, Gogol may have actually read The Overcoat the two times he had the chance to.
The family as a whole made a tremendous transformation. Ashima adjusted to America to the point where she preferred the city to a suburb. Ashoke was successful enough to have his name on a black plaque outside of his office. Gogol, like any teenager, changed his mind about life depending on what was currently happening in his life. His younger sister Sonia hasn't exactly stuck out to me though. She has yet to leave an impact. The only thing I find interesting about her is that her parents call her by an American version of the name they gave her.
I read the previous comments above mine and I have to say that we all are touching on the same themes (so good job for us). However, I took notes while I was reading the first section and decided to find some themes that continue throughout the section and condense them into the following four:
1. The struggle to Maintain One's Cultural Identity
-This is obvious from the very beginning when Ashima wishes she could have her baby surrounded by family, the traditional way of having an Indian baby. This sentiment is also echoed when Ashima notices that her son will be deprived of the upbringing she once had in India (p.25). (By the way, I loved how on this page Lahiri juxtaposes Ashoke's pride in his son and the positive aspects of having a baby with Ashima's own pessimistic view on the life her son will have.) This struggle to maintain a cultural identity is again noticed when the Gangulis need to pick a name for their son (p. 26). They want to stick to tradition and have Ashima's grandmother give them the name, but American society is literally forcing them to pick a name on the spot.
2. The struggle to find one's identity
-This theme mainly occurs through Gogol who has a hard time dealing with his Indian heritage and his own Americanization. This is first seen on pg. 57 when his parents send him to school as Nikhil. He cannot give his teacher his new name because he is afraid to be someone he doesn't know. Taking on this new name is embracing a new life that Gogol is not sure he is ready for, so he retains Gogol as his name. This struggle to identify oneself is also noted on pages 70-71 when Gogol realizes that his name is an oddity in his American school. He identifies himself more with the names on the tombstones, with those who belong to a different era and society, than he does with his own classmates. As he gets older, this struggle only intensifies. When Gogol goes to the party, he changes his name, becoming a completely different person, becoming Nikhil. As much as he hated being Gogol, he enjoys living those few hours as Nikhil so much for one to question: has he finally found who he wants to be?
(Had to break this up into two posts, sorry)
3. The Rejection of a Foreign Culture
-This theme is addressed almost immediately in the book as Ashima realizes that there is something missing "as usual" in her meal (pg. 1). Even if it isn't so obvious at times it is still there. Notice on pg. 4 the hospital bracelet, The "American seconds", everything that is Ameican in some way is addressed separately from Ashima, as if she is out of place in the very American hospital. Also, on page 5, the description of Ashima's home gives one the feeling of warmth and comfort: it is clear to see that Ashima loves that place. However on that same page she describes the white hospital, the "ice cream", the "cold baked chicken": all of these things are cold and distant. They do not comfort Ashima in any way and this can be felt through the vocabulary Lahiri uses. Going along with this idea of Ashima rejecting what she believes is a cold America, her very first glimpse of the country on pg. 30 is that of a cold, stoic, uninviting, dirty, dead, and empty place: the complete opposite of her sultry and bustling home in Calcutta. Nothing ever feels as comfortable to Ashima as it should; on pg. 51, Ashima always addresses her house as a house, not a home. Clearly, Ashima has yet to accept America and is in face rejecting the country, though this theme is not solely reserved for just her. Sonia and Gogol both get sick when they are in India; their bodies are literally rejecting the environment that is so foreign and almost unwelcome to them.
4. The Protection of Books/Knowledge
-Although this one comes up less frequently, i still feel it is important to address. The most obvious example of this is on pg. 18, where it describes how "he was still clutching a single page of 'The Overcoat'" and how in fact it was the page moving in Ashoke's hand that got him rescued. The books seem to act as a guardian of sorts to Ashoke and the Gangulis. On pg. 50, Ashima goes to the university's library to feel comforted when she is feeling lonely and if one goes farther back, Ashoke was able to walk all over town with a book in his hand without tripping or falling. My persepctive on this is that Lahiri is trying to emphasize the importance of books and knowledge in our lives and how they can possibly save us in our bleakest moments.
Our story unfolds as a new life is about to begin for a newlywed couple. Ashima Ganguli is a recent Bengali transplant, having left Calcutta, India for Cambridge, Massachusetts in the hopes of supporting her husband Ashoke Ganguli’s continuation of his engineering education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Though the marriage was arranged in India, the couple, nonetheless, remains obedient to the Indian cultural tradition of matrimony in the United States, easing into a life of affection for one-other without a hitch.
Yet the American environment itself proves to be a challenge for Ashima, as she finds herself homesick for her family and her homeland. This is immediately made apparent once a pregnant Ashima is introduced to the reader, attempting to recreate the flavor of her homeland while making do with the American products that are available to her. The unique result is her combination of East-meets-West in a pregnancy concoction of “Rice Krispies and Planters peanuts and chopped red onion in a bowl,” with her adding “salt, lemon juice, thin slices of green chili pepper, wishing there were mustard oil to pour into the mix” (1).
While Ashoke finds fulfillment in his studies, Ashima finds herself consistently homesick for India, especially after she gives birth to the couple’s first child, a boy who is haphazardly named Gogol. The feelings of isolation she experiences in her new homeland eventually culminate in her expressing to Ashoke: “I don’t want to raise Gogol alone in this country. It’s not right. I want to go back” (33). Ashima is accustomed to multiple generations of family living alongside one another and contributing to the child rearing. However, in America, she and Ashoke have no family other than each-other and Gogol, and the American emphasis is on the nuclear family.
