The obvious theme of The Namesake has been that you carry a name with you your entire life. The name eventually becomes your personality, your appearance, you. For his entire youth, Gogol/Nikhil has resented this, changing his name to escape from the awkward, reserved person he was. He believed that changing his name would make him a newer, fun person. However, the end of this book makes me believe that he changed his mind.
When Nikhil marries Moushumi, he is disappointed that she doesn't adopt his surname/namesake. He feels this way even after he didn't keep Gogol, the name his father gave him. Nikhil never admits that he wanted Moushumi to adopt his surname. When the time comes to sign the marrige license, Nikhil doesn't even put the idea of adopting his surname in Moushumi's mind. This is similar to his father's disappointment, yet acceptance to Gogol's name changing earlier in the book. After only short signs of disbelief, Ashoke ends up telling Gogol to change his name using his tone only "simply, quietly." This trend of quiet acceptance also adds to my belief that Nikhil becomes more and more like his father as the book progresses.
I'll also add that Moushumi's resentment of Nikhil's surname is similar to Nikhil's resentment of the Gogol name early in life. Moushumi "will shake her head and sigh" whenever someone from India wrongly addresses her as Moushumi Ganguli. To me, this seems like an overreaction to a minor mistake. Gogol also overreacted to the ridiculousness of his name. He even lies by saying that with the name Gogol, no one takes him seriously. When in reality, the "only person who tormented him. . .was Gogol."(100)
Moushumi's attitudes like this always seemed to represent Gogol's attitudes in his distant past. She as a character should have stayed as someone in his distant past, especially since they end up getting a divorce.
More than just the idea of a person's name or namesake, I think another prominent theme of the book is assimilation, followed by the acceptance of cultures that might be different than your own.
Beginning in the first portion of The Namesake, Gogol's parents were tossed into an entirely new culture. Originally, they sought to keep their old ways, trying their hardest to only have friends of a similar cultural background. Though understandable, for this is where they felt most safe and secure with their new living surroundings, Ashima and Ashoke tried to raise Gogol in a somewhat different environment than they were raised in India. Ashima once commented on how Gogol was captured in a picture taken at the local library reading group for small children. Keeping in mind her own value of intellect and intelligence being regarded with honor and respect, Ashima simultaneously incorporates an immersion of American culture into Gogol's young, impressionable mind by continuously bringing him to the reading group.
Through their first friends in America, Ashima and Ashoke were very keen on keeping the same tradtions they grew up with and were raised to observe. Feeling obliged to honor their old traditions and ways of their ancestors, Gogol's parents chose to raise their children in a similar manner. Frequent trips to India, and excessive social events focused on cultural values show the lifestyle Gogol grew up with until he "became" Nikhil.
These views and lifestyles changed drastically through the complaints of their two children, along with the assimilation to the "American Life" their friends were also experiencing. Ashima remarked in later years of how it was understandable that she did not know how to celebrate "American" holidays such as Christmas. She was very uninformed about this holiday until a young Gogol, with his relentless complaining and begging, convinced her and Ashoke to buy him a miniature Christmas tree. Alone, Gogol celebrated his American heritage by adding tiny decorations and lights to the little tree in the living room. In later years though, Christmas became a family holiday the entire family celebrated together. In many ways, it symbolized their unity as a family and the lives they all led in America.
As the story of Gogol Ganguli starts its slow decline, Gogol begins to go through a great changeing process. To start, Gogol is starts to distinguish what is most important to him in life, and what is just expected of him, or what he thinks brings him tranquility.
At first, Gogol thinks that he is happy with Moushimi, as they "both sought comfort in eachother," mainly because they come from similar backrounds, and their being together relieves parents, which is also comforting to them. However, they both realise that they had "acten of an impulse," starting the relationship and eventually getting married. Over time, Gogol realised his error in Moushimi. Gogol expressed that "there was something missing," because he constantly felt uneasy around Moushimi, even when they were not fighting and there was nothing realistic to be upset over.
Moushimi, and an old crush, Dimitri, begin having an affair, and after awhile Gogol finds out about this, causing their divorce. Although the book does not say this, i could see that Gogol was almost relieved, and felt a sense of freedom from Moushimi.
Ashima decides that she is going to split the rest of her life living in America and Calcutta, for six months at a time. She plans one last party, brining all of her Bengali friends and family together one more time. During the party, Gogol stumbles across the book that his late father had given him when he was just a teenager, and in this instance, Gogol found his true meaning and happiness, accepting the name that he had fought for so long as he begins to read.
The ending of the book isn't really what I expected. I sort of expected Gogol to find a really nice girl to marry and drift away from his family more. But it is kind of the opposite. Gogol is re-introduced to a woman from his childhood, Moushumi. Gogol doesn't want to meet with Moushumi because she is Bengalese, and she is recovering from having been shamed. But he meets her anyway, to make his mother happy. I guess everything went well with the two because eventually they get married. But, by the end of their first year of marriage, everything kind of goes downhill and Moushumi and Gogol get divorced.
I hate how the story ends with Gogol being alone again. Lahiri shows the reader that he feels comforted by one thing: before his father died, he finally told his son why he had chosen that name for him. And by the end of the novel, Gogol has come to accept his name starts to read a collection of the Russian author's stories that his father had given him. I think this ending was a lot better than my predicted one. It finally shows Gogol at peace with himself and with everyone else and I think that right there is really a truly happy ending and not some fairytale nonsense.
I found that I was able to sort of indirectly relate to Gogol and his efforts to balance living in America while having a Bengali background. The struggles of his parents gave me a new perspective on what immigrants today may face, and also maybe what my great grandparents may have experienced when the came from Italy and Russia to America. I liked how even though there were issues, Gogol and his parents showed continued respect and value for their Bengali culture while living in America.
I think the main thing I took away from reading this was how Lahiri used the role of love in her story. Through her characters, Lahiri showed that love is able overcome hardships and pull people through difficult times. She also demonstrated that a love for one’s heritage and culture is important, and it is something that should be passed down.
I didn't expect the ending of the novel to turn out the way it did. The way Gogol's life ended up makes him seem older than he is. At thirty-two years old, I wouldn't have expected him to be divorced or to some extent alone. I would have thought he was going to settle everything down and begin a newer life with a family of his own.
Why didn't Moushumi adopt Gogol's last name after their marriage? It makes sense in a way being that she had an affair with Dimitri. While reading, I kind of figured that Moushumi and Gogol's marriage wouldn't last due to her explaining her past relationships and her old ways of being. It seemed to me that Moushumi was still caught up in her past, like tragic event that occured with Graham and also the infatuation she had for Dimitri. It was evident that she wasn't too into her relationship with Gogol after a while. She showed disinterest towards Gogol as the plot settles down. Gogol wasn't eager to meet up with her at first when his mother recommended, but he fell in love with her. The thought came across that they would last because they both shared the same cultural background, beliefs, and had similar interests. I seen a change in Gogol's character after his father's death, it was almost as if he needed Moushumi to create some fun in his life.
I think the main reason why Gogol decided to change his name to Nikhil earlier in the book is because he wanted to feel like he was apart of the American culture, almost normal to Americans. "It has been years since he's been Gogol to anyone other than his family, their friends. It sounds as it always does, simple, impossible, absurd." (p 243). Even though Gogol was not a Bengali name, he still stressed the thought of his name all the time. I think more than anything, he wanted to fit in because he remembers that first day of Kindergarden when the school went against his parent's wishes of calling him Nikhil. He never understood the whole idea of Bengali tradition having names and pet names. He may have changed his name, but that never changed his identity to his family. Gogol- that's just who he was.
The themes of The Namesake are all what the reader might expect when learning about culture through a novel. The story of Gogol Ganguli is written to explain the importance of carrying a name with you, finding yourself, and being proud of where you come from.
I would like to discuss something I found shocking. Ashima, as Ashoke’s wife took his last name. Yet, when Gogol and Moushimi married, Moushimi kept her maiden name Mazumdar. This automatically was a sign of Moushimi’s unfaithfulness. She meets up with Dimitri, an old friend every Monday and Wednesday night. I feel sorry for Gogol when he wakes up in his cold apartment alone, yet I pity him for not realizing that his wife is pulling the wool over his eyes.
I found the incident where Moushimi leaks out Nikhil’s original name to Donald and Astrid very interesting. A woman named Edith stated, “’God, I would never change my name…It’s my grandmothers.” This really hit home to Gogol because his father had explained the reason for the name Gogol and Edith’s remark made him realize he was silly to have changed it. On top of his guilt, Moushimi blurts out that Nikhil had changed his name. I can imagine the stunned look on his face. Though she was unaware of what she had done, this was one more event that proved Moushimi to be untrustworthy or unfaithful. I think this was the biggest event of the last section.
I agree with Gabby and Kristina. I never expected Gogol to end up alone. I thought that Gogol would be happy with Moushimi, even though he did not want to meet with her in the first pace because she was Bengalese. I find it interesting that the narrator and us bloggers refer to Gogol as Gogol and not Nikhil, even after we are well aware of the name change.
I found it symbolic that Lahiri ended the novel around Christmas time because of many past events that are associated with it. For instance, Ashoke’s death.
I believe that is a great point that Gabby brought up about how we the readers know that Gogol has changed his name to Nikhil; yet we continue addressing him as Gogol. I questioned myself on why I continued referring to him as Gogol in part two, however, I had never put a lot of thought into it. Since I read Gabby’s comment it had me thinking. What I took out of it was that we, or at least I, continued using Gogol, rather than Nikhil, is because I have respect for Ashima and Ashoke. They named him Gogol as his birth name and I respect that. Not only that but because in a way I still have faith that Gogol will eventually come around and take pride in being an Indian and honoring his family’s name.
Throughout the whole novel there were many quotes that had stood out to me. Yet, the most impacting one was described how Gogol was “the only person who didn’t take Gogol seriously, the only person who tormented him, the only person chronically aware of and afflicted by the embarrassment of his name, the only person who constantly questioned it and wished it were otherwise, was Gogol” pg. (100). Gogol comes out and explains to his father, Ashoke, that people will not respect him because of his name. In reality he does not respect himself because of his name. If you don’t respect yourself who will? Gogol was his only attacker from the very beginning. The day he learns how to love where he came from will be the day everyone else excepts him for who he is.
By the end of the novel his father’s death was an opening eye for Gogol. No matter how hard he tries he will always come from an Indian family. Now he is trying his best to make peace with his past of trying to escape his destiny of being Indian. When it didn’t work out with Moushumi in a way it was a resolution to his anger towards his heritage. Because by him falling in love with Moushumi and marrying her meant that Gogol wanted to honor his culture and his family. By him exploring trying to be more American he discovered himself along the way even if it meant for him to be spending the rest of his life alone.
It’s ironic that Gogol-who was looking to avoid being set up by his mother-actually married a woman she set him up with. Though initially in his life, Gogol was annoyed by his parents interfering in his life, a part of his personality seems to have been reformed by the prospect of married life. On his wedding day, he and his bride Moushumi “agree that it’s better to give in” to their parents’ expectations “than to put up a fight” (219). In a way, Gogol has found his equal, his “better half”, in Moushumi. The two can both be considered outsiders in their respective families, choosing to pave their own paths for their futures and staying true to achieving their ideals in life. Both have loved and lost American partners, becoming hurt in the process. Moushumi carries a broken heart-and ego-from being jilted by her intolerant fiance. As a result, the two find comfort in the trait they both share-their Indian backgrounds. However, I think it is Moushumi’s broken ego from her past relationship and her restlessness in her life that causes her to cheat on Gogol.
I feel pity for Gogol. He was on his way to establishing himself as a yuppie, complete with the equally successful wife and urban apartment. I think his marriage gave him more positive self-esteem for his life. He was beginning to find his Indian culture more welcoming after spending time with Moushumi.
It’s ironic that the ideal wife Ashima thought would offer Gogol fulfillment in his life did the opposite. Instead of Gogol becoming more secure in life, he loses self confidence in himself once he discovers Moushumi’s infidelity. In a way, author Jhumpa Lahiri is sending her audience a message that even the most well thought out plans can go awry and deviate from the outcome you expected. From Gogol’s name to his education to his marriage and his relationship with his father, nothing goes according to plan, although that was the desired intention. In comparing Ashima and Ashoke’s marriage with Gogol and Moushumi’s, both were similar in that their respective parents had a hand in setting them up. As well, both couples weren’t exactly enthusiastic about each-other upon first meeting. However, while Ashima and Ashoke’s respect for each-other grew into a cordial love, Gogol and Moushumi’s attraction for each-other was more pronounced.
Although I thought that an arranged marriage-like the one between Ashima and Ashoke-would have less of a chance of lasting, that’s not true. They stayed devoted to one-another before Ashoke parted. Meanwhile, Gogol and Moushumi’s relationship wasn’t set in stone, but it progressed because they both wanted it to. Eventually, one of them-Moushumi-chose to stop loving the other. Perhaps this was also because she didn’t feel the pressure to stay faithful to Gogol. I think that’s why arranged marriages are so successful. There is an unspoken understanding that the two people must stay together, so neither one makes an attempt to strain the relationship. Of course, I’m sure a variety of other factors could also contribute to this, social pressures and abuse among them.
I suppose I should have expected this from Moushumi. Considered a rebel in her own family, becoming married to Gogol probably made her feel tied down. She was probably disappointed in how secure her life had become. Being that she was maried to a fellow Indian-American, their cultures are the same and there was less of a mystery, in terms of his identity. Perhaps Moushumi’s refusal to adopt Gogol’s last name was intended as a sign of things to come. Gogol had secretly hoped that Moushumi would change her mind, with Lahiri writing, “Though he hadn’t admitted this to her, he’d hoped, the day they’d filled out the application for their marriage license, that she might consider otherwise, as a tribute to his father if nothing else” (227). In reference to Alex Maz's post, I don't think that Moushumi's refusal to take on Gogol's last name indicates her resentment towards it. She comes form the same backgound, so I doubt that she would be intolerant. However, I think it’s Moushumi’s need to have a life separate from her husband that encourages her to keep her last name. Though Gogol doesn’t seem like the time, I suppose, secretly, he wants the type of deep-seeded loyalty that his parents’ marriage had. It’s odd that Gogol feels that Moushumi should keep his last name to a tribute to his father when Gogol didn’t even keep the name his father gave him. If anyone should have loyalty to Ashoke, it should be Gogol, because he’s his son.
The ending of the book is heartbreaking. To think that the book Gogol has shunned his entire existence is now the one thing he can find solace in is the definition of ironic. Throughout his life, Gogol has drifted from life with his family to a life of his own. In the end, he goes back to the thing he originally abandoned-the legacy his father left him.
The ending of this book was shocking to me at first, but it made sense later. Lahiri, throughout the book, made a point of giving us a real outlook at the life of Indian immigrants and the hardships that come along with adjusting to a new culture. The ending is not perfect because life itself hardly ends perfectly. Lahiri captures that perfectly in this almost bittersweet ending.
As for themes, I only have two this time around.
