His family wants him to follow his father’s footsteps and become an engineer, but he wants to pursue architecture. His mother wants him to follow Bengali culture, such as marrying someone from the same background. Regardless of his parents’ desires, he focuses more on his friends and American culture than his own family’s values. When his father passes away, he begins to cherish his family values. Gogol is very caring and committed to his passions.
No matter what angle you perceive identity from; everyone is born with a name. This is a specific name that you are to be called in common acknowledgement. However “the precision of naming takes away from the uniqueness of seeing.” –Pierre Barnard-. Names may promote an individual’s identity, yet it can also defy it.
“The perfect name will come” Chapter 9, page 244. This leads up to what Gogol will say about a perfect name. The book has a common theme of names, hence the book being called “The Namesake”. On different occurrences of names being brought up, Gogol/Nikhil has different approaches to each.
Omoro, the father of the new baby, has to take into account the meaning behind the name because of his culture: “By ancient custom, for the next seven days, there was bui a. singic task with which Omoro would seriously occupy himself: the selection of a name for his first born son. It would have to be a name rich with history and with promise, for the people of the tribe—the Mandinkas—believed that a child would develop seven of the characteristics of whomever or whatever he was named for” (Haley 18). Supposedly, the meaning and characteristics of the name given to the baby, will have a great impact of the child's future and personality. Some names have a negative connotation associated with them, that is the case for Pilate’s name in Song of Solomon: “Like a Christ-killing Pilate. You can’t get much worse than that for a name.
In the book Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison names are an important aspect to the story. Milkman, Guitar, Pilate, and Macon Dead all describe in great detail the way they receive their names which highlights the importance of identity in the book. With so little to cling to in the form of materials or healthy relationships they are forced to cling to who they are. A less emphasized name in the novel is Hagar, but her’s is, quite possibly, one of the most important ones. Hagar’s name translated from Hebrew means “flight”.
Is a person's identity shaped by their name? This is the only way that Juliet's father will let her marry a man because he will no longer be a Monique. " Deny thy father and refuse thy name? Or, if thou wilt not, be sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet" (2.34-36). This is showing that Romeo can't be a Monique and he has to change his name to marry Juliet.
“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” (George R.R. Martin)
Gogol, the son of Ashima and Ashoke, was born in America and spends the first half of his life trying to run away from his Bengali roots. Although Gogol does not feel as lost and detached as his parents in America, he has a difficult time trying to balance the Bengali culture he was born into as well as the American culture he sees and experiences all around him as he is growing up. Throughout the novel, The Namesake, Gogol struggles to develop his identity due to the clashing of Bengali and American culture in his life. Gogol’s first obstacle in his search for self-identity occurs only a couple days after his birth, when his parents must decide on a name in order to be released from the hospital. Ashima and Ashoke eventually decide on Gogol, after the writer who saved Ashoke’s life during a train crash.
To be alone on an island, painting the sky the desired shade of blue, but to be secluded, fending away civilization as it it were a parasite, is not one’s ideal state of mind. Yet, by a particular female character named Moushumi In the book The Namesake, they are confused. Moushumi is the ex-wife of Gogol and identified in detail by Jhumpa Lahiri. Moushumi’s identity is composed of her experiences, her values, and her background.
Gogol, an Indian boy growing up in America, sees different meanings of home all around him. He sees that his mother feels at home back in Calcutta while he feels lost there. In Calcutta, his parents have to explain to friends and family members why their son “lacks a good name”(129). While back in America he “hates having to tell people that [his name] doesn’t mean
When a name is chosen for someone, the name becomes their personality, appearance and identity. In the book, the namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, she compares Gogol’s struggle with growing up in two different cultures, American and Indian. In the American culture, Gogol is able to change his name and be anyone he wants to be. On the other hand, the culture of his parents and them giving him that name, is anything but free. The name was chosen in order to respect and honor their homeland.
To start off with, naming and identity is one of the several impacts of language. Names carry a lot of importance and tells others about us. Studies have even shown people with unusual names or spellings have a correlation with experiencing various hardships throughout life. Uncommon names can also be associated with a sense of distinction, depending on your viewpoint. I have experienced the weight that people place on names.
However, as time passes, they begin to nurture a love for each other. This is only the beginning of a series of relationships in “The Namesake.” The primary one, centers on Gogol and his tight relationship between his Indian-cultured parents. At first, Gogol is completely in disgust at his parents and their background. This is evident during the beginning of their trip to India.
Gogol’s serious relationships began after he legally changed his name to Nikhil. The significance of relationships and marriage in the novel is purely based on intimacy and defining one’s identity. Gogol’s relationship with Ruth was his first real relationship. They
As Gogol begins to grow up in America his attitude towards his name starts to change. The novel begins with Gogol feeling very uncomfortable with being called Nikhil on his first day of school. “It is very common for a child to be confused at first. Please