In a sense, Ashima represents a unique brand of immigrant in America. Spurning the “American Dream,” Ashima does not long for a white picket fence, red shutters, or the recipe for the perfect apple pie. She does not wish to create a pseudo American family and she doesn’t attempt to fit in with other Americans. Instead, she longs for India. She longs for her family. She longs for a true family dynamic similar to that which she once had back in India. Ashima refuses to be assimilated into the American population as other immigrants might choose to do, which I admire. It’s admirable of her to want to hold on to certain aspects of her culture to remind her of home and her roots. However, her refusing to make the best of America and its culture will only give her a negative outlook on her life, making her become stressed and adding additional strain on her family. Considering the fact that she does miss her family and is homesick, it is deterring her from fully adjusting to her new environment.
On another note, I feel that author Jhumpa Lahiri’s writing brings out the essence of a situation so well, without allowing it to be clouded by unnecessary details. Lahiri has such a simplistic way of writing, and I know that she has kept only the most necessary words when she describes a situation, such as when Ashima is preparing her pregnancy “concoction.” I feel as though I am standing beside Ashima, watching her go about her daily routine. It feels that organic. The novel is incredibly well-written, but it’s not overly showy. It gets to the essence of a scene so that, as a reader, I can analyze the meaning behind it independently. I can allow her words to mean whatever I would like them to be, but it doesn’t feel inaccurate.
(continued)
One particular instance within the book that caught my eye was the moment in which Mr. Wilcox visited the Ganguli family in the hospital, informing them that they must choose a name for their son or else he cannot leave the hospital. However, the family is waiting for a letter to arrive from Ashima’s grandmother in India, bearing the newborn’s name. Lahiri writes, “For they learn that in America, a baby cannot be released from the hospital without a birth certificate. And that a birth certificate needs a name” (27). In America, there are rules and regulations, red tape and demands that cannot be avoided for the sake of anything, not even tradition or a grandmother’s letter. The procedure that Ashima goes through in the hospital clearly illustrates the divide between Indian culture and the new, American culture that is just beginning to reveal itself during the late 60‘s, early 70‘s. While the American mantra at the time demanded things to be available “NOW”-Peace NOW, Love NOW, Equality NOW-certain foreign cultures continued to praise tradition while evoking a patience and faith for things to unfold on their own. It seems as though the Ganguli family is being given an ultimatum: adapt to their new country or be lost in translation. Such is reflected later in the book, when a young Gogol is being registered for kindergarten.
Though his parents insist to the principal, Mrs. Lapidus, that Gogol be called by the name Nikhil, his “good” name, instead of Gogol, she reacts with confusion. The idea of a child possessing a “good” name and a “home” name doesn’t go down well with her. As well, since the young Gogol is not accustomed to being called by his good name, he doesn’t respond well to it. This combination of factors conflicts with the principal. Instead of complying with the requests of his parents, Mrs. Lapidus refers to Gogol, asking him, “Do you want to be called by another name?” (59). Gogol, in turn, declines, thereby cementing his school-wide identity. This passage angered me, especially the principal going behind the backs of Gogol’s parents to name him herself. She may be a school authority, but she isn’t Gogol’s parent. She may be given leverage when interfering in private affairs if she sees that Gogol’s health and well-being are at risk, but this is no such instance. Gogol is a child, and the insignificance of a child’s disliking of his name is something that he would easily forget within a week. However, Mrs. Lapidus takes the situation too seriously, something I sense might have something to do with her disapproving of Indian customs.
I like what Kaela brought up about Gogol attempting to be more like the other children when he dismisses being called Nikhil in school, since that wasn’t something I thought of when I first read the passage. I can imagine that Gogol may have had fears about attending school, and his own awareness of his two names may have been too much to bear. Even though the other students at school wouldn’t have known about his two names, his knowledge of that fact would have made him feel like an outsider, and could have prevented him from bonding with his classmates.
(continued)
What I don’t understand is why the Ganguli family does not change Gogol’s name to Nikhil on his birth certificate. If Nikhil is to be his good name that people are to call him outside of his home, shouldn’t it be the name on his birth certificate? The name Gogol is supposed to be restricted to informal situations, almost like a nickname would, so it would not make sense to have such a name on a birth certificate.
It’s unfortunate to see that the care and attention that the Ganguli family gave to devising a name for their son has gone awry in an ironic twist of fate. It also seems to be a bit of a precursor for what is to come in terms of their relationship with Gogol. Though they had their own good name in mind for him-Nikhil-he had his own-Gogol. His parents may have their own idea of what would be best for Gogol in a situation, but in the end, he may just go with his own intuition.
As Vena said, this book revolves around the immigrant experience. This is an interesting read for me because I had to go through the immigrant experience and learn to fit in with a new culture, so I can relate to the characters. The only difference though, these characters came from such a cultural country that it is even harder to adapt to America. When Alfonse mentioned the “hole” in Ashima’s heart, it reminded me of “What Is The What” which also revolved around the immigration experience. The main character in “What Is The What” constantly reminisces of his life back in Africa and can’t separate himself from the life he used to live to the life he lives now. I feel like Ashima is going through the same thing.
I agree with Francesca when she says that their culture is hard to hold onto because they are not always surrounded by it in America. I think the reason why they see their friends from Bengal every Saturday is because it is the one thing in America that reminds them of their home; the one thing that keeps their culture alive in such a scary place. I’m sort of confused over what you’re trying to say Alex. What do you mean they had already been beginning to lose their culture? But I do agree with you that they were trying really hard and were doing a pretty good job of keeping their culture alive.
Lahiri use of adjectives creates such imagery that keeps the story going for me. If she did not use all the descriptive words and give me an idea of the scenery or such, I don’t think the story would flow as well as it does. Another thing I like about the book is that it talks a lot about culture and integrations information about their culture that helps us understand their past. For example, the use of Indian words with translations give the reader a different perspective of the culture and helps us connect to the characters easier when we learn to understand their culture.
Questions:
How come the letter never reached them when they received letters from the rest of the family members?
Did the grandmother purposely not send it?