1. Reinvention -Gogol realizes in Paris that Moushumi and his parents reinvented themselves. Mo did it in Paris where she left all of the expectations she had to live with behind her and lived as a different person. Ashima and Ashoke reinvented themselves in America out of necessity; they either adjusted to America or lived their lives feeling like unwelcomed visitors in their own home. However on page 233, Gogol claims that he will never reinvent himself like his parents and his wife had done, but I beg to differ. In all honesty, Gogol did reinvent himself; he became Nikhil when he was 18 years old. To the people he met in college and afterwards, he was Nikhil, the smart, handsome architect with a lot going for him. He wasn't Gogol, the awkward teen who struggled with his own identity. So in my book Gogol reinvented himself.
2. Independence -Sadly, it took a woman's perspective for me to pick up on this, but the theme of independence was a prevailing them not just in the section but in the whole book. An example of this would be Moushumi's refusal to take Gogol's last name. It's not that she doesn't love him or respect him, but she doesn't want to end up dependent on her husband like her mother was. This runs true to Mo's defiant nature. Even Gogol realizes, perhaps subconsciously, Mo's craving for independence. The pigeons in the tree on page 272 unsettled Gogol for what they symbolized. The birds symbolize freedom and by them being in a tree instead of roaming about on the sidewalk, they were symbolizing a caged freedom. A tree to me symbolizes sturdiness, reliability, a home of sorts. Freedom does not live in a house and that is why Gogol was so put off with the sight. Gogol himself has exhibited his own bout of independence through his life with his defiance towards the life his parents chose to lead. However, I never realized this theme until I saw it through Mo's eyes.
At the hear of the novel, I believe these two themes are the central themes, the driving force of the book. Adjusting to a new culture to me seems almost too obvious; this is a novel about Indian immigrants moving to America, of course they would have to adjust. However, this book is less about the parents and more about Gogol's struggle through life. Therefore, I feel like these two themes are the most important (though the many other themes in this book are good and important as well.)
I think the bulk of us agree that the major theme in The Namesake is the significance of a title, the influence one’s name has over his/her life. The title alone carries great support for this theme. As I read, I noticed that this idea was present throughout the entirety of the book. What with Gogol’s every-changing love-life and his constant struggle to break away from the sameness his mother longed for, the customs she tried so hard to preserve, the fact that the subject of names was such a constant greatly emphasizes just how important the idea is to the story.
The beginning of the story marks the beginning of Gogol’s life. The audience learns then that, from the very day he was born, his name presented a conflict, of sorts, when Ashima and Ashoke believe they really “must wait” for the name their son’s great-grandmother sends, and then when they must choose only one name for their son rather than the traditional two (25). In my opinion, the idea of having two names coincides with the idea of having two very different personalities, never allowing anyone to see one’s full, true self. The text supports this thought later when Gogol chooses to change his name, hiding much of his Bengali heritage behind a name that sounds less foreign, a name that his the potential to carry a fully American nickname (“Nick”). With two names, Gogol indeed leads two lives so to speak, as he keeps his family life and birth name from others, and keeps his personal life and love life from his family by staying as far from them as possible, even making up “excuse[s]” to “not go home” at one point (143). The loss of his father while he is away, in turn, acts as a sign against such two-faced behavior, especially since his father named him (Gogol).
Alex M pointed out Moushumi’s resistance to Gogol’s surname. I agree that this is very similar to Gogol’s distaste towards his own name. While Moushumi’s resentment indentifies her independence, Gogol’s resentment further emphasizes his lack of security, his constant desire to be the person his family, specifically his mother, would never allow him to be. Additionally, both of their strong feelings towards their names reveal just how powerful they believe a name is and how strong an effect on their lives they believe names hold. Regarding Moushumi’s loyalty to her own last name, I found Renee’s point, relating Moushumi’s lack of faith, to be very interesting. I had not even realized the connection, but considering the idea, I see how it relates to the other great theme of The Namesake: that of fate.
I believe Lahiri messes with the audience’s heads a bit with the pairing of Gogol and Moushumi. So much of the book consists of Gogol trying to break away from the predetermined future his parents and extended family expect of him, so when he finally commits to Moushumi, the book reveals to the audience how inescapable fate can be. On the other hand, when Moushumi and Gogol get divorced, the book also metaphorically spits on his heritage-decided, family-made fate, revealing that greater destinies exists outside the ones we form for ourselves and for each other, a destiny that we could never possibly have enough control over to alter. With that said, we conclude that a name is merely a man-made destiny, and, for the most part, holds only as much power as we give it.
Before I go into detail about the last third of the Namesake, I have to say this: I hate Moushumi a lot right now. Her affair with Dimitri seemed desperate and pointless to me. I understand that as a 17 year old girl she found him attractive, but when they reunite he’s balding and fat. C’mon Moushumi!
Anyways, I sensed a real acceleration in Nikhil’s maturity in this last third of the book. After his father passes, he realizes what he had all along yet always pushed away. He returns to Pemberton road more often to help his mother adjust to her widow life. I feel like the way that Lahiri ended the Namesake should make the reader assume that Nikhil is going to once again reinvent himself. Or maybe not so much reinvent himself, but de-invent himself? He seems to be reconsidering his own namesake lot since his father told him the story of its origin and I feel like maybe someday he’ll want to be Gogol again. But since Lahiri didn’t exactly leave us with a solid feeling of closure, we’ll never really know what becomes of Nikhil/Gogol.
I think this book has to do somewhat with regret. Ashima regrets the loss of her husband and also regrets setting up Moushumi and Nikhil, unaware of the heartbreak that would follow. Nikhil regrets denying the first gift his father ever gave him, his name, and he regrets not realizing sooner the truth about Moushumi’s affair. But as much as the Ganguli’s experience this regret, I think the lesson that comes out of it all is to realize that life can never be perfect and they must move on, reinvent themselves once more. Hardship is inevitable when you’re an immigrant trying to assimilate in American society. Overcoming hardships has something to do with making compromises, and that’s exactly what Ashima is doing. She’s splitting her life between Calcutta and America, torn between the place where she lived with her family and met her husband, and the place where she made a life of her own with her husband, now gone from her life. She’s making this new transition, this new journey, in her life because she’s most likely confused about which side of the world is home to her and which side is now foreign.
As for Gogol, I’m missing the sense of closure with his side of the story. As Alex pointed out in an earlier post, trains have a great significance in this story. Gogol’s train hasn’t stumbled to a halt yet. He hasn’t been able to settle down just yet, find someone who understands him in and out. All I can say is that I’m a bit put down that Lahiri doesn’t let us know how he turns out!
As The Namesake comes to an end, we become to learn the true meaning of the story. Gogol tried so hard to put his old life behind him and be his own person, but when his father died, he realized how selfish he was being. He lost precious moments with his father because he was too busy with trying to get past the Bengali traditions. When Gogol is alone at his father's apartment in Ohio, I believe he feels dissapointed that he let his parents down, because he begins to realize he did. Once Ashoke is gone and Ashima is alone, Gogol begins to see that he can still be his own man and have his own love and be a part of his family at the same time. And eventually, Gogol marries Moushimi. But it does not last. They were both searching to get out of the Bengali culture, but they ended up back in it when marrying eachother. Which shows the meaning of the story, no matter how hard Gogol tried to be his own person and change, he was always going to be a Bengali. He was always going to be Gogol. It was his namesake..
As we conclude chapters 9-12, the final third of The Namesake, I just wanted to say that I, like a lot of people on this blog, also found Moushimi's affair with Dimitri to be a bit of a shocker because I had thought that Gogol and Moushimi's common Bengali heritage would be enough to keep them happily together, although now that I think about it, the divorce between Gogol and Moushimi was imminent after Moushimi's refusal to tke Gogol's last name.
In the end of the book, Gogol is alone, but now I think that he has the comfort that he was always searching for because before Ashoke died, he told Gogol why he had chosen to name him Gogol and Gogol's final acceptance of his name and the books that his father gave him for his birthday bring him comfort.
So, in my opinion, the central theme of The Namesake is that you can't escape your identity, no matter how hard you try. Gogol changing his name to Nikhil was his attempt to escape his identity as an Indian and assimilate into the American culture, but he didn't truly escape the identity that went with the name Gogol did he? The answer is no he didn't. Eventually, he accepted Gogol and his Indian heritage (his identity), which brought him peace.
All in all, I found Jhumpa Lahiri's book, The Namesake, to be quite the eye-opener. I learned that no matter what you do, your name and heritage are your identity, and your identity is something that you can't ever lose.
In my opinion the death of Gogol’s father was the most significant event in third part of the book. I think death Gogol’s dad makes Gogol realize how much he undermined his family. Unfortunately it’s this realization that leads to the end of his relationship with Maxine. On surface it might seem that they broke up over some statements that were said do to strong emotions or that Gogol was in a period in which he need time alone. I’m not saying this is not true what I’m trying to say is that there is more than that. I think Maxine’s family represented the kind of family Gogol wanted or thought he wanted.
I think as selfish as it sounds he left that life in repentance for having distanced himself from his family. So by breaking away from a life with Maxine is bringing himself back into the life he was running away from. This is probably because of the shame he feels for his past actions (like changing his name ) and the realization that he will now take care his father’s family in his place. In order to do this he feels he needs to discard his old life which was created from his previous false assumptions about the life he wanted to live. Although the author makes it seem like Gogol is doing well in reality he not. I knew somewhere in his mind he felt guilt because unlike his sister who to the other side of the country he was never more than a state away.
I did not approve of Gogol’s relationship with Moushumi from the start because it seemed like they married with different views on how they wanted to spend the rest of their lives. Furthermore Gogol was miserable in the relationship because it seemed that Moushumi took control of everything and never considered his feelings. For example telling people that Gogol changed his name and going to places only she liked. I was wondering why Gogol didn’t take more action, but looking back at his past relationships you notice that most of the time the women were charge although not as much as Moushumi. This is ironic because Moushumi is a Bengali which means that in the relationship the husband is in charge. I think the author added this to show the difference America can make because unlike her Mother Moushumi is a independent woman.
On the other hand inheriting the American lifestyle can be disastrous as Ashima brilliantly explains when she says “But unfortunately they have not considered it a duty to stay married, as the Bengalis of Ashoke and Ashima do. They are not willing to accept, to adjust, and to settle for something more than their ideal of happiness. That pressure has given way, in the case of the subsequent generation, to American common sense”. (woo woo!) In the past chapters Ashima’s comments about Americans have been somewhat stereotypical, but this I completely agree with. In relation to Gogol and Moushumi this clearly explains what happened. In the beginning Moushumi wanted to live in Paris, but Gogol had other plans. The two could not give up their ideal of happiness which led Moushumi to have an affaire. Still its surprising because she knows what it means be to hurt by the one you love and yet she does it only giving slight hints of remorse. On the other hand Gogol did sleep with a woman who was cheating on her husband so I guess you can call it Karma.
Anyway I think the reason she cheated on him was because he prevented her from getting what she thought apparently thought she could not live without thus she looked for happiness elsewhere. I think Gogol knew this from the start, but averted his thoughts to other things when the notion came into in his mind. In fact Moushumi coincidently says “Dimitri says Siena is something out of a fair tale” and Gogol replies “Who is Dimitri” and “Are having an affair?” To be fair she gives herself away by covering her mouth, but fact the accusation sprang out of Gogol only shows that he had suspected her of having an affaire. I think he took well because he too like her was not willing sacrifice his ideal happiness to be with her, but she who cheated had the nerve to bring the divorce papers. (“Only in America” -Ashima...just kidding).
To make things shot this one phrase by Ashima has summarized one of the critical problems American people have because it explains why they take more than they need, the high divorce rate and why happiness is measured in material positions. Lastly l like how the book ended with Gogol reading the same book that changed his father’s life. If you recall Ashoke read the while healing from the accident and then made the choice to go on a life changing journey. Like his father Gogol is going be reborn three times, first as Gogol, second as Nikihil and lastly who he ever wants to be because the author never tells. Maybe in the end all this talk of being reborn is a symbol for growth toward what you were ignorant about before.
Once again basically everything I wanted to say is already posted. Which is not a bad thing at all because it shows that a lot of us were thinking kind of similarly. On Part 2 of the Namesake I posted my thoughts on the end of the book by accident because I didn't see the Namesake Part 3. My fault.
A lot of significant events happened towards the end of the book like Ashoke's death and Gogol's divorce with Moushimi. Ashoke's death was very unexpected for me but with Gogol's marriage I had a feeling it was going down hill. Moushimi was so shady and such a liar. It seemed that Gogol loved Mo more than she loved him. For example when Gogol buys a hat for Mo right after meeting her and "signs the receipt for two hundred dollars." (207). Mo always compared Gogol to her ex lover Graham stating "it would have been different with Graham," (254) all the time, which portrays how Mo was not in love with Gogol. Like Gogol, Mo always tried being something she was not. She tried to be French but I don't think it was working for her. Your Indian! Act like it! India has such a rich culture, and I don't understand why anyone would drift away from their own culture.
Just like Gabby and Portia, I too wondered why both the author and I still referred to Nikhil as Gogol even after the name change. I agree with Ravi on how one can not escape one's identity and heritage. One just has to accept the person one is and respect oneself. I also agree with Alex's statement on the only person who tormented Gogol about his name was himself. I feel like he made such a big deal out of it.After Ashoke's death Gogol finally accepts his name and is at peace. It took a while for him to do so but its better than never. Which brings me to another theme of the book which is accepting oneself for who they are and where they come from. I'm also going to stick with my first theme that I thought of which was about the immigrant experience.
Just like Kristina and Gabby the ending was unexpected but I liked it. Gogol finally acknowledge his name and became very close with his family.
Even though the last part of The Namesake turned into a faux love story the main purpose came out; showing a name represents who a person is. A name acts as an introduction to a person as it represents their family and their culture, which in the end ends up defining you, no matter how much you fight it you cannot really break free.
After the break up with Maxine, ending any hope of a Stacy’s Mom romance, Gogol evidently falls for Moushumi, an old family friend’s daughter. This romance works as a way back into Gogol’s family’s life. He does not hold the same insecurities with her as he did with Maxine because “she has seen those rooms” figuratively meaning they have shared a past and literally meaning that they have shared a past (200). Moushumi has spent many holidays and celebrations at Gogol’s childhood home thus he is already comfortable with her because he does not have hide himself or his culture from her, the same way he hid it from Maxine. This connection they chare is through family and culture bringing them both closer to the life choice they desperately tried to stray from but they will forever connected by “some makeshift extended Bengali family” (204).Both wished to be married to Americans or at least non-Bengalis, trying to separate themselves from their family but it is found in Moushumi’s engagement that no matter how badly they want to be separated it is still difficult to let someone criticize their families’ and their own beliefs (212-213, 217).
