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Identity In The Namesake

1475 Words6 Pages

Confusion. Distress. Frustration. All of these feelings were present and prevalent throughout Gogol’s life story as he had a difficult time identifying himself due to conflicting cultures. This is best represented by the people he chooses to maintain relationships with and his actions within the relationships with those closest to him. His parents, specifically his mother, are more in touch with the Bengali culture and want him to be as well, while his American friends want him to be more in touch with the American culture. Accordingly, his reaction to these relationships and their expectations shows his confusion regarding his identity. By ending the relationship with the woman who was enforcing an American culture, he was showing a new affinity …show more content…

In the novel, The Namesake, by Jumpa Lahiri there is the prevalent theme of confusion involving self-identity, this can be seen by the actions of the main character, Gogol, and his relationships. Bengali culture is unique and involves drastically different practices and expectations in contrast to the practices and expectations of American culture. Gogol’s parents are from Calcutta and place their beliefs in Bengali culture. (Through Gogol 's quest for self, Lahiri investigates not so much the generational divide between first and second-generation members of migrant communities as the difficulties faced by "desis" eager to forge a coherent sense of self while struggling with divided loyalties and conflicting identifications.) His parents follow the same expectations of Bengali culture in America as they would in Calcutta, to the utmost extent. Gogol’s father, Ashoke, was involved in and rescued from a train wreck at a young age that was (the first miracle of his life) and gave him the desire to explore the world. Due to this tragic event he is more open to embracing other cultures and respects some of

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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.

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This quote occurs when Gogol is questioning why he was given his name. His father chose his name because of the stories and writings of Nikolai Gogol, it was because of a train accident that occurred before Gogol was born. The author showed Ashoke the new life he put into his son, so the memory of the crash became a memory that is not as sad as before, it now has a “light at the end of the tunnel” because of Gogol. 2. “There’s no such thing as a perfect name.

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His insecurity abates when he gains his confidence to express his thoughts and desires freely. Another conflict is his constant struggle with his identity and his family background. He is ashamed of his parents’ nonchalant attitude. However he is able to find solace when he writes the college essay by expressing his concerns and apprehensions, which allows him to come to terms with his background. Accordingly, his relief is evident when he demonstrates his humour by cracking a joke and entertaining his parents: “It’s a joke.

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One’s identity is not limited to what you look like or how you acted three years ago. An identity grows overtime as you encounter new experiences and learn new things about yourself. In Ursula Le Guin’s, A Wizard of Earthsea, we see the main character, Ged, find and develop his own identity. Identity ranges from your morals and values to your relationship with those around you. Identity is an important aspect in a person because it consists of a physical power and your own will power.

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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.

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This is another factor that influences his struggles with his identity, because he knowledges the differences of cultures, but he still feels stuck in the middle. Gogol continues to struggle with this concept of when and how to display physical affection towards his various

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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.

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In “Longing to Belong”, Saira Shah gives you a look into the life of a 17 year old girl longing to understand her parents heritage and trying to fit into a culture that is so much different from what she knows. Having a father who originates from Afghanistan and a mother who originates from India. Saira wants to learn the culture of her father’s afghan routes. The author feels the only way in to learning is by being betrothed into an arranged marriage. The author states that her uncle in seeing “two unmarried” daughters in the company of a chaperone visiting his home, concludes that they were sent to be married.

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After recalling a broken childhood, Sedaris looks back and realizes that there were many things he did not understand as a child. The treatment and attitude of his mother have helped Sedaris to understand that some things are just too complicated, and that the solution to those issues is not a single step. Being able to realize this helped to justify his mother’s attitude towards him and his siblings, confirming that a family is still a family despite the challenges along the way. In order to connect and understand the people around us, a person must first look past the appearance of someone and dig deeper, as there is more to a person than just what they choose to

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The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri socially and culturally features the value of family through the characters as well as the author. It is shown through cultural influences by the characters when they start to celebrate Christmas and by Lahiri when her parents are skeptical of her getting a degree in creative writing. It is said in the movie, “For the sake of Gogol and Sonia they celebrate, with progressively increasing fanfare, the birth of Christ, an event the children look forward to far more than the worship of Durga and Saraswati.” When the Indian family came to America, they were influenced by the American culture to celebrate Christmas. This influenced the children’s culture very much because they enjoyed it more than their own religion.

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In the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri there are many relationships portrayed throughout the story. Ashoke and Ashima’s relationship doesn’t show their affection for each other. Gogol had three serious relationships with Ruth, Maxine and Moushumi one of which he ended up marrying. His relationship with Maxine was strong because he was very close with her and her family. Gogol’s relationship with Moushumi was based on secrets and their way of not being more open with each other.

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Attaining one’s own self identity and self relation are usually molded by your surrounding influences and environment. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake, the author creates the juxtaposition of the conflictual relationship between the experiences of children living in American mainstream culture vs. the family culture of a first generation Indian family. Lahiri used the internal conflict of the “namesake” of Gogol vs. Nikhil as the ultimate symbolism of the conflict between the two cultures for the main character Gogol. The significance of names and identity are the underlying force that dictates the decision making in Gogol’s life. His name is the chief cause of his alienation.

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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.

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Have you ever found yourself, yet lost yourself? That question may be a mouthful but think about it. Have you ever steered off of who you are and the discovered a whole new side of yourself? In The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the main character, Gogol, maintains two identities as Gogol, linking back to his past, and Nikhil, which develops as he grows up. Gogol is more family oriented and more true to Indian culture, while Nikhil follows the “American” way by showing independence and rebellion.

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Paul- Michel Foucault was a French philosopher also known as a historian of systems of thoughts whose influence extended across a broad array of disciplines especially in the humanities and social sciences and a social critic. He created his own title when he was promoted to professorship at one of the most prestigious colleges in France “College de France” in 1970. He is perhaps best known for his ruminations on power, self identity, epistemology, and the evolution of systems of thought and meaning. He is often described as post-structuralist or post modernist, however Foucault himself rejected such titles, preferring to analyse their significance rather than identifying with them.

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