I’ve noticed that Gogol is not as close with his father as he is with his mother. He can’t even talk to his father during dinner when his mother isn’t there. Is this a cultural thing? Or is this just because he is always at work?
After reading all these previous blog entries, I’m glad to notice everyone picked up on the painfully obvious, though I lack complete agreement. It kind of bothered me how many tended to lump the whole family together. To me they all functioned really differently from each other. The Ashoke/Ashima perspective in the beginning was actually quite simple, a relatively normal immigrant experience that eventually shifted into something different once the perspective shifted to Gogol. People commented on how the family seemed to drastically change into Americanization, but I don’t completely agree that it was at such a high level. It seemed that the parents were mostly compensating for their children. And for Gogol, our protagonist, we saw a struggle more directed to finding identity on a holistic scale, not just moving from one culture to the next.
On page 34, when Ashima goes to the supermarket with baby Gogol, she comments on how strangers, “all Americans,” ask her questions about the baby. Yet isn’t it odd to lump together all Americans like that? After all, she was probably in either Cambridge or Boston—both diverse cities. Yet Ashima felt victimized and lost due to her somewhat foolishly stereotyping all Americans. Then, on page 93, there’s another instance of ignorance by Ashima and Ashoke—“Assured by his grades and his apparent indifference to girls, his parents don’t suspect Gogol of being, in his own fumbling way, an American teenager.” From this, I kind of inferred that Ashima and Ashoke held negative stereotypes about American teenagers/culture, that they were the opposite of “good kid” Gogol. (And this also leads her to be ignorant to things her own son is doing, like smoking pot.)
This suggests that while they may have adapted to an American lifestyle, they didn’t necessarily accept or adapt to American culture, which is why I think it’s important to separate Gogol from his parents, as Gogol was much more immersed in the culture. I mean, the whole 8 month stay in Calcutta shows how separated the two generations of parents and children are. This is only highlighted in the fact that Gogol refuses to show interest in his father’s interest in Gogol. Instead, he becomes an emo kid who reads Nietzsche and listens to The Who. (Don’t even try to tell me he’s not emo. Nietzsche, guys, Nietzsche.) In fact, Gogol was relieved to leave Calcutta, an act that symbolizes detachment from Bengali culture.
Which brings me to my next point. Gogol’s struggle with his name symbolizes his struggle with his identity. In this first third, he has no real identity. He’s some kind of half-breed, not really one or the other. Gogol’s issues are way more complicated than they are for his parents.( Actually, there’s a chance of a connection with his Ashoke, but when Ashoke decides not to tell Gogol the story of the train, it shows that it’s not going to happen yet.) At the end of chapter 4, when Gogol introduced himself as Nikhil, it’s a rebirth. A new identity, new beginning. He sheds the name that had no real identity, no real meaning to him (what was Russia to him?! Exactly.) and becomes somebody new.
In chapters 1-4 of The Namesake, we see a couple of themes starting to form. The first theme that I see is evident on p.1 when Ashima tries to concoct an Indian snack that she enjoyed in Calcutta, which is the "struggle to maintain one's culture". Ashima doesn't want to lose her Indian heritage. This "struggle to maintain one's culture" is also evident on p.24, when all of Ashima's visitors are Bengali and on p.26, when Ashima and Ashoke want to stick to Bengali traditions and have the grandmother pick the name for their baby.
As we read further into The Namesake, the second theme that is noticed is "the struggle to assimilate into a new culture". This theme is evident when the hospital that the Gangulis are at, forces them to choose a name for their son before they can leave, which Ashoke and Ashima struggle to do because it would force them to break tradition and accept the way of a new culture. This theme is further evidenced from p.31-33, when Ashima sees "in horror" how their landlords live and when she tells Ashoke that she "wants to go back". This resistance to American culture shows just ow much trouble Ashima has assimilating into a new culture.
After reading Part 1, I feel the connection between Ashoke and Ashima's experiances with those of my own parents when they first came to America (My parents are immigrants from India just like them). My mother, like Ashima, had trouble assimilating into the new American culture, but eventually she did and has been quite successful. It makes me wonder if over time, Ashima will to...
I have to be honest that without having to read this book I probably would not have read it. Although I didn’t find that plot that interesting, l like the how author goes about writing story. I may be saying this because I don’t normally read these type of books, but I like the events are put together so. For starters the author gives you different backgrounds, but leaves information out for later. Most author give a brief description of characters because the theme of the story to them is more important, but this story to me seems like the author wanted to write a story specially with the character in mind not specifically to send a message leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions.
What surprised me the most is Ashoke’s reason for living his homeland. At first I thought it might have been for financial reasons, but it seems he wanted to experience something new. Before his accident he was satisfied with his life, but the helpless he felt led to him migrant into a country with different values and way life differ for his to a great extent. I the helplessness of his accident showed him what in time he could never do so he decided to make use of the time had .Ashoke said something I found interesting which was “He was born twice in India and a third time in America.” I knew why he would say he was born in India twice, but to say he was reborn again in America shows how much he has changed.
Ashima on the other had does not seen to have changed at all. In fact until Gogol she spent a lot of time alone dealing with her depression. I find it ironic that Ashoke’s pet name means one who transcends grief and Ashima means she who is limitless. If you think about it the names can be used to characterize either one of them. Maybe this was the author telling us they belonged together. Also it’s surprising that she never pronounces his name because apparently it’s intimate. I can understand what she means, but still that’s one weird tradition.
When reading story I found each person is having their own internal struggle. Ashima is struggling with being a foreigner which she describes as a” lifelong pregnancy”, Ashoke with his past and Gogol with his identity. As for Ashima I think she is trying to hold on to what ever she can from India because she missing all the important events in her family and friend’s live and also losing loved ones over time. Ashoke to me seems indifferent about being in America and only focuses on job and taking care of his family though at times in his dreams he relives the most traumatic moment in his life.