No matter how much they wished to be away form their family they could never get past their namesakes. Though Gogol’s and Moushumi’s marriage did not last Gogol was able to connect back to his name and, as a result, his name. Even as a little girl, his sister, Sonia argued that Gogol could not change his name “because [he is] Gogol,” she saw his name as defining him because his name was given to him by parents and that is what he has been called by, it has become what defines him (221).Even though Gogol believes that “there’s no such thing as the perfect name” he fails to realize that it is not meant for the name to define the child as much for the child to have a connection to the parents (245). His name is the perfect example of this as his name does not literally mean anything but to his father it has a symbolic meaning of life and of being saved, it is working to connect them. Only at the end does he realize that once his name as Gogol is dead he will not gain a “sense of victory, no solace” only a part of his father that his father had given him but that part will die along with his father (289).
Gogol, or Nikhil, has changed over the course of the book as he grows and realizes that his name is not what defines him from everyone else, it is the meaning of the name that makes him special. The meaning that a parent gives a child at birth is what matters and by throwing it away it was almost like throwing away a piece of his parent.
I'm going to have to disagree with everyone. Sorry. Everyone keeps saying they think the overall purpose of the book is to tell the reader to stay true to their name, that you will always carry your “name”, culture, past.
But there’s a paragraph on the end of page 286 that really stood out to me. Gogol expresses the feeling that “his family’s life feels like a string of accidents, unforeseen, unintended, one incident begetting another.” (..Like his father’s death). It goes on to say that “these events have formed Gogol, shaped him, determined who he is.” It’s clear the Gogol seems much more shaped by the actual events in his life, rather than something trivial like a name, or a past he cannot change. At the end when Gogol decides to read, well, Gogol the Russian author, it shows that he has learned to accept his life as it comes to him (in the same way that Maxine had) and no longer has to hide from his name.
Independence and reinvention fit together so well. Gogol reinvents himself, but he struggles with creating an independence from his family while doing it. All the women he dates have their personalities revolving around independence. Maxine, while living with her parents, still carried herself with a sense of freedom and carelessness. Moushumi’s affair showed her inability to be truly tied down—it showed that she still wanted to be the girl she was in Paris (where she would have affairs with older men, yuck..). Not only that, but on page 247, Moushumi admits to the reader that “she privately vowed that she’d never grow fully dependent on her husband, as her mother has.”
Moushumi’s affair didn’t make me angry, considering by the time Gogol found out about it, it was only the focus for like a page. What really mattered was the previous slow decay of their marriage. Even Ashima understands that their marriage wasn’t exactly destined for greatness (276), to the point where she feels guilty for setting them up.
In this sense, the story ends with all the family together in understanding of each other. They are all together at the one last party, (last supper?). Gogol expresses clear gratitude towards his parents for starting up a new life here. And when he arrives at the house for probably the last time and Sonia says, “Welcome home,” that’s exactly where he was.
The last part of "The Namesake" seemed to be the most effective. I feel that Lahiri's use of irony made this section more powerful, yet her message is unclear. In the first two sections, I sensed that Lahiri supported independence and self-identity, from her details of the parents' adaptation to America, and Gogol and Sonia's separation from their parents. In the third section, the irony in Gogol's marriage to an Indian woman forced me to think Lahiri's message was that happiness would be found in obedience to one's original culture. Then, I became further confused when Moushumi cheated on Gogol and they divorced. This event, in addition to the closing of the book, where Gogol resorts to his father's gift, "The Short Stories of Nikolai Gogol," leads me to question Lahiri's overall message/purpose.
Furthermore, I feel that Lahiri uses Gogol's relationships to symbolize his growth. His first relationship conveys his independence and enlightenment, as he experiences college life with Ruth, even losing his virginity. However, at this stage, he is still connected to his family, uncomfortable with revealing the details of this relationship to them. In Gogol's relationship with Maxine, he is fully independent, forgetting his family and living with her. Furthermore, Gogol's last relationship ironically shows him declining back to his old culture, yet this relationship proves to be the worst. With this considered, it is fair to conclude that Lahiri's overall message could be that the events in our lives give structure to who we are (p.287), as opposed to our names or backgrounds.
The last third of the book was rather depressing in my opinion. After Ashoke's death, everything just started to go downhill. His death paid a toll on Ashima. Eventually, Sonia would do the cooking as Ashima would spend the night lying in bed watching television (with no sound? creepy.) Ashima had left her country to be with Ashoke. Now that he is gone, her sense of security is gaped even further. Her struggle to preserve her cultural identity (occurring throughout the book), and her struggle to develop one for her children, became greater over time. Ashima was worried about Gogol when she realized he was without a wife, and instantly reminded him of a girl he once knew. It was kind of inevitable that they would have to get married. I would absolutely hate it if this ever happened to me. Gogol was born in America and tried so hard to get his mother to understand their differences, yet he didnt mind going throught with is. I was somewhat surprised. Anyways, the gap between the identity of Ashima and the identity of her children can be seen through their first homes. Ashima's was very small and basic, bearing only the essentials to life off of. On the other hand, Gogol and Moushumi's home had wide-planked floors, a living-room skylight, stainless-steel appliances, marble floors, and a balcony off of the bedroom. The thing that Gogol is missing is the appreciation for all of the things that he has. He has worked very hard throughout his life, but he did it all with the help of his father. Though he thought it was the money, the love of this father, and the love behind his name, is what made him able to succeed (not to go all Harry Potter on you).
I'm going to go to a completely new topic now -- woah! Moushumi is so awful! At first i thought she was kind of nice. Her and Gogol could relate to each other because their families had set them up. She was the only woman he had been with that had previously known him as Gogol. Oh, that reminds me! I cant believe she blabbed about him changing his name! I think he had been regretting having done so for a while now though (I agree with Sam). Rooaaarrrrr! Of course she has to go and ruin everything by cheating on him. I dont feel all that bad though because Gogol had done the same thing with Bridget, and he didnt even feel bad about it until he was on the train one day. Oh, and another thing! I cant believe he told her about Ashoke's train accident after knowing her for only a few months! It took his father so long to be able to tell the story to his son. It's a sign of trust I guess -- but look where that got him.
I think Gogol realizes the damage his had done over the years once he began to read his fathers handwriting in the book he had given him on his fourteenth birthday. Ashoke lived through those pages and through the red inked message in the upper right hand corner of the first page. I wish Gogol would have taken the opportunity to appreciate this life and all that his father had done for him. I wish he hadn't waited years and years to read the book that had brought life to his identity (the identity he refused to call his own). Hopefully -- though we'll never know -- Gogol lived on to embrace the life his father had intended him to have.
I was even less surprised at Gogol’s discovery of this affair. After all, he did find out on a train (282). As I’ve said in previous posts, essentially every major emotional journey in this book has either started or ended on the train, and Moushumi’s affair is no different – especially since, only a few chapters prior to this relationship, Gogol’s casual relationship with the married Bridget ends because he feels suddenly guilty. Where does she feel guilty? On a train, of course (191). Trains are almost always a sign of something important about to happen in the Gangulis’ lives, and each time Lahiri makes a point of mentioning one, we can be certain something crazy is about to happen.
A sidenote – I actually have to both agree and disagree with Alex and Andrew. I think the “obvious” parts of the book – carrying your culture and your past (though not necessarily your name, but I’ll get to that) – are vital to its central message. Yes, they are obvious, and no, they are not hidden beneath piles of metaphors, but that doesn’t make them any less vital. I don’t think Lahiri rejects the cliche of cultural adjustment; I think she takes it and runs with it. I do think, however, that these parts are more essential in terms of reinvention; when the Gangulis come to the United States, they do not make much of an effort to reinvent themselves as Americans. However, as their lives go on, they slowly become more accepting of the American culture that they cannot resist – the Christmases they spend with Bengali family are, I think, a perfect example of this, reinvention without actually reinventing anything at all. They’re still having the same parties that they would have had in Calcutta; they’ve just changed the dates and some of the guests (and, in cases like Christmas, added a few distinctly American traditions – cookies for Santa Claus, etc). The Gangulis are forced to adjust culturally; the reinvention (from Bengali into American), I think, comes later. That said, I do think that Ashoke and Ashima both reinvented themselves before any cultural adjustments at all – Ashoke after his train accident (I think he mentioned that he’d died and been born again after that accident – not obvious enough for you, Andrew/Alex?), Ashima after her wedding (having to come out of it as Ashima Ganguli, not Monu Bhaduri – and considering the importance of names in Bengali culture, this is a big deal).
And finally, one last comment about names. I haven’t noticed anybody talking about the quote at the beginning of the book, but I think it is ridiculously important. Nikolai Gogol believed that “it could not have happened otherwise, and that to give him any other name was quite out of the question.” Why put this at the beginning of the book? Because it sets the stage for everything, from the train that nearly kills Gogol’s father to Gogol changing his name to his relationship with Moushumi. His name is the culmination of everything he hates and yet cannot rid himself of; when he is older, his name is everything he tries to work away from – and yet, without it, he would not have been nearly the same person. After all, Sonia is completely different and much more stable, and she never had any name conflict.
I also find it interesting that Gogol did not end up becoming his name the way his mother did. Not only is not “entire” or “all-encompassing,” as the name “Nikhil” suggests he should be (though he does try at it, with Moushumi. That relationship fails, as do many of his attempts at cultural blending), but he is also not nearly as mad or paranoid or alcoholic as the real Gogol. He does marry, though he has not fathered any children by the time this story ends (although he does have plenty of time left – he is not that old. He can still remarry, father children, grow old with someone who is not Ruth or Max or Moushumi). Luckily for Gogol, he did not become his name – but his hatred of it, its connection to his past and to his father, and its uniqueness all turn him into the person that he eventually becomes – the person who puts up with his mother and even, at some points, listens to her advice (191).
His mother, on the other hand, does become her name; she eventually becomes “without borders,” as her name suggests (276). It’s interesting how perfectly this novel comes full circle through her; she begins by being lonely, unable to figure out how to make the perfect croquette, and she ends by still being lonely, maybe even being more lonely, still unable to make the perfect croquette – but now she is doing something about that (276). Ashima is doing what her husband set out to do so many years ago; like Gnosh on the train, like Ashoke, like Gogol and Moushumi, Ashima is finding a way to see as much of the world as possible. Of course, for her, the world consists primarily of family, and for her, this is okay.
In the last part of The Namesake many things that I hadn't expected happened. First I never expected Gongol to end up doing what his parents had wished all along and falling for Moushumi and marrying a girl who was Bengali. The second thing that I didn't think would happen was that Gogol would end up divorcing his wife and end the book being alone. I never thought hed end up alone. Moushumi, what can I say about her honestly felt like she was going to end up hurting Gogol in some way, it just seemed to good to be true. I kind of saw it as a commitment issue since she couldn't take his name as her own and she didn't want children either and then ends up cheating. It just seemed like she couldn't commit to him when he was all for her. Ok Gabby's point on why we keep calling him Gogol even thought we know he is now Nikihil. I thought to myself why I continued doing this too. I wasn't sure if it was because I knew him as Gogol first and was used to it rather that Nikhil or if it was because I respected that Ashoke and Ashima named him that as Portia said. I still am not sure why I still refer to him as Gogol but I know that myself I feel more comfortable calling him by that..just not fully sure why.
I also agree with Francescas points on how Gogol realized that he had missed valuable time with his father because he was trying to push away his Bengali heritage. I was gald that in the end Gogol realizes how selfish he was being by doing this and basically regreted it.
Afters Ashokes death in part 2 it took a real toll on Ashima. She seemed to go back to how she felt in the begining, alone. I feel like she went from being alone after coming to America to having her children finding friend then after the death of her husband back to being alone even thought Sonia is with her it just isn't like it was when she was with Ashoke. Lastly, I wanted to say I loved the fact the end of the book wasn't anything that any of us expected. I feel books like that are the best because you go on thinking oh this is going to happen then it doesn't and something from left field pops up and happens.
The mention of the parents of Gogol and Moushumi debating about a place that has easy parking reminds me of my own family. Something as trivial as easy parking would be in my mother’s mind. I can imagine the Gangulis bickering over the small incessant details like easy parking, better yet; I can hear their accents while they are speaking in English. They sound like Apu from “The Simpsons”.
I just finished taking notes on the sex section of How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, and I could not help but notice when Gogol was pleading Moushumi, “fifteen minutes. No one will notice” (223). Now, I wonder what that was about…
Lahiri incorporates a lot of sex and the idea of sexual intimacy throughout this whole novel. However, she does not go on to use symbols to cover up the act of fornication, but tells the reader, very straightforwardly, Gogol and who ever his partner is simply make love or something along those lines. The way Lahiri just puts everything out there, as basic as it is, contrasts the idea of intimacy in the Bengali culture. There was never any real intimacy between Ashima and Ashoke.
Gogol is breaking the barriers of his own culture and Lahiri likes to depict this with his various partners. He did not have a relationship with just one woman; he has relationships with four (five counting the girl at Amherst). There was never any mention of Ashima or Ashoke having a relationship with anyone but each other. Even small kiss were not mentioned. Ashima could not even write her husband’s first name until he was dead. Yet, here is their child, Gogol, from a different generation, and most importantly, American, in multiple relationships.
He lives the American dream, he goes off to an Ivy League, finds a lucrative job, and lives the life that he wants, or in most cases, chooses. He can choose who he wants a relationship with, he can choose his career, but he can not choose the culture he was born into. Americans choose the people they want to become, but they can not choose their past.
It was interesting to know that Gogol married Moushumi in order to not feel alone. From the beginning of the book, Gogol was born into the world, “so alone” (25). Then when Gogol changes his name to Nikhil, signifying his rebirth, he walks out of the courthouse alone, no one there to congratulate him. In the American society he is alone.
His family adheres to the Bengali culture. Once he embraces his own culture and listens to his mother, he finds himself happier. He does not feel alone anymore, because there are people telling him what to do. There is a path for him to follow, the freedom that the American cultured allowed him was too much for him to handle. He created Nikhil, but then he was alone, again.
I completely agree with Andrew, at the end, Gogol embraces his own culture and decides to accept the way things are. He no longer tries to fight being a Bengali, adapting to the culture, and most of all, forgetting his own name. It was really cute when he began reading “The Overcoat”, because he finally accepts his name.
Ashima’s name means “without borders” (276), but I felt like all the characters did not have borders. Ashima crossed the Pacific Ocean in order to get to America. She eventually decides to spend half her years in India and the other halves in America. She does not seem to have borders between the two countries. There is also Gogol, he goes from Massachusetts to New York, and then off to Paris, he does not have physical borders, the same goes for Moushumi. Both go from place to place, as if there were no borders to separate the states and countries, the only thing that distinguishes these places from one another are the names. It was surprising to know that the characters had been to so many places. Some times I did not notice they were in one state or the next. Train rides were never long. The train symbolized change, and as always, change comes a little quicker than expected.
I really dislike Astrid and Donald. In the end they do not seem so important at all, but they irk me just as they do Gogol, and after reading about the terrible anniversary dinner Gogol and Moushumi experienced when they went to the restaurant by which the couple swore, I kind of got the feeling that Moushumi isn’t really too fond of them either. They’re queer and almost conceited a good amount or all of the time. Why are they such a big part of her life? Although they really had nothing to do with ruining Gogol’s marriage, I want to put the blame on them.
It’s clever that the book is arranged in nearly perfect thirds. Gogol’s childhood, Gogol’s bachelor life, Gogol’s married life. His birth, his new name, his marriage…the major milestones. I loved this book. Right from the beginning I was hooked and it was so hard to put it down. I wish it ended differently though. The last chapter was a bit of a disappointment. I didn’t expect Gogol and Moushumi to get a divorce and for the book to end with him alone with a book in his hands. The last part where he picks up the copy that Ashoke gave him for his fourteenth birthday all those years ago of Gogol’s short stories is really meaningful and moving, perhaps not so much that it would bring tears to the reader’s eyes, but it definitely brings closure to the book. It’s like Gogol has ultimately embraced his namesake completely. I just would have liked for that secretary to not have dropped dead, for Moushumi to not have needed that stapler, for her to not have discovered that letter.
The whole Dimitri affair makes me so angry. I couldn’t see the marriage working out after that, after Moushumi’s smoking starts to bother Gogol, after Moushumi tells her crowd that he changed his name, something that to him is a betrayal. I think that Lahiri intended to foreshadow the coming divorce with the purchase of the guidebook and the vacation that Gogol had planned in secret. She writes that Moushumi hadn’t been dropping hints about Christmas gifts as she usually did, indicating that their relationship was already on the rocks even without Gogol knowing of her unfaithfulness. The dramatic irony also leads the reader to realize that those tickets will never be used, and to assume why.
As things in part three of The Namesake wrapped up, I couldn’t quite think of how it all tied together. The ending hit me as a rather sad, but in a way fulfilling one, as Gogol discovers the book the his dad left him, while sitting in his room. I still believe that the main message of the story has something to do with old traditions and culture. Towards the end of the book, it seemed to me that Gogol in a way missed the time with his family, and started to want to go back to some of the family culture that he previously wanted to neglect. I think his father’s death from the previous part, as some of you have said before, represented a kind of loss of Gogol’s independence. When the passing of his father occurred, he decided to go back to the traditions and wants of his parents. I think this was done a little out of respect for him, but at the same time I think he wanted to, as he also had said before, he regretted his name change.
I also saw irony in that the girl that Gogol’s parents did approve with ended up being the worst for him. So in that sense I think that the author is trying to say that she thinks it is good for one to make their own way, so they don’t follow exactly the culture and traditions of the past, but instead encourages us to kind of mesh both sides together.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Although the ending is rather sad, I found it to be entertaining and thought provoking throughout the whole story.
It was sad when Gogol’s father died. Ashoke died alone; Ashima was left alone. It is even more disappointing that Gogol did not take care of his simple duties as a son to check up on his father. Even when his mother called Maxine’s house. He should have been worried. On the other hand I have felt this way before to neglect contacting my parent(s), when I am having a good time. I guess it is what happens when people grow up they get wrapped up in their own little world.
It is almost funny to think that all this time Gogol has been trying to part from his family and his roots, but he ends right back where he started. When his father died the children went back to stay with the mother, just like the “old times”, sadly without Ashoke. A new family with the children all grown up, and the mother widowed. Being reunited with his family causes his life on the outside to become insignificant, all he cared about at that moment was his father. I found it even surprising when he and Maxine split, I wasn’t expecting it even if they had cultural differences. He was happy. He was free to eat anywhere he wanted, have different cheeses, and even paraded around the house with no garments on. He wanted to date a girl who was different and in the end, the last girl the reader witnesses his relationship with is Bengali.
Even more throughout this novel I couldn’t help but feeling sorry for Gogol. When he is little he doesn’t catch a break with his name. When he is a teenager, he has lack of self-esteem and privacy. When he is an adult he can not catch a break with finding “the one”; and when he thinks he does his father dies. Even when he gets another shot at love ,with Moushimi, it doesn’t last. The thing is HIS NAME DID NOT EFFECT ANY OF THESE OUTCOMES, it was his ACTIONS. Gogol shouldn’t have burdened himself with the name he grew up with, because in the end, the name he was brought up by carried the fondness memory Ashoke.
Page 286-287 wrapped up the novel! Gogol reminisces and expresses feelings of the past events. And it all makes sense how everything was a “ a string of accidents, unforeseen , unintended, one incident begetting another.” More importantly the idea remains that “ it had not been possible to reinvent himself fully, to break from the mismatched name” which strengthens the idea of my peers and I that, he could not runaway form himself.
I understood what Jhumpa Lahairi did with the structure of her shifts. She started off with the focus of the parents to the children to the parents and to the children again. IT really helped me understand the different perspectives, so I could not just agree with one side( the children (Americans) the parents (Bengali)).
Personally, I enjoyed this novel more than the other books we had to read during the summer.
Namesake: is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that is called after, or named out of regard to, another.
Whenever people about names with friends and such people always ask what history is behind that. Names are a reflection of those that bring in this work. Gogol in many was almost a bridge, a tie, his parents had made not only to his fathers accident but their very culture. I disagree with Alex a little I think it is much bigger then a name that he happened to hate or being in America. I think it had more with what he thought the name branded him as, what it entailed. I think he felt sort of alone. Not fully relating to his American friends but not fully in sync with his family either. I think in many way his father struggles were not too different from his own. His father in trying to gain a better life for him and his family sacrifices the traditions a lesson he was taught. In many ways the father puts on a charade of a wholesome American family: with the suburban house, holidays celebrations filled with religions that they do not truly believe in. In many ways Gogol , his father, and the writer are the same. They are not fully understood and are frustrated but can do little to change fate such as when Gogol disappoints his father drawing father from the family and Gogol seem to disappoint himself by the women he marries only have it fail.
I think I can very much relate to Gogol's situation. I believe that Jhumpa Lahiri made a great decision when she chooses to include a good portion of the parents story before the come to the United States and link that into Gogol's life. I think the name Gogol act as a link for the just completely different understanding between the parent and off spring. Gogol doesn't really feel the duty to his culture that his parents feel but his parents don't understand his need to push away his culture because in many ways as silly as it sounds they don't have a sense of duty to pop culture, to America. Gogol I feel lacks the insight and his parent lack the understanding. I suppose Gogol was follow the common rule "When in Rome.." and I think Lahiri is showing those gaps through her writing.
Finally I think that I really appreciate that Lahiri mention in the book how Gogol tried so many things that his parents "would never suspect him of ever doing". I think that he would ever expect that his father would ever be in a train crash. I think not matter where you from your name is like a title of the book and with this book comes a story of secrets, lies, heartbreak, happiness, and adventure. I thought it was very interesting how at the end he begin a book that his father has read in the book at which point in the father life it was a corner stone and its seem to be one in Gogol case as well.
Namesake: is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that is called after, or named out of regard to, another.
Whenever people about names with friends and such people always ask what history is behind that. Names are a reflection of those that bring in this work. Gogol in many was almost a bridge, a tie, his parents had made not only to his fathers accident but their very culture. I disagree with Alex a little I think it is much bigger then a name that he happened to hate or being in America. I think it had more with what he thought the name branded him as, what it entailed. I think he felt sort of alone. Not fully relating to his American friends but not fully in sync with his family either. I think in many way his father struggles were not too different from his own. His father in trying to gain a better life for him and his family sacrifices the traditions a lesson he was taught. In many ways the father puts on a charade of a wholesome American family: with the suburban house, holidays celebrations filled with religions that they do not truly believe in. In many ways Gogol , his father, and the writer are the same. They are not fully understood and are frustrated but can do little to change fate such as when Gogol disappoints his father drawing father from the family and Gogol seem to disappoint himself by the women he marries only have it fail.
I think I can very much relate to Gogol's situation. I believe that Jhumpa Lahiri made a great decision when she chooses to include a good portion of the parents story before the come to the United States and link that into Gogol's life. I think the name Gogol act as a link for the just completely different understanding between the parent and off spring. Gogol doesn't really feel the duty to his culture that his parents feel but his parents don't understand his need to push away his culture because in many ways as silly as it sounds they don't have a sense of duty to pop culture, to America. Gogol I feel lacks the insight and his parent lack the understanding. I suppose Gogol was follow the common rule "When in Rome.." and I think Lahiri is showing those gaps through her writing.
After a few months of Gogol's marriage, it was obvious that the marriage would fail. Gogol did not fit in with Moushumi's crowd, he had no interest in them. Moushumi's friends remind me of Maxine and her family. They were very similar in the idea of getting drinks, socializing and bittering over little things like baby names. However, Gogol has changed. The old Gogol would have tried to fit in with Moushumi's friends, adopting himself to that lifestyle. The now grown Gogol could care less about it because he's proud of his Indian culture and has a better sense of his identity. The marriage was a failure because Lahiri kept dropping hints like how Moushumi's smoking disgusted Gogol, her betrayal in revealing his name, and her need to be independent. The divorce was a good ending because to Ashima it showed that Indian culture isn't perfect and it is up to Gogol to find his own love. At the same time, I agree with Amanda that arranged marriages sometimes do function better because there is a silent agreement of trust and loyalty. Moushumi was too Americanized and independent for that. I also saw the theme of independence played throughout the book especially through Ashima and Moushumi. In her marriage, Moushumi felt trapped, she needed her time away from Gogol so she would not grow to depend on him. The opposite of that was Ashima who finally found her own strength and independence when she became a widow. I liked how the book ended with Gogol appreciating the book his father gave him, because Gogol was reinventing himself too. Similar to how Ashoke was reborn because of the book, the end also represents a new journey for Gogol. He has grown from his losses in marriage and family. He is a stronger person now, one who is more sure of his identity.
Moushumi’s personality is very similar to Gogol’s in the past. Both person have abandon something in their life. What’s striking is when Moushimi falls in love with another guy the time when Gogol is matured to care for someone other than himself. It was only the time when Gogol’s father passed away, that he has a chance to reflect on his own wrong when he was young. Don’t you ever feel sad for not spending much time with someone before they leave? Gogol regrets that he did not spend the quality time with his family, especially with his father. Gogol regrets that he abandon the Bengalian lifestyle in the beginning. But, such a mistake cannot be undo after it has already happened.
So the ending of the book, Lahiri left a lot of strings untied. Gogol Is a middle aged man, divorced and is a bastard child. ( as in no dad)
Anyways, can I just say KARMA?! It’s funny too because the main religion of Indian culture is Hinduism, which stresses a lot on the belief of karma. Gogol is got involved fully knowing he was sleeping with a married woman earlier in the book, and now his own wife (I’m calling her Shoumi) has cheated as well. It’s funny though because I’m guessing Gogol probably would have felt a sense of relief to be divorced from her anyways. Shoumi was just not the one for him. She was way too arrogant for her own good, insecure beyond belief, and most importantly I don’t believe they ever truly loved each other. I think their marriage was built upon the foundation of having to accept the outcomes of their lives. Shoumi had just broken off her engagement, she needed a cuddle buddy. Gogol’s father died, his mother was aging, and was kind of pushing for him to settle down. They got married not for their own sakes but almost out of appeasement. Contrary to their pasts when they both totally expelled themselves from their homelives and cultures and pursued fantasies. Shoumi was living in Paris, Gogol was rendezvousing with Maxine.
But due to traumatic incidents in their lives, the both crawled back to their roots. Their upbringings. Funny how they’re childhood acquaintances eh? It’s symbolic of how kind of children running back to their mothers after they got a boo boo. They feel better in their mother’s arms, but when the wounds heal, they’re only going to want to venture out into the playground again. And look, Shoumi knew deep in her heart, that Paris was where she needed to be. Settling down was so not in her vocabulary. Even the romance in their relationship seemed to fizzle out, Gogol’s annoyance with his wife’s friends and nagging indicate unhappiness.
Quickly i've learned that this book is more than just a family becoming accustomed to the American life but it is the story of a lost culture. Gogol struggled with following in his families footsteps. He wanted to be American, not Bengali(an?) He had adapted a new way of living and grew very distant from his family and his heritage. Then, something tragic happens. Gogol's father dies of a heartattack. This is where Gogol becomes distant from Maxine and begins to spend more time with his mother and his sister. He is trying to sort out his emotions and figure out where he now he is life. Gogol is introduced to a woman who is also Bengali. He was not too excited about meeting her but does it to please his mother. In the end though, they are both attracted to each other and end up marrying. I think this situation helped Gogol regain his culture a bit. If his father had not died, would he have realized how important family and maintaing culture is? I don't think he would have. He needed an event such as the death of his father, to open his eyes and see the real Gogol. Not Nikhil.
Unforunately, the marriage did not last because Moushumi had an affair. Throughout the Namesake though, Gogol has gone through a lot of change. Good and bad. By changing his name, he had lost everything. Who he was, who he would have become, his family, and his culture. When he finally realized what he had lost, it seemed as though he had tried to regain his heritage back. By marrying a Bengali, he had learned to appreciate his culture, but by their divorce, it was hard for him to feel happy. Even with this new "good" change, bad things were happening to him.
Now, even though he had tried stay away from a solitary life, ironically, he is back to being alone. The ending of the book is a sad and ironic one.
Part three of “The Namesake” concludes not only the end of the novel, but one of the most important chapter of Nikhil’s life. With the loss of his father, his newly weds affair, his mothers soon departure to Calcutta, and Sonia’s new life soon to be started with her new husband, I feel as though now more than ever Nikhil discovers what it had been like for his father in his coming to America. Nikhil feel this strong sense of isolation and solitude that allows him to reminisce upon his past and everything in which he once rejected: his culture, his name, and his family oriented lifestyle. It is ironic because all that Nikhil had once rejected, he desires for more now than ever before; this I think reflects one of the most important messages/themes within the novel, to cherish the simple things that are presented to us at birth: culture, family, identity. I completely agree with Terenzi that Nikhil was not shaped by his name, nor his past, but rather the actual events that had occurred in which had encourage him to become Nikhil. The isolation and sense of loneliness that Nikhil experiences at the end of the novel , when he sits down to read the novel by Gogol that his father once has presented to him, allows for Nikhil to finally come to recognize and understand apart of whom he was, and whom his father had once been.
On another note, I do agree with EVERYONE that Moushumi is a disgraceful, awful person, and that Nikhil does indeed deserve better. I feel as though Moushumi’’s character and her affair is symbolic of the collision of both the American culture, and the Bengali, and this underlying confusion of what people truly desire. Moushumi’s affair almost reflects this idea that a traditional Bengali marriage, which guarantees eternal companionship, would have protected Nikhil from this isolation and loneliness that he is feeling at this point in his life; this isolation that was brought upon himself as a direct connection to his desire to fit into the American lifestyle. It is difficult to say which lifestyle would have been better fit for Nikhil because the contrast of the two is ultimately what has made him who he became at the end of the novel.
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.
46 comments:
The obvious theme of The Namesake has been that you carry a name with you your entire life. The name eventually becomes your personality, your appearance, you. For his entire youth, Gogol/Nikhil has resented this, changing his name to escape from the awkward, reserved person he was. He believed that changing his name would make him a newer, fun person. However, the end of this book makes me believe that he changed his mind.