Gogol on the other hand is going through what almost every teenager goes through which is trying to fit in. It’s not fair to say Gogol is rejecting his culture rather its safe to say he found a new one. He did not grow in the world his parents did so for them to simply assume things based on where they grow up will led them to understand less about their son. Besides Ashoke leaves his homeland to see a world beyond the one he knew and so is Gogol whose new found freedom gives the assurance that he can now do things he could not do before thus t him to change his name. To some it’s a big deal to Gogol it something he could not do anything about until now. I found it interesting that although Gogol changed his name the narrator still called him Gogol. Maybe the author is making the point that even though his changed his name, it has not changed who he is.
The first part of The Namesake touched heavily on literally being a foreigner but this idea of alienation came heavily on the symbolism of Gogol’s name. The book merely began with Ashoke and Ashima to show the difficulty of coming to a foreign land alone, the children are the real subjects of assimilation.
The parents represent two (not complete) opposites of experience as Ashoke is able to become apart of America while Ashima is too in fear of loosing her culture to try to fully assimilate into this society. Due to their parents’ trying to balance to the two cultures: Indian and American the kids are stuck in awkward middle ground where Gogol fears that he will not be accepted. This fear stems from his name, a name neither Indian or American but Russian. He becomes faced with this dilemma of low-self esteem where his name is “not really [him],” where it does not represent either of his cultures (89). In Indian culture one’s good name means something thus its meant to represent him but his name lacks meaning throwing him into turmoil and confusion leading to self discomfort. His name follows neither cultures giving him no real footing, much like stepping out of one’s homeland and into a foreign land where many beliefs are different (much like his parents’ trip to America).
Gogol’s name works to disconnect the two generations as more and more culture is lost in the Ganguli family. Their inability to follow the tradition of having a good name and a pet name for Gogol is only the first level of alienation from their home culture as their children grow up with less and less belief and care for the Indian culture. The Namesake brings Ashoke and Ashima into a foreign culture and illustrates that alienation and then brings it a step further by showing the alienation faced by their children when they do not embrace their parents culture but rather the foreign culture.
So everybody keeps talking about the whole “immigrant experience” theme, but (despite the back cover of the book), I don’t really think that the point of the story is describing this experience. After all, we see very few of the more technical parts of the immigrant experience – such as getting green cards (and eventually citizenship), learning English, finding jobs, etc. Rather, The Namesake focuses more on the cultural blending of our (very recognizable) American culture with Ashima’s beloved Bengali culture. I’d actually go even further than that – this book seems to me to be about any blending of American culture with another culture – through, yes, the “immigrant experience.” The thing is, the immigrant experience itself is so varied depending on anything from gender to age to race to religion, but this endeavor to maintain the old culture even while surrounded by the new is, I think, a struggle every immigrant faces. There are a few scenes in this book that feel pulled out of my own life – everything, from Gogol’s birth at Mount Auburn Hospital to looking at pictures with his pregnant mother before watching Sesame Street on her bed to maintain his skill at English to, even, flying a few rows behind his family his parents’ homeland, is eerily familiar.
Gogol’s very existence seems, to me at least, to be symbolic of his mother finally accepting that she is a part of this strange new American culture. We see her finally starting to adapt to her new home after he is born. He adds purpose to a life that had otherwise literally been empty, and this is what finally makes her accept the United States. Of course, his birth also shows Ashima the kindness of the people around her – in other words, yes, she is alone, but she is certainly not the only person in the world. Americans not only bring her a quiche when she has first given birth and is too tired to cook (33), but they also accept her as a part of their society and – maybe more importantly – accept her son (34). And then, the final symbol of her growing appreciation for the United States: After first being exhausted and having to stand on the train, she is offered a seat by a young girl. Then, when she forgets her purchases on the same train, the MBTA is ridiculously helpful and returns everything. As her friend, Maya Nandi says, events like this happen “only in this country” (43). In other words, Ashima begins to learn the positive aspects of the United States. Unfortunately, they are very much physical advantages – she can sit down, she can retrieve things from lost-and-founds, etc – but she does not have what she truly craves: a traditionally large Bengali family to help her care for and raise her son.
Her son, though, symbolizes her struggle even through his name. The entire idea of “good names” and real names – what you are versus what you aspire to be, your private live versus your public life – is fascinating to me. Essentially, your name is what you must live up to – but this is not an American custom, and for this reason, it is difficult first for the hospital workers (28), then for Gogol’s first teacher (59) to grasp the idea. Ashoke and Ashima are forced to accept this, much as they are forced to accept general American culture – whether they want to or not. This is more difficult for Ashima than for Ashoke, mainly because Ashoke, with all his books, has a fierce desire to see as much as possible, but Ashima clearly prefers the Bengali lifestyle she and her family were raised to love. Interestingly, Gogol’s “good name,” Nikhil, means “he who is entire, encompassing all” (56). Does this mean that he – as the child of immigrants whose traditions are massively different from those of the Americans around them – must try to be this symbolic blending of Indian and American (and, somewhat bizarrely, Russian) cultures?
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He obviously rejects this role with the rejection of his name – though as the novel progresses, he clearly becomes more accepting of it. Though Gogol seems unaware when he does it, his gradually increasing desire to be called “Nikhil” represents his gradual Americanization, especially at that party the night before SATs. Nikhil is not the same person as Gogol; as he realizes afterward, “Gogol had nothing to do with it” (96). Nikhil is Americanized; he has a name that is easy to pronounce, that is obviously Indian, that is not the same as the name of some mad genius Russian writer. Intriguingly, Gogol chooses the name that was his all along, the name that means “all-encompassing” but will also be strange and new to this American girl, and not the names that fly through his head when he is introducing himself. After all, he could have called himself “Colin or Jason or Marc...and their conversation could continue, and she would never know or care” (96). Essentially, this choice is Gogol accepting his fate as a Bengali-American, somebody who must both speak Bengali at home and excel in English class at school. Here, we see Gogol choosing to be “entire.”