When Nikhil marries Moushumi, he is disappointed that she doesn't adopt his surname/namesake. He feels this way even after he didn't keep Gogol, the name his father gave him. Nikhil never admits that he wanted Moushumi to adopt his surname. When the time comes to sign the marrige license, Nikhil doesn't even put the idea of adopting his surname in Moushumi's mind. This is similar to his father's disappointment, yet acceptance to Gogol's name changing earlier in the book. After only short signs of disbelief, Ashoke ends up telling Gogol to change his name using his tone only "simply, quietly." This trend of quiet acceptance also adds to my belief that Nikhil becomes more and more like his father as the book progresses.
I'll also add that Moushumi's resentment of Nikhil's surname is similar to Nikhil's resentment of the Gogol name early in life. Moushumi "will shake her head and sigh" whenever someone from India wrongly addresses her as Moushumi Ganguli. To me, this seems like an overreaction to a minor mistake. Gogol also overreacted to the ridiculousness of his name. He even lies by saying that with the name Gogol, no one takes him seriously. When in reality, the "only person who tormented him. . .was Gogol."(100)
Moushumi's attitudes like this always seemed to represent Gogol's attitudes in his distant past. She as a character should have stayed as someone in his distant past, especially since they end up getting a divorce.
More than just the idea of a person's name or namesake, I think another prominent theme of the book is assimilation, followed by the acceptance of cultures that might be different than your own.
Beginning in the first portion of The Namesake, Gogol's parents were tossed into an entirely new culture. Originally, they sought to keep their old ways, trying their hardest to only have friends of a similar cultural background. Though understandable, for this is where they felt most safe and secure with their new living surroundings, Ashima and Ashoke tried to raise Gogol in a somewhat different environment than they were raised in India. Ashima once commented on how Gogol was captured in a picture taken at the local library reading group for small children. Keeping in mind her own value of intellect and intelligence being regarded with honor and respect, Ashima simultaneously incorporates an immersion of American culture into Gogol's young, impressionable mind by continuously bringing him to the reading group.
Through their first friends in America, Ashima and Ashoke were very keen on keeping the same tradtions they grew up with and were raised to observe. Feeling obliged to honor their old traditions and ways of their ancestors, Gogol's parents chose to raise their children in a similar manner. Frequent trips to India, and excessive social events focused on cultural values show the lifestyle Gogol grew up with until he "became" Nikhil.
These views and lifestyles changed drastically through the complaints of their two children, along with the assimilation to the "American Life" their friends were also experiencing. Ashima remarked in later years of how it was understandable that she did not know how to celebrate "American" holidays such as Christmas. She was very uninformed about this holiday until a young Gogol, with his relentless complaining and begging, convinced her and Ashoke to buy him a miniature Christmas tree. Alone, Gogol celebrated his American heritage by adding tiny decorations and lights to the little tree in the living room. In later years though, Christmas became a family holiday the entire family celebrated together. In many ways, it symbolized their unity as a family and the lives they all led in America.
As the story of Gogol Ganguli starts its slow decline, Gogol begins to go through a great changeing process. To start, Gogol is starts to distinguish what is most important to him in life, and what is just expected of him, or what he thinks brings him tranquility.
At first, Gogol thinks that he is happy with Moushimi, as they "both sought comfort in eachother," mainly because they come from similar backrounds, and their being together relieves parents, which is also comforting to them. However, they both realise that they had "acten of an impulse," starting the relationship and eventually getting married. Over time, Gogol realised his error in Moushimi. Gogol expressed that "there was something missing," because he constantly felt uneasy around Moushimi, even when they were not fighting and there was nothing realistic to be upset over.
Moushimi, and an old crush, Dimitri, begin having an affair, and after awhile Gogol finds out about this, causing their divorce. Although the book does not say this, i could see that Gogol was almost relieved, and felt a sense of freedom from Moushimi.
Ashima decides that she is going to split the rest of her life living in America and Calcutta, for six months at a time. She plans one last party, brining all of her Bengali friends and family together one more time. During the party, Gogol stumbles across the book that his late father had given him when he was just a teenager, and in this instance, Gogol found his true meaning and happiness, accepting the name that he had fought for so long as he begins to read.
The ending of the book isn't really what I expected. I sort of expected Gogol to find a really nice girl to marry and drift away from his family more. But it is kind of the opposite. Gogol is re-introduced to a woman from his childhood, Moushumi. Gogol doesn't want to meet with Moushumi because she is Bengalese, and she is recovering from having been shamed. But he meets her anyway, to make his mother happy. I guess everything went well with the two because eventually they get married. But, by the end of their first year of marriage, everything kind of goes downhill and Moushumi and Gogol get divorced.
I hate how the story ends with Gogol being alone again. Lahiri shows the reader that he feels comforted by one thing: before his father died, he finally told his son why he had chosen that name for him. And by the end of the novel, Gogol has come to accept his name starts to read a collection of the Russian author's stories that his father had given him. I think this ending was a lot better than my predicted one. It finally shows Gogol at peace with himself and with everyone else and I think that right there is really a truly happy ending and not some fairytale nonsense.
I found that I was able to sort of indirectly relate to Gogol and his efforts to balance living in America while having a Bengali background. The struggles of his parents gave me a new perspective on what immigrants today may face, and also maybe what my great grandparents may have experienced when the came from Italy and Russia to America. I liked how even though there were issues, Gogol and his parents showed continued respect and value for their Bengali culture while living in America.
I think the main thing I took away from reading this was how Lahiri used the role of love in her story. Through her characters, Lahiri showed that love is able overcome hardships and pull people through difficult times. She also demonstrated that a love for one’s heritage and culture is important, and it is something that should be passed down.
I didn't expect the ending of the novel to turn out the way it did. The way Gogol's life ended up makes him seem older than he is. At thirty-two years old, I wouldn't have expected him to be divorced or to some extent alone. I would have thought he was going to settle everything down and begin a newer life with a family of his own.
Why didn't Moushumi adopt Gogol's last name after their marriage? It makes sense in a way being that she had an affair with Dimitri. While reading, I kind of figured that Moushumi and Gogol's marriage wouldn't last due to her explaining her past relationships and her old ways of being. It seemed to me that Moushumi was still caught up in her past, like tragic event that occured with Graham and also the infatuation she had for Dimitri. It was evident that she wasn't too into her relationship with Gogol after a while. She showed disinterest towards Gogol as the plot settles down. Gogol wasn't eager to meet up with her at first when his mother recommended, but he fell in love with her. The thought came across that they would last because they both shared the same cultural background, beliefs, and had similar interests. I seen a change in Gogol's character after his father's death, it was almost as if he needed Moushumi to create some fun in his life.
I think the main reason why Gogol decided to change his name to Nikhil earlier in the book is because he wanted to feel like he was apart of the American culture, almost normal to Americans. "It has been years since he's been Gogol to anyone other than his family, their friends. It sounds as it always does, simple, impossible, absurd." (p 243). Even though Gogol was not a Bengali name, he still stressed the thought of his name all the time. I think more than anything, he wanted to fit in because he remembers that first day of Kindergarden when the school went against his parent's wishes of calling him Nikhil. He never understood the whole idea of Bengali tradition having names and pet names. He may have changed his name, but that never changed his identity to his family. Gogol- that's just who he was.
The themes of The Namesake are all what the reader might expect when learning about culture through a novel. The story of Gogol Ganguli is written to explain the importance of carrying a name with you, finding yourself, and being proud of where you come from.
I would like to discuss something I found shocking. Ashima, as Ashoke’s wife took his last name. Yet, when Gogol and Moushimi married, Moushimi kept her maiden name Mazumdar. This automatically was a sign of Moushimi’s unfaithfulness. She meets up with Dimitri, an old friend every Monday and Wednesday night. I feel sorry for Gogol when he wakes up in his cold apartment alone, yet I pity him for not realizing that his wife is pulling the wool over his eyes.
I found the incident where Moushimi leaks out Nikhil’s original name to Donald and Astrid very interesting. A woman named Edith stated, “’God, I would never change my name…It’s my grandmothers.” This really hit home to Gogol because his father had explained the reason for the name Gogol and Edith’s remark made him realize he was silly to have changed it. On top of his guilt, Moushimi blurts out that Nikhil had changed his name. I can imagine the stunned look on his face. Though she was unaware of what she had done, this was one more event that proved Moushimi to be untrustworthy or unfaithful. I think this was the biggest event of the last section.
I agree with Gabby and Kristina. I never expected Gogol to end up alone. I thought that Gogol would be happy with Moushimi, even though he did not want to meet with her in the first pace because she was Bengalese. I find it interesting that the narrator and us bloggers refer to Gogol as Gogol and not Nikhil, even after we are well aware of the name change.
I found it symbolic that Lahiri ended the novel around Christmas time because of many past events that are associated with it. For instance, Ashoke’s death.
I believe that is a great point that Gabby brought up about how we the readers know that Gogol has changed his name to Nikhil; yet we continue addressing him as Gogol. I questioned myself on why I continued referring to him as Gogol in part two, however, I had never put a lot of thought into it. Since I read Gabby’s comment it had me thinking. What I took out of it was that we, or at least I, continued using Gogol, rather than Nikhil, is because I have respect for Ashima and Ashoke. They named him Gogol as his birth name and I respect that. Not only that but because in a way I still have faith that Gogol will eventually come around and take pride in being an Indian and honoring his family’s name.
Throughout the whole novel there were many quotes that had stood out to me. Yet, the most impacting one was described how Gogol was “the only person who didn’t take Gogol seriously, the only person who tormented him, the only person chronically aware of and afflicted by the embarrassment of his name, the only person who constantly questioned it and wished it were otherwise, was Gogol” pg. (100). Gogol comes out and explains to his father, Ashoke, that people will not respect him because of his name. In reality he does not respect himself because of his name. If you don’t respect yourself who will? Gogol was his only attacker from the very beginning. The day he learns how to love where he came from will be the day everyone else excepts him for who he is.
By the end of the novel his father’s death was an opening eye for Gogol. No matter how hard he tries he will always come from an Indian family. Now he is trying his best to make peace with his past of trying to escape his destiny of being Indian. When it didn’t work out with Moushumi in a way it was a resolution to his anger towards his heritage. Because by him falling in love with Moushumi and marrying her meant that Gogol wanted to honor his culture and his family. By him exploring trying to be more American he discovered himself along the way even if it meant for him to be spending the rest of his life alone.
It’s ironic that Gogol-who was looking to avoid being set up by his mother-actually married a woman she set him up with. Though initially in his life, Gogol was annoyed by his parents interfering in his life, a part of his personality seems to have been reformed by the prospect of married life. On his wedding day, he and his bride Moushumi “agree that it’s better to give in” to their parents’ expectations “than to put up a fight” (219). In a way, Gogol has found his equal, his “better half”, in Moushumi. The two can both be considered outsiders in their respective families, choosing to pave their own paths for their futures and staying true to achieving their ideals in life. Both have loved and lost American partners, becoming hurt in the process. Moushumi carries a broken heart-and ego-from being jilted by her intolerant fiance. As a result, the two find comfort in the trait they both share-their Indian backgrounds. However, I think it is Moushumi’s broken ego from her past relationship and her restlessness in her life that causes her to cheat on Gogol.
I feel pity for Gogol. He was on his way to establishing himself as a yuppie, complete with the equally successful wife and urban apartment. I think his marriage gave him more positive self-esteem for his life. He was beginning to find his Indian culture more welcoming after spending time with Moushumi.
It’s ironic that the ideal wife Ashima thought would offer Gogol fulfillment in his life did the opposite. Instead of Gogol becoming more secure in life, he loses self confidence in himself once he discovers Moushumi’s infidelity. In a way, author Jhumpa Lahiri is sending her audience a message that even the most well thought out plans can go awry and deviate from the outcome you expected. From Gogol’s name to his education to his marriage and his relationship with his father, nothing goes according to plan, although that was the desired intention. In comparing Ashima and Ashoke’s marriage with Gogol and Moushumi’s, both were similar in that their respective parents had a hand in setting them up. As well, both couples weren’t exactly enthusiastic about each-other upon first meeting. However, while Ashima and Ashoke’s respect for each-other grew into a cordial love, Gogol and Moushumi’s attraction for each-other was more pronounced.
Although I thought that an arranged marriage-like the one between Ashima and Ashoke-would have less of a chance of lasting, that’s not true. They stayed devoted to one-another before Ashoke parted. Meanwhile, Gogol and Moushumi’s relationship wasn’t set in stone, but it progressed because they both wanted it to. Eventually, one of them-Moushumi-chose to stop loving the other. Perhaps this was also because she didn’t feel the pressure to stay faithful to Gogol. I think that’s why arranged marriages are so successful. There is an unspoken understanding that the two people must stay together, so neither one makes an attempt to strain the relationship. Of course, I’m sure a variety of other factors could also contribute to this, social pressures and abuse among them.
(continued)
I suppose I should have expected this from Moushumi. Considered a rebel in her own family, becoming married to Gogol probably made her feel tied down. She was probably disappointed in how secure her life had become. Being that she was maried to a fellow Indian-American, their cultures are the same and there was less of a mystery, in terms of his identity. Perhaps Moushumi’s refusal to adopt Gogol’s last name was intended as a sign of things to come. Gogol had secretly hoped that Moushumi would change her mind, with Lahiri writing, “Though he hadn’t admitted this to her, he’d hoped, the day they’d filled out the application for their marriage license, that she might consider otherwise, as a tribute to his father if nothing else” (227). In reference to Alex Maz's post, I don't think that Moushumi's refusal to take on Gogol's last name indicates her resentment towards it. She comes form the same backgound, so I doubt that she would be intolerant. However, I think it’s Moushumi’s need to have a life separate from her husband that encourages her to keep her last name. Though Gogol doesn’t seem like the time, I suppose, secretly, he wants the type of deep-seeded loyalty that his parents’ marriage had. It’s odd that Gogol feels that Moushumi should keep his last name to a tribute to his father when Gogol didn’t even keep the name his father gave him. If anyone should have loyalty to Ashoke, it should be Gogol, because he’s his son.
The ending of the book is heartbreaking. To think that the book Gogol has shunned his entire existence is now the one thing he can find solace in is the definition of ironic. Throughout his life, Gogol has drifted from life with his family to a life of his own. In the end, he goes back to the thing he originally abandoned-the legacy his father left him.
The ending of this book was shocking to me at first, but it made sense later. Lahiri, throughout the book, made a point of giving us a real outlook at the life of Indian immigrants and the hardships that come along with adjusting to a new culture. The ending is not perfect because life itself hardly ends perfectly. Lahiri captures that perfectly in this almost bittersweet ending.
As for themes, I only have two this time around.
1. Reinvention
-Gogol realizes in Paris that Moushumi and his parents reinvented themselves. Mo did it in Paris where she left all of the expectations she had to live with behind her and lived as a different person. Ashima and Ashoke reinvented themselves in America out of necessity; they either adjusted to America or lived their lives feeling like unwelcomed visitors in their own home. However on page 233, Gogol claims that he will never reinvent himself like his parents and his wife had done, but I beg to differ. In all honesty, Gogol did reinvent himself; he became Nikhil when he was 18 years old. To the people he met in college and afterwards, he was Nikhil, the smart, handsome architect with a lot going for him. He wasn't Gogol, the awkward teen who struggled with his own identity. So in my book Gogol reinvented himself.
2. Independence
-Sadly, it took a woman's perspective for me to pick up on this, but the theme of independence was a prevailing them not just in the section but in the whole book. An example of this would be Moushumi's refusal to take Gogol's last name. It's not that she doesn't love him or respect him, but she doesn't want to end up dependent on her husband like her mother was. This runs true to Mo's defiant nature. Even Gogol realizes, perhaps subconsciously, Mo's craving for independence. The pigeons in the tree on page 272 unsettled Gogol for what they symbolized. The birds symbolize freedom and by them being in a tree instead of roaming about on the sidewalk, they were symbolizing a caged freedom. A tree to me symbolizes sturdiness, reliability, a home of sorts. Freedom does not live in a house and that is why Gogol was so put off with the sight.
Gogol himself has exhibited his own bout of independence through his life with his defiance towards the life his parents chose to lead. However, I never realized this theme until I saw it through Mo's eyes.
At the hear of the novel, I believe these two themes are the central themes, the driving force of the book. Adjusting to a new culture to me seems almost too obvious; this is a novel about Indian immigrants moving to America, of course they would have to adjust. However, this book is less about the parents and more about Gogol's struggle through life. Therefore, I feel like these two themes are the most important (though the many other themes in this book are good and important as well.)
I think the bulk of us agree that the major theme in The Namesake is the significance of a title, the influence one’s name has over his/her life. The title alone carries great support for this theme. As I read, I noticed that this idea was present throughout the entirety of the book. What with Gogol’s every-changing love-life and his constant struggle to break away from the sameness his mother longed for, the customs she tried so hard to preserve, the fact that the subject of names was such a constant greatly emphasizes just how important the idea is to the story.
The beginning of the story marks the beginning of Gogol’s life. The audience learns then that, from the very day he was born, his name presented a conflict, of sorts, when Ashima and Ashoke believe they really “must wait” for the name their son’s great-grandmother sends, and then when they must choose only one name for their son rather than the traditional two (25). In my opinion, the idea of having two names coincides with the idea of having two very different personalities, never allowing anyone to see one’s full, true self. The text supports this thought later when Gogol chooses to change his name, hiding much of his Bengali heritage behind a name that sounds less foreign, a name that his the potential to carry a fully American nickname (“Nick”). With two names, Gogol indeed leads two lives so to speak, as he keeps his family life and birth name from others, and keeps his personal life and love life from his family by staying as far from them as possible, even making up “excuse[s]” to “not go home” at one point (143). The loss of his father while he is away, in turn, acts as a sign against such two-faced behavior, especially since his father named him (Gogol).
Alex M pointed out Moushumi’s resistance to Gogol’s surname. I agree that this is very similar to Gogol’s distaste towards his own name. While Moushumi’s resentment indentifies her independence, Gogol’s resentment further emphasizes his lack of security, his constant desire to be the person his family, specifically his mother, would never allow him to be. Additionally, both of their strong feelings towards their names reveal just how powerful they believe a name is and how strong an effect on their lives they believe names hold. Regarding Moushumi’s loyalty to her own last name, I found Renee’s point, relating Moushumi’s lack of faith, to be very interesting. I had not even realized the connection, but considering the idea, I see how it relates to the other great theme of The Namesake: that of fate.
I believe Lahiri messes with the audience’s heads a bit with the pairing of Gogol and Moushumi. So much of the book consists of Gogol trying to break away from the predetermined future his parents and extended family expect of him, so when he finally commits to Moushumi, the book reveals to the audience how inescapable fate can be. On the other hand, when Moushumi and Gogol get divorced, the book also metaphorically spits on his heritage-decided, family-made fate, revealing that greater destinies exists outside the ones we form for ourselves and for each other, a destiny that we could never possibly have enough control over to alter. With that said, we conclude that a name is merely a man-made destiny, and, for the most part, holds only as much power as we give it.
Before I go into detail about the last third of the Namesake, I have to say this: I hate Moushumi a lot right now. Her affair with Dimitri seemed desperate and pointless to me. I understand that as a 17 year old girl she found him attractive, but when they reunite he’s balding and fat. C’mon Moushumi!
Anyways, I sensed a real acceleration in Nikhil’s maturity in this last third of the book. After his father passes, he realizes what he had all along yet always pushed away. He returns to Pemberton road more often to help his mother adjust to her widow life. I feel like the way that Lahiri ended the Namesake should make the reader assume that Nikhil is going to once again reinvent himself. Or maybe not so much reinvent himself, but de-invent himself? He seems to be reconsidering his own namesake lot since his father told him the story of its origin and I feel like maybe someday he’ll want to be Gogol again. But since Lahiri didn’t exactly leave us with a solid feeling of closure, we’ll never really know what becomes of Nikhil/Gogol.
I think this book has to do somewhat with regret. Ashima regrets the loss of her husband and also regrets setting up Moushumi and Nikhil, unaware of the heartbreak that would follow. Nikhil regrets denying the first gift his father ever gave him, his name, and he regrets not realizing sooner the truth about Moushumi’s affair. But as much as the Ganguli’s experience this regret, I think the lesson that comes out of it all is to realize that life can never be perfect and they must move on, reinvent themselves once more. Hardship is inevitable when you’re an immigrant trying to assimilate in American society. Overcoming hardships has something to do with making compromises, and that’s exactly what Ashima is doing. She’s splitting her life between Calcutta and America, torn between the place where she lived with her family and met her husband, and the place where she made a life of her own with her husband, now gone from her life. She’s making this new transition, this new journey, in her life because she’s most likely confused about which side of the world is home to her and which side is now foreign.
As for Gogol, I’m missing the sense of closure with his side of the story. As Alex pointed out in an earlier post, trains have a great significance in this story. Gogol’s train hasn’t stumbled to a halt yet. He hasn’t been able to settle down just yet, find someone who understands him in and out. All I can say is that I’m a bit put down that Lahiri doesn’t let us know how he turns out!
As The Namesake comes to an end, we become to learn the true meaning of the story. Gogol tried so hard to put his old life behind him and be his own person, but when his father died, he realized how selfish he was being. He lost precious moments with his father because he was too busy with trying to get past the Bengali traditions. When Gogol is alone at his father's apartment in Ohio, I believe he feels dissapointed that he let his parents down, because he begins to realize he did. Once Ashoke is gone and Ashima is alone, Gogol begins to see that he can still be his own man and have his own love and be a part of his family at the same time. And eventually, Gogol marries Moushimi. But it does not last. They were both searching to get out of the Bengali culture, but they ended up back in it when marrying eachother. Which shows the meaning of the story, no matter how hard Gogol tried to be his own person and change, he was always going to be a Bengali. He was always going to be Gogol. It was his namesake..
As we conclude chapters 9-12, the final third of The Namesake, I just wanted to say that I, like a lot of people on this blog, also found Moushimi's affair with Dimitri to be a bit of a shocker because I had thought that Gogol and Moushimi's common Bengali heritage would be enough to keep them happily together, although now that I think about it, the divorce between Gogol and Moushimi was imminent after Moushimi's refusal to tke Gogol's last name.
In the end of the book, Gogol is alone, but now I think that he has the comfort that he was always searching for because before Ashoke died, he told Gogol why he had chosen to name him Gogol and Gogol's final acceptance of his name and the books that his father gave him for his birthday bring him comfort.
So, in my opinion, the central theme of The Namesake is that you can't escape your identity, no matter how hard you try. Gogol changing his name to Nikhil was his attempt to escape his identity as an Indian and assimilate into the American culture, but he didn't truly escape the identity that went with the name Gogol did he? The answer is no he didn't. Eventually, he accepted Gogol and his Indian heritage (his identity), which brought him peace.
All in all, I found Jhumpa Lahiri's book, The Namesake, to be quite the eye-opener. I learned that no matter what you do, your name and heritage are your identity, and your identity is something that you can't ever lose.
In my opinion the death of Gogol’s father was the most significant event in third part of the book. I think death Gogol’s dad makes Gogol realize how much he undermined his family. Unfortunately it’s this realization that leads to the end of his relationship with Maxine. On surface it might seem that they broke up over some statements that were said do to strong emotions or that Gogol was in a period in which he need time alone. I’m not saying this is not true what I’m trying to say is that there is more than that. I think Maxine’s family represented the kind of family Gogol wanted or thought he wanted.
I think as selfish as it sounds he left that life in repentance for having distanced himself from his family. So by breaking away from a life with Maxine is bringing himself back into the life he was running away from. This is probably because of the shame he feels for his past actions (like changing his name ) and the realization that he will now take care his father’s family in his place. In order to do this he feels he needs to discard his old life which was created from his previous false assumptions about the life he wanted to live. Although the author makes it seem like Gogol is doing well in reality he not. I knew somewhere in his mind he felt guilt because unlike his sister who to the other side of the country he was never more than a state away.
I did not approve of Gogol’s relationship with Moushumi from the start because it seemed like they married with different views on how they wanted to spend the rest of their lives. Furthermore Gogol was miserable in the relationship because it seemed that Moushumi took control of everything and never considered his feelings. For example telling people that Gogol changed his name and going to places only she liked. I was wondering why Gogol didn’t take more action, but looking back at his past relationships you notice that most of the time the women were charge although not as much as Moushumi. This is ironic because Moushumi is a Bengali which means that in the relationship the husband is in charge. I think the author added this to show the difference America can make because unlike her Mother Moushumi is a independent woman.
On the other hand inheriting the American lifestyle can be disastrous as Ashima brilliantly explains when she says “But unfortunately they have not considered it a duty to stay married, as the Bengalis of Ashoke and Ashima do. They are not willing to accept, to adjust, and to settle for something more than their ideal of happiness. That pressure has given way, in the case of the subsequent generation, to American common sense”. (woo woo!) In the past chapters Ashima’s comments about Americans have been somewhat stereotypical, but this I completely agree with. In relation to Gogol and Moushumi this clearly explains what happened. In the beginning Moushumi wanted to live in Paris, but Gogol had other plans. The two could not give up their ideal of happiness which led Moushumi to have an affaire. Still its surprising because she knows what it means be to hurt by the one you love and yet she does it only giving slight hints of remorse. On the other hand Gogol did sleep with a woman who was cheating on her husband so I guess you can call it Karma.
Anyway I think the reason she cheated on him was because he prevented her from getting what she thought apparently thought she could not live without thus she looked for happiness elsewhere. I think Gogol knew this from the start, but averted his thoughts to other things when the notion came into in his mind. In fact Moushumi coincidently says “Dimitri says Siena is something out of a fair tale” and Gogol replies “Who is Dimitri” and “Are having an affair?” To be fair she gives herself away by covering her mouth, but fact the accusation sprang out of Gogol only shows that he had suspected her of having an affaire. I think he took well because he too like her was not willing sacrifice his ideal happiness to be with her, but she who cheated had the nerve to bring the divorce papers. (“Only in America” -Ashima...just kidding).
To make things shot this one phrase by Ashima has summarized one of the critical problems American people have because it explains why they take more than they need, the high divorce rate and why happiness is measured in material positions. Lastly l like how the book ended with Gogol reading the same book that changed his father’s life. If you recall Ashoke read the while healing from the accident and then made the choice to go on a life changing journey. Like his father Gogol is going be reborn three times, first as Gogol, second as Nikihil and lastly who he ever wants to be because the author never tells. Maybe in the end all this talk of being reborn is a symbol for growth toward what you were ignorant about before.
Once again basically everything I wanted to say is already posted. Which is not a bad thing at all because it shows that a lot of us were thinking kind of similarly. On Part 2 of the Namesake I posted my thoughts on the end of the book by accident because I didn't see the Namesake Part 3. My fault.
A lot of significant events happened towards the end of the book like Ashoke's death and Gogol's divorce with Moushimi. Ashoke's death was very unexpected for me but with Gogol's marriage I had a feeling it was going down hill. Moushimi was so shady and such a liar. It seemed that Gogol loved Mo more than she loved him. For example when Gogol buys a hat for Mo right after meeting her and "signs the receipt for two hundred dollars." (207). Mo always compared Gogol to her ex lover Graham stating "it would have been different with Graham," (254) all the time, which portrays how Mo was not in love with Gogol. Like Gogol, Mo always tried being something she was not. She tried to be French but I don't think it was working for her. Your Indian! Act like it! India has such a rich culture, and I don't understand why anyone would drift away from their own culture.
Just like Gabby and Portia, I too wondered why both the author and I still referred to Nikhil as Gogol even after the name change. I agree with Ravi on how one can not escape one's identity and heritage. One just has to accept the person one is and respect oneself. I also agree with Alex's statement on the only person who tormented Gogol about his name was himself. I feel like he made such a big deal out of it.After Ashoke's death Gogol finally accepts his name and is at peace. It took a while for him to do so but its better than never. Which brings me to another theme of the book which is accepting oneself for who they are and where they come from. I'm also going to stick with my first theme that I thought of which was about the immigrant experience.
Just like Kristina and Gabby the ending was unexpected but I liked it. Gogol finally acknowledge his name and became very close with his family.
Even though the last part of The Namesake turned into a faux love story the main purpose came out; showing a name represents who a person is. A name acts as an introduction to a person as it represents their family and their culture, which in the end ends up defining you, no matter how much you fight it you cannot really break free.
After the break up with Maxine, ending any hope of a Stacy’s Mom romance, Gogol evidently falls for Moushumi, an old family friend’s daughter. This romance works as a way back into Gogol’s family’s life. He does not hold the same insecurities with her as he did with Maxine because “she has seen those rooms” figuratively meaning they have shared a past and literally meaning that they have shared a past (200). Moushumi has spent many holidays and celebrations at Gogol’s childhood home thus he is already comfortable with her because he does not have hide himself or his culture from her, the same way he hid it from Maxine. This connection they chare is through family and culture bringing them both closer to the life choice they desperately tried to stray from but they will forever connected by “some makeshift extended Bengali family” (204).Both wished to be married to Americans or at least non-Bengalis, trying to separate themselves from their family but it is found in Moushumi’s engagement that no matter how badly they want to be separated it is still difficult to let someone criticize their families’ and their own beliefs (212-213, 217).
No matter how much they wished to be away form their family they could never get past their namesakes. Though Gogol’s and Moushumi’s marriage did not last Gogol was able to connect back to his name and, as a result, his name. Even as a little girl, his sister, Sonia argued that Gogol could not change his name “because [he is] Gogol,” she saw his name as defining him because his name was given to him by parents and that is what he has been called by, it has become what defines him (221).Even though Gogol believes that “there’s no such thing as the perfect name” he fails to realize that it is not meant for the name to define the child as much for the child to have a connection to the parents (245). His name is the perfect example of this as his name does not literally mean anything but to his father it has a symbolic meaning of life and of being saved, it is working to connect them. Only at the end does he realize that once his name as Gogol is dead he will not gain a “sense of victory, no solace” only a part of his father that his father had given him but that part will die along with his father (289).