Interestingly, prior to learning about Nikolai Gogol in English class, Gogol does not ever take interest in the literature his father so loved. Gogol would rather read The Hobbit than “The Overcoat,” even when he is given The Short Stories of Nikolai Gogol as a birthday gift (75), even when his English teacher tells him to read the short story for homework (91). Unlike his father, Gogol’s desire to see the world cannot be satiated by books; Gogol wants to see the world with his own eyes, which we know because he sulks about it on his flight to India (80). Ashoke, however, was perfectly content to read his books – to read his “Russians, and then reread them” instead of seeing the rest of the world (12). Of course, this changes after his conversation with Ghosh on the doomed train – the conversation that ultimately causes Ashoke to leave his home and family (15). Gogol’s desire to see the world mirrors that of his father so perfectly that we as readers can see, quite clearly, that Gogol truly is his father’s son. Will this manifest itself more obviously as the novels goes on and Gogol grows up (and presumably/hopefully grows out of his detest for Bengali culture and becomes more “all-encompassing”)? I think so.
I do think we see this similarity clearly one last time before this part ends. The Gangulis all end up on a train to see Delhi and Agra, and once again, bad luck befalls them. A man on the train is murdered (86), which is eerily reminiscent of Ashoke’s train accident so many years prior. Trains, in The Namesake and in general, represent moving on into different stages of life; after all, the first train we see in this novel is the one that is essentially Ashoke’s catalyst, causing him to move to the United States (15) and, ultimately, to name his child Gogol (26). We also see the train as Ashima’s moving forward into a new stage of her own life, a stage that accepts the United States as her new home (42). And then, finally, we see Ashima on the train once more after her father’s death, leaving his things – and anymore regrets she might have – behind (46).
From the beginning of the story, I found out that the "Namesake" was very similar to my mother experience upon moving to America. Unlike Ashima my mother did not have an arrange marriage and I was already born to accompany her to America. Just like Ashima, my mother also had a difficult time adapting in Cambridge because she was so used to having a big family and once in America it was just her husband and I. I respect both Ashoke and Ashima and my parents greatly for leaving their homes and traveling half way around the world and basically starting a new life there. Which leads me to the theme of the book which i think is difficulty adapting to a new environment and maintaining one's own culture while adopting another.
When Gogol was born it seemed as though his birth made Ashima more depressed than happy because it made her more homesick. "She cries as she feeds him, and as she pats him to sleep, and as he cries between sleeping and feeding. She cries after the mailman's visit because there are no letters from Calcutta." (34) Her heart was always in Calcutta and she always thought about how it would be to raise Gogol in Calcutta with the help of her family members.
The fact that most of Ashima and Ashoke's closest friends are Bengali reveals how people tend to stick with their own kind when in a different environment because it provides comfort. This was the same for my parents when they immigrated to America. They stayed close with the very few Tibetans living around the Boston area at that time.
"Rana couldn't bare to tell his sister over the phone, himself: that her father died yesterday evening of a heart attack playing patience on his bed." (46)
" Ashoke's parents both dead from cancer, Ashima's mother from kidney disease." (63) I can't imagine how Ashima and Ashoke must of felt with the deaths their parents leaving them both orphaned in a foreign land. They must of felt so much regret for not visiting their family earlier, and with the deaths it made living in America even more difficult.
As the Ganguli's start adopting American holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas and less Bengali traditions, this shows the difficulty of keeping in touch with one's roots. Slowly Gogol and Sonia become Americanized and forget their native tongue and speak mostly in English. I don't find any fault with Gogol and Sonia because I too am in the same position and it is very difficult trying to maintain my Tibetan roots while accustoming to the American culture. I think Lahiri does an excellent job of depicting the immigrant experience and how it involves loosing one's roots. Being an immigrant myself, I find many similarities with this story.
I also agree with Kristina. Lahiri did a great job with detail and she knew how to draw a picture in your mind. I don't think any other writer could capture the story of an immigrant's experience like Lahiri did with the Gangulis.
Strangely, the first thing I thought of when I started reading was how similar Ashima was to someone I knew...my own mother. Unlike Ashima, my mother is from Vietnam, but the fact remains that they are both first generation immigrants into America from a different land. Reading the first few pages sort of made me realize something. Is this how my mother felt when giving birth to my older brother and to myself? The isolation? The solitude? The dread? The fear? The anxiety? The inherent questioning and confusion over American values? Maybe so...it wouldn't be difficult to imagine.
But the similarities end there. One thing I want to touch on is the concept of arranged marriage. I don't know about the rest of Vietnam, but I know for certain that my mother was not involved in a forced marriage. It seems that for Indians, arranged marriage is a tradition. Indeed, for many other places it is also tradition. But I still see it as unfair, as a mere side effect of patriarchal societies, because in arranged marriage systems it is clear that the man gets the advantage. He can choose practically whomever he desires, and his decision would be fortified by being successful enough for the parents to not be able to resist. The woman on the other hand is subjugated to the man's, as well as her family's, will, unable to protest at all. Personally I don't think a marriage or relationship like this cultivates love or tightness between the couple at all - which could very obviously lead to horrible outcomes not limited to divorce, domestic violence, or the child growing up to be one very traumatized fellow.
I don't want to sound like a jerk but the part that explains how Ashoke survived a train derailing incident seemed like a huge deus ex machina to me. "...when he raised his hand the wad of paper dropped from his fingers" (18) and this was enough for a rescuer to notice and save him. Really? And the page itself was significant, too. It was part of a book written by a Russian writer, Nikolai Gogol - the basis for the name of his son. It's good to know that this is in fact fiction, and not a true story. Otherwise I'd be pretty surprised. I also caught notice of something that may otherwise be insignificant, but I found to be humorously ironic. Before the trainwreck, he spoke to a man named Ghosh implored Ashoke to take advantage of his youth and be free. Ashoke, with a boring response, says that his father told him that's what books were for. Fastforward to his hospital bed, and he's waking up in tears from dreams where he was able to live freely, and without the aid of books. I guess getting nearly crippled reversed his mindset on freedom and mobility, for the better.