Gogol, or Nikhil, has changed over the course of the book as he grows and realizes that his name is not what defines him from everyone else, it is the meaning of the name that makes him special. The meaning that a parent gives a child at birth is what matters and by throwing it away it was almost like throwing away a piece of his parent.
I'm going to have to disagree with everyone. Sorry. Everyone keeps saying they think the overall purpose of the book is to tell the reader to stay true to their name, that you will always carry your “name”, culture, past.
But there’s a paragraph on the end of page 286 that really stood out to me. Gogol expresses the feeling that “his family’s life feels like a string of accidents, unforeseen, unintended, one incident begetting another.” (..Like his father’s death). It goes on to say that “these events have formed Gogol, shaped him, determined who he is.” It’s clear the Gogol seems much more shaped by the actual events in his life, rather than something trivial like a name, or a past he cannot change. At the end when Gogol decides to read, well, Gogol the Russian author, it shows that he has learned to accept his life as it comes to him (in the same way that Maxine had) and no longer has to hide from his name.
Now going backwards, I strongly agreed with Alex’s post (not to be confused with Alex Maz, sorry). This is a big deal, because I usually NEVER agree with Alex. The part of her blog that says “Adjusting to a new culture to me seems almost too obvious; this is a novel about Indian immigrants moving to America, of course they would have to adjust,” well, I just couldn’t agree more. Authors avoid the cliché, they try to do more than what we all already know.
Independence and reinvention fit together so well. Gogol reinvents himself, but he struggles with creating an independence from his family while doing it. All the women he dates have their personalities revolving around independence. Maxine, while living with her parents, still carried herself with a sense of freedom and carelessness. Moushumi’s affair showed her inability to be truly tied down—it showed that she still wanted to be the girl she was in Paris (where she would have affairs with older men, yuck..). Not only that, but on page 247, Moushumi admits to the reader that “she privately vowed that she’d never grow fully dependent on her husband, as her mother has.”
Moushumi’s affair didn’t make me angry, considering by the time Gogol found out about it, it was only the focus for like a page. What really mattered was the previous slow decay of their marriage. Even Ashima understands that their marriage wasn’t exactly destined for greatness (276), to the point where she feels guilty for setting them up.
In this sense, the story ends with all the family together in understanding of each other. They are all together at the one last party, (last supper?). Gogol expresses clear gratitude towards his parents for starting up a new life here. And when he arrives at the house for probably the last time and Sonia says, “Welcome home,” that’s exactly where he was.
The last part of "The Namesake" seemed to be the most effective. I feel that Lahiri's use of irony made this section more powerful, yet her message is unclear. In the first two sections, I sensed that Lahiri supported independence and self-identity, from her details of the parents' adaptation to America, and Gogol and Sonia's separation from their parents. In the third section, the irony in Gogol's marriage to an Indian woman forced me to think Lahiri's message was that happiness would be found in obedience to one's original culture. Then, I became further confused when Moushumi cheated on Gogol and they divorced. This event, in addition to the closing of the book, where Gogol resorts to his father's gift, "The Short Stories of Nikolai Gogol," leads me to question Lahiri's overall message/purpose.
Furthermore, I feel that Lahiri uses Gogol's relationships to symbolize his growth. His first relationship conveys his independence and enlightenment, as he experiences college life with Ruth, even losing his virginity. However, at this stage, he is still connected to his family, uncomfortable with revealing the details of this relationship to them. In Gogol's relationship with Maxine, he is fully independent, forgetting his family and living with her. Furthermore, Gogol's last relationship ironically shows him declining back to his old culture, yet this relationship proves to be the worst. With this considered, it is fair to conclude that Lahiri's overall message could be that the events in our lives give structure to who we are (p.287), as opposed to our names or backgrounds.
The last third of the book was rather depressing in my opinion. After Ashoke's death, everything just started to go downhill. His death paid a toll on Ashima. Eventually, Sonia would do the cooking as Ashima would spend the night lying in bed watching television (with no sound? creepy.) Ashima had left her country to be with Ashoke. Now that he is gone, her sense of security is gaped even further. Her struggle to preserve her cultural identity (occurring throughout the book), and her struggle to develop one for her children, became greater over time. Ashima was worried about Gogol when she realized he was without a wife, and instantly reminded him of a girl he once knew. It was kind of inevitable that they would have to get married. I would absolutely hate it if this ever happened to me. Gogol was born in America and tried so hard to get his mother to understand their differences, yet he didnt mind going throught with is. I was somewhat surprised. Anyways, the gap between the identity of Ashima and the identity of her children can be seen through their first homes. Ashima's was very small and basic, bearing only the essentials to life off of. On the other hand, Gogol and Moushumi's home had wide-planked floors, a living-room skylight, stainless-steel appliances, marble floors, and a balcony off of the bedroom. The thing that Gogol is missing is the appreciation for all of the things that he has. He has worked very hard throughout his life, but he did it all with the help of his father. Though he thought it was the money, the love of this father, and the love behind his name, is what made him able to succeed (not to go all Harry Potter on you).
I'm going to go to a completely new topic now -- woah! Moushumi is so awful! At first i thought she was kind of nice. Her and Gogol could relate to each other because their families had set them up. She was the only woman he had been with that had previously known him as Gogol. Oh, that reminds me! I cant believe she blabbed about him changing his name! I think he had been regretting having done so for a while now though (I agree with Sam). Rooaaarrrrr! Of course she has to go and ruin everything by cheating on him. I dont feel all that bad though because Gogol had done the same thing with Bridget, and he didnt even feel bad about it until he was on the train one day. Oh, and another thing! I cant believe he told her about Ashoke's train accident after knowing her for only a few months! It took his father so long to be able to tell the story to his son. It's a sign of trust I guess -- but look where that got him.
I think Gogol realizes the damage his had done over the years once he began to read his fathers handwriting in the book he had given him on his fourteenth birthday. Ashoke lived through those pages and through the red inked message in the upper right hand corner of the first page. I wish Gogol would have taken the opportunity to appreciate this life and all that his father had done for him. I wish he hadn't waited years and years to read the book that had brought life to his identity (the identity he refused to call his own). Hopefully -- though we'll never know -- Gogol lived on to embrace the life his father had intended him to have.
I was even less surprised at Gogol’s discovery of this affair. After all, he did find out on a train (282). As I’ve said in previous posts, essentially every major emotional journey in this book has either started or ended on the train, and Moushumi’s affair is no different – especially since, only a few chapters prior to this relationship, Gogol’s casual relationship with the married Bridget ends because he feels suddenly guilty. Where does she feel guilty? On a train, of course (191). Trains are almost always a sign of something important about to happen in the Gangulis’ lives, and each time Lahiri makes a point of mentioning one, we can be certain something crazy is about to happen.
A sidenote – I actually have to both agree and disagree with Alex and Andrew. I think the “obvious” parts of the book – carrying your culture and your past (though not necessarily your name, but I’ll get to that) – are vital to its central message. Yes, they are obvious, and no, they are not hidden beneath piles of metaphors, but that doesn’t make them any less vital. I don’t think Lahiri rejects the cliche of cultural adjustment; I think she takes it and runs with it. I do think, however, that these parts are more essential in terms of reinvention; when the Gangulis come to the United States, they do not make much of an effort to reinvent themselves as Americans. However, as their lives go on, they slowly become more accepting of the American culture that they cannot resist – the Christmases they spend with Bengali family are, I think, a perfect example of this, reinvention without actually reinventing anything at all. They’re still having the same parties that they would have had in Calcutta; they’ve just changed the dates and some of the guests (and, in cases like Christmas, added a few distinctly American traditions – cookies for Santa Claus, etc). The Gangulis are forced to adjust culturally; the reinvention (from Bengali into American), I think, comes later. That said, I do think that Ashoke and Ashima both reinvented themselves before any cultural adjustments at all – Ashoke after his train accident (I think he mentioned that he’d died and been born again after that accident – not obvious enough for you, Andrew/Alex?), Ashima after her wedding (having to come out of it as Ashima Ganguli, not Monu Bhaduri – and considering the importance of names in Bengali culture, this is a big deal).
(2)
And finally, one last comment about names. I haven’t noticed anybody talking about the quote at the beginning of the book, but I think it is ridiculously important. Nikolai Gogol believed that “it could not have happened otherwise, and that to give him any other name was quite out of the question.” Why put this at the beginning of the book? Because it sets the stage for everything, from the train that nearly kills Gogol’s father to Gogol changing his name to his relationship with Moushumi. His name is the culmination of everything he hates and yet cannot rid himself of; when he is older, his name is everything he tries to work away from – and yet, without it, he would not have been nearly the same person. After all, Sonia is completely different and much more stable, and she never had any name conflict.
I also find it interesting that Gogol did not end up becoming his name the way his mother did. Not only is not “entire” or “all-encompassing,” as the name “Nikhil” suggests he should be (though he does try at it, with Moushumi. That relationship fails, as do many of his attempts at cultural blending), but he is also not nearly as mad or paranoid or alcoholic as the real Gogol. He does marry, though he has not fathered any children by the time this story ends (although he does have plenty of time left – he is not that old. He can still remarry, father children, grow old with someone who is not Ruth or Max or Moushumi). Luckily for Gogol, he did not become his name – but his hatred of it, its connection to his past and to his father, and its uniqueness all turn him into the person that he eventually becomes – the person who puts up with his mother and even, at some points, listens to her advice (191).
His mother, on the other hand, does become her name; she eventually becomes “without borders,” as her name suggests (276). It’s interesting how perfectly this novel comes full circle through her; she begins by being lonely, unable to figure out how to make the perfect croquette, and she ends by still being lonely, maybe even being more lonely, still unable to make the perfect croquette – but now she is doing something about that (276). Ashima is doing what her husband set out to do so many years ago; like Gnosh on the train, like Ashoke, like Gogol and Moushumi, Ashima is finding a way to see as much of the world as possible. Of course, for her, the world consists primarily of family, and for her, this is okay.
(3)
In the last part of The Namesake many things that I hadn't expected happened. First I never expected Gongol to end up doing what his parents had wished all along and falling for Moushumi and marrying a girl who was Bengali. The second thing that I didn't think would happen was that Gogol would end up divorcing his wife and end the book being alone. I never thought hed end up alone.
Moushumi, what can I say about her honestly felt like she was going to end up hurting Gogol in some way, it just seemed to good to be true. I kind of saw it as a commitment issue since she couldn't take his name as her own and she didn't want children either and then ends up cheating. It just seemed like she couldn't commit to him when he was all for her.
Ok Gabby's point on why we keep calling him Gogol even thought we know he is now Nikihil. I thought to myself why I continued doing this too. I wasn't sure if it was because I knew him as Gogol first and was used to it rather that Nikhil or if it was because I respected that Ashoke and Ashima named him that as Portia said. I still am not sure why I still refer to him as Gogol but I know that myself I feel more comfortable calling him by that..just not fully sure why.
I also agree with Francescas points on how Gogol realized that he had missed valuable time with his father because he was trying to push away his Bengali heritage. I was gald that in the end Gogol realizes how selfish he was being by doing this and basically regreted it.
Afters Ashokes death in part 2 it took a real toll on Ashima. She seemed to go back to how she felt in the begining, alone. I feel like she went from being alone after coming to America to having her children finding friend then after the death of her husband back to being alone even thought Sonia is with her it just isn't like it was when she was with Ashoke.
Lastly, I wanted to say I loved the fact the end of the book wasn't anything that any of us expected. I feel books like that are the best because you go on thinking oh this is going to happen then it doesn't and something from left field pops up and happens.
The mention of the parents of Gogol and Moushumi debating about a place that has easy parking reminds me of my own family. Something as trivial as easy parking would be in my mother’s mind. I can imagine the Gangulis bickering over the small incessant details like easy parking, better yet; I can hear their accents while they are speaking in English. They sound like Apu from “The Simpsons”.
I just finished taking notes on the sex section of How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, and I could not help but notice when Gogol was pleading Moushumi, “fifteen minutes. No one will notice” (223). Now, I wonder what that was about…
Lahiri incorporates a lot of sex and the idea of sexual intimacy throughout this whole novel. However, she does not go on to use symbols to cover up the act of fornication, but tells the reader, very straightforwardly, Gogol and who ever his partner is simply make love or something along those lines. The way Lahiri just puts everything out there, as basic as it is, contrasts the idea of intimacy in the Bengali culture. There was never any real intimacy between Ashima and Ashoke.
Gogol is breaking the barriers of his own culture and Lahiri likes to depict this with his various partners. He did not have a relationship with just one woman; he has relationships with four (five counting the girl at Amherst). There was never any mention of Ashima or Ashoke having a relationship with anyone but each other. Even small kiss were not mentioned. Ashima could not even write her husband’s first name until he was dead. Yet, here is their child, Gogol, from a different generation, and most importantly, American, in multiple relationships.
He lives the American dream, he goes off to an Ivy League, finds a lucrative job, and lives the life that he wants, or in most cases, chooses. He can choose who he wants a relationship with, he can choose his career, but he can not choose the culture he was born into. Americans choose the people they want to become, but they can not choose their past.
It was interesting to know that Gogol married Moushumi in order to not feel alone. From the beginning of the book, Gogol was born into the world, “so alone” (25). Then when Gogol changes his name to Nikhil, signifying his rebirth, he walks out of the courthouse alone, no one there to congratulate him. In the American society he is alone.
His family adheres to the Bengali culture. Once he embraces his own culture and listens to his mother, he finds himself happier. He does not feel alone anymore, because there are people telling him what to do. There is a path for him to follow, the freedom that the American cultured allowed him was too much for him to handle. He created Nikhil, but then he was alone, again.
I completely agree with Andrew, at the end, Gogol embraces his own culture and decides to accept the way things are. He no longer tries to fight being a Bengali, adapting to the culture, and most of all, forgetting his own name. It was really cute when he began reading “The Overcoat”, because he finally accepts his name.
Ashima’s name means “without borders” (276), but I felt like all the characters did not have borders. Ashima crossed the Pacific Ocean in order to get to America. She eventually decides to spend half her years in India and the other halves in America. She does not seem to have borders between the two countries. There is also Gogol, he goes from Massachusetts to New York, and then off to Paris, he does not have physical borders, the same goes for Moushumi. Both go from place to place, as if there were no borders to separate the states and countries, the only thing that distinguishes these places from one another are the names. It was surprising to know that the characters had been to so many places. Some times I did not notice they were in one state or the next. Train rides were never long. The train symbolized change, and as always, change comes a little quicker than expected.
I really dislike Astrid and Donald. In the end they do not seem so important at all, but they irk me just as they do Gogol, and after reading about the terrible anniversary dinner Gogol and Moushumi experienced when they went to the restaurant by which the couple swore, I kind of got the feeling that Moushumi isn’t really too fond of them either. They’re queer and almost conceited a good amount or all of the time. Why are they such a big part of her life? Although they really had nothing to do with ruining Gogol’s marriage, I want to put the blame on them.
It’s clever that the book is arranged in nearly perfect thirds. Gogol’s childhood, Gogol’s bachelor life, Gogol’s married life. His birth, his new name, his marriage…the major milestones. I loved this book. Right from the beginning I was hooked and it was so hard to put it down. I wish it ended differently though. The last chapter was a bit of a disappointment. I didn’t expect Gogol and Moushumi to get a divorce and for the book to end with him alone with a book in his hands. The last part where he picks up the copy that Ashoke gave him for his fourteenth birthday all those years ago of Gogol’s short stories is really meaningful and moving, perhaps not so much that it would bring tears to the reader’s eyes, but it definitely brings closure to the book. It’s like Gogol has ultimately embraced his namesake completely. I just would have liked for that secretary to not have dropped dead, for Moushumi to not have needed that stapler, for her to not have discovered that letter.
The whole Dimitri affair makes me so angry. I couldn’t see the marriage working out after that, after Moushumi’s smoking starts to bother Gogol, after Moushumi tells her crowd that he changed his name, something that to him is a betrayal. I think that Lahiri intended to foreshadow the coming divorce with the purchase of the guidebook and the vacation that Gogol had planned in secret. She writes that Moushumi hadn’t been dropping hints about Christmas gifts as she usually did, indicating that their relationship was already on the rocks even without Gogol knowing of her unfaithfulness. The dramatic irony also leads the reader to realize that those tickets will never be used, and to assume why.
As things in part three of The Namesake wrapped up, I couldn’t quite think of how it all tied together. The ending hit me as a rather sad, but in a way fulfilling one, as Gogol discovers the book the his dad left him, while sitting in his room. I still believe that the main message of the story has something to do with old traditions and culture. Towards the end of the book, it seemed to me that Gogol in a way missed the time with his family, and started to want to go back to some of the family culture that he previously wanted to neglect. I think his father’s death from the previous part, as some of you have said before, represented a kind of loss of Gogol’s independence. When the passing of his father occurred, he decided to go back to the traditions and wants of his parents. I think this was done a little out of respect for him, but at the same time I think he wanted to, as he also had said before, he regretted his name change.
I also saw irony in that the girl that Gogol’s parents did approve with ended up being the worst for him. So in that sense I think that the author is trying to say that she thinks it is good for one to make their own way, so they don’t follow exactly the culture and traditions of the past, but instead encourages us to kind of mesh both sides together.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Although the ending is rather sad, I found it to be entertaining and thought provoking throughout the whole story.
It was sad when Gogol’s father died. Ashoke died alone; Ashima was left alone. It is even more disappointing that Gogol did not take care of his simple duties as a son to check up on his father. Even when his mother called Maxine’s house. He should have been worried. On the other hand I have felt this way before to neglect contacting my parent(s), when I am having a good time. I guess it is what happens when people grow up they get wrapped up in their own little world.
It is almost funny to think that all this time Gogol has been trying to part from his family and his roots, but he ends right back where he started. When his father died the children went back to stay with the mother, just like the “old times”, sadly without Ashoke. A new family with the children all grown up, and the mother widowed. Being reunited with his family causes his life on the outside to become insignificant, all he cared about at that moment was his father. I found it even surprising when he and Maxine split, I wasn’t expecting it even if they had cultural differences. He was happy. He was free to eat anywhere he wanted, have different cheeses, and even paraded around the house with no garments on. He wanted to date a girl who was different and in the end, the last girl the reader witnesses his relationship with is Bengali.
Even more throughout this novel I couldn’t help but feeling sorry for Gogol. When he is little he doesn’t catch a break with his name. When he is a teenager, he has lack of self-esteem and privacy. When he is an adult he can not catch a break with finding “the one”; and when he thinks he does his father dies. Even when he gets another shot at love ,with Moushimi, it doesn’t last. The thing is HIS NAME DID NOT EFFECT ANY OF THESE OUTCOMES, it was his ACTIONS. Gogol shouldn’t have burdened himself with the name he grew up with, because in the end, the name he was brought up by carried the fondness memory Ashoke.
Page 286-287 wrapped up the novel! Gogol reminisces and expresses feelings of the past events. And it all makes sense how everything was a “ a string of accidents, unforeseen , unintended, one incident begetting another.” More importantly the idea remains that “ it had not been possible to reinvent himself fully, to break from the mismatched name” which strengthens the idea of my peers and I that, he could not runaway form himself.
I understood what Jhumpa Lahairi did with the structure of her shifts. She started off with the focus of the parents to the children to the parents and to the children again. IT really helped me understand the different perspectives, so I could not just agree with one side( the children (Americans) the parents (Bengali)).
Personally, I enjoyed this novel more than the other books we had to read during the summer.
Namesake: is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that is called after, or named out of regard to, another.
Whenever people about names with friends and such people always ask what history is behind that. Names are a reflection of those that bring in this work. Gogol in many was almost a bridge, a tie, his parents had made not only to his fathers accident but their very culture. I disagree with Alex a little I think it is much bigger then a name that he happened to hate or being in America. I think it had more with what he thought the name branded him as, what it entailed. I think he felt sort of alone. Not fully relating to his American friends but not fully in sync with his family either. I think in many way his father struggles were not too different from his own. His father in trying to gain a better life for him and his family sacrifices the traditions a lesson he was taught. In many ways the father puts on a charade of a wholesome American family: with the suburban house, holidays celebrations filled with religions that they do not truly believe in. In many ways Gogol , his father, and the writer are the same. They are not fully understood and are frustrated but can do little to change fate such as when Gogol disappoints his father drawing father from the family and Gogol seem to disappoint himself by the women he marries only have it fail.
I think I can very much relate to Gogol's situation. I believe that Jhumpa Lahiri made a great decision when she chooses to include a good portion of the parents story before the come to the United States and link that into Gogol's life. I think the name Gogol act as a link for the just completely different understanding between the parent and off spring. Gogol doesn't really feel the duty to his culture that his parents feel but his parents don't understand his need to push away his culture because in many ways as silly as it sounds they don't have a sense of duty to pop culture, to America. Gogol I feel lacks the insight and his parent lack the understanding. I suppose Gogol was follow the common rule "When in Rome.." and I think Lahiri is showing those gaps through her writing.
Finally I think that I really appreciate that Lahiri mention in the book how Gogol tried so many things that his parents "would never suspect him of ever doing". I think that he would ever expect that his father would ever be in a train crash. I think not matter where you from your name is like a title of the book and with this book comes a story of secrets, lies, heartbreak, happiness, and adventure. I thought it was very interesting how at the end he begin a book that his father has read in the book at which point in the father life it was a corner stone and its seem to be one in Gogol case as well.
Namesake: is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that is called after, or named out of regard to, another.
Whenever people about names with friends and such people always ask what history is behind that. Names are a reflection of those that bring in this work. Gogol in many was almost a bridge, a tie, his parents had made not only to his fathers accident but their very culture. I disagree with Alex a little I think it is much bigger then a name that he happened to hate or being in America. I think it had more with what he thought the name branded him as, what it entailed. I think he felt sort of alone. Not fully relating to his American friends but not fully in sync with his family either. I think in many way his father struggles were not too different from his own. His father in trying to gain a better life for him and his family sacrifices the traditions a lesson he was taught. In many ways the father puts on a charade of a wholesome American family: with the suburban house, holidays celebrations filled with religions that they do not truly believe in. In many ways Gogol , his father, and the writer are the same. They are not fully understood and are frustrated but can do little to change fate such as when Gogol disappoints his father drawing father from the family and Gogol seem to disappoint himself by the women he marries only have it fail.
I think I can very much relate to Gogol's situation. I believe that Jhumpa Lahiri made a great decision when she chooses to include a good portion of the parents story before the come to the United States and link that into Gogol's life. I think the name Gogol act as a link for the just completely different understanding between the parent and off spring. Gogol doesn't really feel the duty to his culture that his parents feel but his parents don't understand his need to push away his culture because in many ways as silly as it sounds they don't have a sense of duty to pop culture, to America. Gogol I feel lacks the insight and his parent lack the understanding. I suppose Gogol was follow the common rule "When in Rome.." and I think Lahiri is showing those gaps through her writing.
After a few months of Gogol's marriage, it was obvious that the marriage would fail. Gogol did not fit in with Moushumi's crowd, he had no interest in them. Moushumi's friends remind me of Maxine and her family. They were very similar in the idea of getting drinks, socializing and bittering over little things like baby names. However, Gogol has changed. The old Gogol would have tried to fit in with Moushumi's friends, adopting himself to that lifestyle. The now grown Gogol could care less about it because he's proud of his Indian culture and has a better sense of his identity. The marriage was a failure because Lahiri kept dropping hints like how Moushumi's smoking disgusted Gogol, her betrayal in revealing his name, and her need to be independent. The divorce was a good ending because to Ashima it showed that Indian culture isn't perfect and it is up to Gogol to find his own love. At the same time, I agree with Amanda that arranged marriages sometimes do function better because there is a silent agreement of trust and loyalty. Moushumi was too Americanized and independent for that. I also saw the theme of independence played throughout the book especially through Ashima and Moushumi. In her marriage, Moushumi felt trapped, she needed her time away from Gogol so she would not grow to depend on him. The opposite of that was Ashima who finally found her own strength and independence when she became a widow. I liked how the book ended with Gogol appreciating the book his father gave him, because Gogol was reinventing himself too. Similar to how Ashoke was reborn because of the book, the end also represents a new journey for Gogol. He has grown from his losses in marriage and family. He is a stronger person now, one who is more sure of his identity.
Moushumi’s personality is very similar to Gogol’s in the past. Both person have abandon something in their life. What’s striking is when Moushimi falls in love with another guy the time when Gogol is matured to care for someone other than himself.
It was only the time when Gogol’s father passed away, that he has a chance to reflect on his own wrong when he was young. Don’t you ever feel sad for not spending much time with someone before they leave? Gogol regrets that he did not spend the quality time with his family, especially with his father. Gogol regrets that he abandon the Bengalian lifestyle in the beginning. But, such a mistake cannot be undo after it has already happened.
So the ending of the book, Lahiri left a lot of strings untied. Gogol Is a middle aged man, divorced and is a bastard child. ( as in no dad)
Anyways, can I just say KARMA?! It’s funny too because the main religion of Indian culture is Hinduism, which stresses a lot on the belief of karma. Gogol is got involved fully knowing he was sleeping with a married woman earlier in the book, and now his own wife (I’m calling her Shoumi) has cheated as well. It’s funny though because I’m guessing Gogol probably would have felt a sense of relief to be divorced from her anyways. Shoumi was just not the one for him. She was way too arrogant for her own good, insecure beyond belief, and most importantly I don’t believe they ever truly loved each other. I think their marriage was built upon the foundation of having to accept the outcomes of their lives. Shoumi had just broken off her engagement, she needed a cuddle buddy. Gogol’s father died, his mother was aging, and was kind of pushing for him to settle down. They got married not for their own sakes but almost out of appeasement. Contrary to their pasts when they both totally expelled themselves from their homelives and cultures and pursued fantasies. Shoumi was living in Paris, Gogol was rendezvousing with Maxine.
But due to traumatic incidents in their lives, the both crawled back to their roots. Their upbringings. Funny how they’re childhood acquaintances eh? It’s symbolic of how kind of children running back to their mothers after they got a boo boo. They feel better in their mother’s arms, but when the wounds heal, they’re only going to want to venture out into the playground again. And look, Shoumi knew deep in her heart, that Paris was where she needed to be. Settling down was so not in her vocabulary. Even the romance in their relationship seemed to fizzle out, Gogol’s annoyance with his wife’s friends and nagging indicate unhappiness.
I also agree with Terenzi and Alex, this book is just more about adjustment to America. I mean duh, immigrants, blah blah. That’s just the surface, this book is about the pursuit of freedom and reinvention, but instead of leaving it with a happy, cliché ending, it shows the failures of such pursuits and the need to always get right back on the horse and keep on trying despite it all. Lahiri isn’t saying, there are always happy endings, nor is there always failure, there’s trial and error, and the ever importance theme of acceptance.
Quickly i've learned that this book is more than just a family becoming accustomed to the American life but it is the story of a lost culture. Gogol struggled with following in his families footsteps. He wanted to be American, not Bengali(an?) He had adapted a new way of living and grew very distant from his family and his heritage. Then, something tragic happens. Gogol's father dies of a heartattack. This is where Gogol becomes distant from Maxine and begins to spend more time with his mother and his sister. He is trying to sort out his emotions and figure out where he now he is life. Gogol is introduced to a woman who is also Bengali. He was not too excited about meeting her but does it to please his mother. In the end though, they are both attracted to each other and end up marrying. I think this situation helped Gogol regain his culture a bit. If his father had not died, would he have realized how important family and maintaing culture is? I don't think he would have. He needed an event such as the death of his father, to open his eyes and see the real Gogol. Not Nikhil.
Unforunately, the marriage did not last because Moushumi had an affair. Throughout the Namesake though, Gogol has gone through a lot of change. Good and bad. By changing his name, he had lost everything. Who he was, who he would have become, his family, and his culture. When he finally realized what he had lost, it seemed as though he had tried to regain his heritage back. By marrying a Bengali, he had learned to appreciate his culture, but by their divorce, it was hard for him to feel happy. Even with this new "good" change, bad things were happening to him.
Now, even though he had tried stay away from a solitary life, ironically, he is back to being alone. The ending of the book is a sad and ironic one.
Part three of “The Namesake” concludes not only the end of the novel, but one of the most important chapter of Nikhil’s life. With the loss of his father, his newly weds affair, his mothers soon departure to Calcutta, and Sonia’s new life soon to be started with her new husband, I feel as though now more than ever Nikhil discovers what it had been like for his father in his coming to America. Nikhil feel this strong sense of isolation and solitude that allows him to reminisce upon his past and everything in which he once rejected: his culture, his name, and his family oriented lifestyle. It is ironic because all that Nikhil had once rejected, he desires for more now than ever before; this I think reflects one of the most important messages/themes within the novel, to cherish the simple things that are presented to us at birth: culture, family, identity. I completely agree with Terenzi that Nikhil was not shaped by his name, nor his past, but rather the actual events that had occurred in which had encourage him to become Nikhil. The isolation and sense of loneliness that Nikhil experiences at the end of the novel , when he sits down to read the novel by Gogol that his father once has presented to him, allows for Nikhil to finally come to recognize and understand apart of whom he was, and whom his father had once been.
On another note, I do agree with EVERYONE that Moushumi is a disgraceful, awful person, and that Nikhil does indeed deserve better. I feel as though Moushumi’’s character and her affair is symbolic of the collision of both the American culture, and the Bengali, and this underlying confusion of what people truly desire. Moushumi’s affair almost reflects this idea that a traditional Bengali marriage, which guarantees eternal companionship, would have protected Nikhil from this isolation and loneliness that he is feeling at this point in his life; this isolation that was brought upon himself as a direct connection to his desire to fit into the American lifestyle. It is difficult to say which lifestyle would have been better fit for Nikhil because the contrast of the two is ultimately what has made him who he became at the end of the novel.
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