"Instead of thanking God he thanks Gogol, the Russian writer who had saved his life..." (21) Strong statement here. And I like it.
It's good to know that at least his values are firmly placed in the right spots. ...Meanwhile Ashima still clings to tradition. What she said after her child was immediately born made me borderline angry. She said she PITIED him...for supposedly being born alone. Alone meaning without other relatives around. Really now? He doesn't have his two parents there? To be fair, it's true that I may not understood nor appreciate her tradition...but even so. For me, my mother was happy to have my brother and I born in America. She recognized how compared to Vietnam, there was more opportunity here, more chances for success, and less chances of being a casualty of a war that also consumed her. But if a writer was able to get me so emotionally riled up over one of her characters, then I guess she's done her job well, eh?
To reply to Nidale, I believe she is right. It is not about the literal immigrant experiance but rather what it means and symbolizes ina family structure. I think this book is really commenting on how families develop in a land where the main culture is not their own and how it affects the connection of the parents to the kids. The name of Gogol is the main point, this shows more as the family grows closer through experiance and culture but only after Gogol embraces his culture will he embrace his family and namesake.
I can relate to what Philip is saying, because my own mother came from Vietnam and gave birth to two children in America. She faced isolation; language was not a barrier she had overcome. What I was surprised about was that Ashima pitied Gogol for being born alone in the world. I whole heartedly agree with Philip, Gogol was born into a family with two parents, what more can Ashima have asked for?
I can not truly understand Ashima’s traditions and her thoughts on being alone. Thinking of how Ashima pitied Gogol, I think of my own mother. There was no one in the hospital room to talk to her, no husband, and no friends. How alone she must have felt... What did she think, giving birth to two children who would have no father and scarce relatives?
I found the good name and the pet name interesting. A pet is a sort of indulgence, and that is the way I see the pet name. I once read in a psychology textbook that even in poverty, Indians are much happier than Americans. Indians have tighter familial bonds and grow to rely on each other, whereas being poor in America means isolation and anger. The poor in India have little material comforts and I see the pet name as an indulgence. The pet name is what the parents can decide, but it is not needed because the elderly decide the so called good name.
I found a striking similarity between the characters in “The Overcoat” and “The Namesake.” While narrator was giving a brief overview of what Ashoke liked bested or remembered best about the book, there was one part that caught my eye. There is the woman who can not choose her son’s name. “A series of queer names his mother had rejected,” (28) now this sounds a little like the Bengalis, only queer names were not rejected but waited upon and never received. In a way the names were rejected, because they never reached the Bengalis in America. The name Gogol had replaced all those names.
This section is all about rebirths. Ashoke has been born three times (21. Each time, his rebirth is after a major event, things that changed his life. Then, Gogol is born again with his new name, Nikhil. There is Gogol, pre Nikhil, as an adolescent. Then, as he is growing up, he decides his own name or well, decides to use his actual name. This is where the idea of freedom comes in; Gogol has decided to become a different person, through a different name. Maybe Gogol has accepted his pet name. He uses his good name for strangers and mere acquaintances, just like his parents and ancestors did.
The use of a Russian name instead of an Indian name symbolizes a different rebirth. It is the changing of cultures or the mesh of cultures. Ashoke is bringing in his savior, Nikolai Gogol, together with the Indian culture.
What I really liked about book is that it is set in Massachusetts, and in an area I am very familiar with. I have walked down Massachusetts Avenue. I have been to Porter Square and Harvard Square. It is interesting to know how well Jhumpa Lahiri describes MIT. She must be very familiar with the buildings, because all her descriptions are accurate. From the black doors, and gold lettering of professors’ names, Lahiri has everything down.
This entire novel is filled with powerful symbols. In the first section, birth stands as a symbol and foreshadow of new experiences and enlightenment. As Alex stated, knowledge is heavily emphasized in this section. Additionally, Ashima's process in giving birth and raising Gogol being the first time, away from her family and in a new country illustrates her growth and development as an independent woman. Furthermore, Ashoke's growth is depicted as "he was born twice in India, and then a third time, in America." (21) Growth and knowledge are key points in this section.
I also find Lahiri's use of irony interesting. It is ironic how Ashima is fighting to hold on to her Bengali culture and family, whereas Gogol rejects his culture. Even Ashoke has somewhat adapted to the American lifestyle. It is also ironic how Gogol shows no interest in his father's favorite book. Lahiri develops this irony to display Gogol's decline from his Indian background. It is as if Gogol is an outcast to Bengali culture, as he is accustomed to American culture, yet he is still an outcast in America, due to his name. Lahiri's mastery of irony makes her story more effective and unique.
I have to agree with everyone who praised Jhumpa Lahiri’s writing style, but I concur for different reasons. To me what is most impressive is her ability to convey the characters’ emotions, in all of their complexity, without saying outright how they are feeling. These characters become multidimensional through their actions and reactions to their environment, and it seems like we’re all in agreement that what these environments (USA and India) mean to Gogol is very different from what they mean to his parents.
Both Nidale and Jeri argue that the point of the book is not to “describe this immigrant experience” but to “[comment] on how families develop in a land where the main culture is not their own and how it affects the connection of the parents to the kids.” Though I agree that there are more prominent themes in the novel, I find this argument problematic simply because I don’t see how you can divorce a family’s “development in a land where the main culture is not their own” from this abstract idea of an immigrant experience. To me, this process of assimilation, and in the case of Ashima, the refusal to assimilate, is very much entangled with her unique immigrant experience. The fact that Gogol’s parents are immigrants is really the foundation of the novel and all of Gogol’s inner conflicts and struggles. Even though there is a gradual acceptance of American culture in the part of Ashima throughout the novel, the family’s road to that stage, and even what comes after it, should be considered part of their immigrant experience; after all, they are and will always be Indian immigrants in America, and therefore so are their experiences, which are not limited to learning English and acquiring citizenship.
What I believe is the heart of the matter and the predominant theme surfacing in The Namesake is the concept of contextual identity. Ashima is a character that illustrates the pains one has to go through when moving to a foreign country. She eventually gives in and understands that her identity in America has to be modified, that some aspects of her Bengali culture are unheard of or incompatible in America, and most importantly, that her identity cannot stay intact. Ashoke is an example of someone who has more developed and flexible contextual identities: he works and lives in America, but goes to India to get specifically to get married. This is the source of beauty and complexity of Gogol’s character, he really doesn’t have any identity. When “it occurs to him that no one he knows in the world, in Russia or India or America or anywhere, shares his name” (Lahiri 78) the reader understands that Gogol is lost and going through an identity crisis: he rejects his Indian heritage, but fails to completely fit in and embrace his American one. Gogol’s name is so far the biggest symbol in the book, it symbolizes the incomplete ties he has with any one culture, his sense of confusion and isolation.
From the moment I first started reading The Namesake, I noticed the rich detail throughout the very first few pages. As most have previously stated this adds a lot to putting the reader into a position to really get into the setting of the novel (although the setting is in Boston, a place where all of us should know pretty well anyway). The story being set in Boston makes it come even more alive for me in this book as I can easily picture most of the things that Lahiri mentions. I’m very surprised at how fast she moves the story though each chapter, as it picked up quite fast through Gogol’s life.
As far as a major theme that I have pick up on for this book is the way one who has immigrated to a distant land often loses their own culture and identity. I like what Jean said about how Gogol’s birth was signifying a new life in the foreign land. But with Gogol’s life there seemed to be much death in the family on both sides as time went on. I saw this as a symbol of how the old culture was slowly dying out from their family as they tried to live their lives in the new land. As the time moves forward even more, the parents in their own way lose what they used to be, what they knew. Each pretty much got a change in their way of dress and lifestyle.
Another part of the story that I though supported this theme was the field trip to the graveyard when Gogol gets to color over the grave stones, only picking the ones that seemed odd to him. I saw this as some kind of symbol representing how previous cultures have died out before. The Puritans and Native Americans’, who were there hundreds of years before the story takes place, have all lost a good amount of their culture, and I thought that it represented how the Gangulis are on their way to lose their culture too.
Since the title most likely gives an insight of the contents in the book, I took the time to look up the official definition of a NAMESAKE. A namesake , which according to dictionary.com is a person named after another. So, even before commencing this novel I wanted to know who was the special person that had that “special” name, and who was he/she named after. Every time I was introduced to a character , I stayed alert. But it was no use, because I did not get a revelation right away. Of course while I was trying to discover this character I also noticed the “immigrant experience” , “challenges of immigration experience”, “lost culture”, sense of “discomfort”, all of that good stuff. These are all great themes and ideas, but I mostly focused on the cause, in order to come to these conclusions myself. Ashima feels discomfort because she is homesick and out of place, which in time causes her immigrant experience to be a displeasing one. Even when she has her little bundle of joy, she is still not happy. For example, on page 24-25 the reader can not help feel alone depressed, and even “pity”
I figured she would eventually get used to it but she doesn’t. I think this is because she is not exposed to the American ways yet. Even when she was in the hospital being exposed the affections of the Americans; Even when she went to get groceries; even if she had American landlords, an American son, its not enough. She stays inside her home most of the time. Its like when there is bad weather and it is raining, if you stay inside one wont experience its effect regardless of what the news states. SO as Ashima stays in the comfort of her home, she can not escape her thoughts of Calcutta .
At this point I have been focusing on Ashima, only because the narrator is focused on her at this point. However, of course the presence of her husband Ashoke, along with her newborn Gogol bring out her character further as well as their own. The three people in that immediate family give us the insight of a --I would like to say --typical family. The first generation of American born children struggle with the understanding of their roots , such as a good name or a pet name. Meanwhile, the parents are trying to hold on to their culture, attempting to embed it into the manners of living of their children. From personal experiences since my own parents were immigrants, their was always a personal internal clash between the parents and children. This is because they both see the world differently, one through perhaps Bengali eyes, and one through the eyes of an American . There are also external conflicts, just like on page 59, where Mrs. Lapidus, who despite of the parents wishes, calls Nikhil by his pet name --Gogol. Even with the new addition of their family, Sonia (towards the end of chapter 4), I think these conflicts will still remain.
After reading the first two pages of The Namesake I was already hooked. The very beginning was a little slow because it just talked about Ashima preparing her snack mix, but it was still interesting because of what the food was. She wasn’t just making herself something; she was taking care to get the mix just perfect. Lahiri foreshadows immediately that a baby will be born, but I didn’t expect it so quickly.
I don’t think that Lahiri is trying to portray Ashoke as uncaring, but I disliked him from when he stepped outside the curtain when his wife wanted him. It probably isn’t that big a deal, but I still thought of the husband in a Sally Field movie that I saw last summer. He leaves his wife in an empty apartment alone and takes her daughter from her in the middle of bombing or shooting without a care at all.
I changed my mind about Ashoke completely after I read about his life in India and his love of books and the train accident. The way that he was found and rescued reminded me of the Titanic. Those that survived were surrounded by the dead, severely injured , and couldn’t shout for help. The rescuers are about to pass by Ashoke and he would have been left to die, but he signals nonverbally that he is alive, like Rose and her whistle. He entire ordeal just made me feel so sympathetic toward him.
I want to read more descriptions of the baby. Lahiri is so detailed in writing about food, dress, places, but I feel like I know very little about how the characters look aside from their clothing, Gogol least of all.
The way that Ashoke reacts to the news of Ashima’s fathers death is surprising. It is expected that he would be upset since his wife’s father died, but I didn’t think he would fall apart the way he did. He only knew Ashima and her family for merely a few weeks before they were married and moved to America, so it’s hard to imagine that father-in-law and son-in-law would have a close relationship. I also expected to read about the trip to India, but Lahiri chose to omit that and skip to 1971. She doesn’t have to tell us what happened; we can assume and it isn’t necessary.
Although Ashima promised her grandmother that she wouldn’t change when she went to America, that she would remain the same, it is clear that the Gangulis are beginning to assimilate into American culture and lifestyle. I would have thought that after her grandmother died, Ashima would have tried even harder not to, but it seems like the opposite has happened, although not intentionally. They bought an American house, Gogol wears American clothes and plays with American toys, and their new baby girl is given only one name as opposed to the traditional two. Then there is that whole section on pages 64-65 that tells of all the other little details, everything else that they do that shows how different they’ve become. Gogol is so American that he dislikes his name and sort of rejects Indian culture, favoring the Beatles over Indian cassettes and the Hardy Boys over Nikolai Gogol. Nikolai Gogol is Russian of course, but he is still a part of Ashoke’s heritage and Gogol’s identity. The scene when Ashoke is about to explain to his son why he was given the name he wears is so heartbreaking. It turns out that he doesn’t tell him so as not to soil a happy occasion with stories of death, but I can’t help feeling that Ashoke is saddened and hurt over his son’s efforts to distance himself from the lifestyle of his parents.
When I first came to the U.S. at age 6 from Vietnam, my family and I had to deal with cultural and language differences just like the Ganguli family. It was not easy for me to learn the English language, and it was not easy for my family to get a job. Coming to the U.S. meant that my family had to give up or sacrifice the Vietnamese lifestyle they had and the properties owned.
Gogol seems to hate his new name “Nikhil,” maybe because he does not want to have any kinds of relations to Bengali traditions. But, I don’t understand why an American-born Bengalian would want to betray his heritage. His father even said that “Don’t worry, to me and your mother, you will never be anyone but Gogol (57).” Perhaps Gogol thinks that having two names affect his relationship with his friends, girlfriend, and other people around him.
The Namesake appealed to me from the start because it was about the idea of immigration, identity, and assimilation into a foreign culture. Coming to America and growing up in an immigrant family, I understand and witness the loneliness Ashima feels. Ashima feels lonelier than Ashoke because she did not really have a choice to come to the United States, it was an arranged marriage, part of life's plan, just as many immigrants today choose to come to America not because they wish to but because they need to find money to support their family.The constant struggle to maintain their Indian culture in a different environment is shown when the hospital forces Ashoke and Ashima to pick a name. The silly ideas that the hospital suggested like naming the child after another member just shows how not understanding American society is. America is a diverse country but foreign cultures like arranged marriage and how to name a child is still abnormal to American society. When Ashima left her father's gift on the train. I think it was a sign of Ashima letting go of what was in Calcutta. A part of her realized that it was time to move on.Back to Philip's point on arranged marriage, I don't think it is necessarily a bad idea especially for Indians who live in small communities. It eliminates problems like infidelity and divorces which occurs so much today. For example, Ashima learned to love Ashoke while Gogol continues to struggle with finding the perfect one. It's so sad to see Gogol hate his culture as he struggles to find his identity. I understand because he has grown up in America. To Gogol, home is The Beatles, cheese and Christmas,not the streets of Calcutta. Part of Gogol growing up is learning to assimilate and appreciate both cultures.
The novel begins with the detailing of the early life of young Indian natives Ashima and Ashoke and there journey to the United States of America; more specificly Cambridge Massachusetts. Off to a rocky start in a foriegn land the couple instinctively feels out of place, and well, foriegn. They know, nor do they understand anything about the customs or values of the people they encounter on an every day basis, and with a child on the way they seek no more comfort but rathedr further concern, for they fear for there child growing up so far away from home ( Calcutta India). Ashima and Ashoke, considerably young, are a couple of an arranged marriage, which is typical to there culture back at home. Since there marriage is arranged and not an act of love at first sight, there interactions are short and dull; there is no constant desire to be around one another on a regular basis, and they lack the public or even private display of affection that an American couple is caught displaying on a regular basis. At first it is dificult, more so for Ashima as opposed to Ashoke to adapt to this new life style they have created in this distant land; she longs for her for her relatives, her home, her friends. Although Ashoke experices this same distress and underlying suffering, he is commited to a job at a University, and unlike Ashima is too busy with making himself a career to feel this dis heartening pain. I feel as though the main theme in part one of the novel is the isolation and distress faced by immigrants that more then often goes unnoticed. The novel attempts to build upon this over idea of having to make something out of yourself even when it seems easier to surrender to your emotins and give in. I find it amusing that unlike Ashima and Ashoke, American young adults (or atleast the marjority of us) would give anything to visit or live in a world that is so new too us; a world that we have yet to experience. It is easy to pick of this theme of the cultural gap between the American youth and the Indiana youth, but it is harder for the audience to sincerely relate to the experience of immigration.
First I have to praise Lahiri writing style and argue it a little. I don't think her Lahiri through an excellent writer is the rich. I think she presents her ideas simply but in beautiful way. It is very light and with her characters mainly Gogol and his mother she shows the thoughts going through their heads.
I think Lahiri is making a point that in a nation made up of immigrants many can relate too. That though we, Americans, view ourselves as normal we are in fact very strange to others. I think a point is being made here: America pack heat, that even now having just arrived to America in a few weeks the sense of bombardment and loneliness and not being able to relate to anything really is over whelming.That a family means many different things in many different places. To some its mom and dad. However to Gogol's mother its the network of all the people who have watched her grow up, taught her and guided her over the years. In America to some a husand is family and that ok but to others is the near being completely alone.
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