The Namesake

Between Gogol And Nikhil Each one of us was given a name when we were born. Some of us received names that were specifically chosen for boys, some of us have gotten names that were carefully designed for girls, some have even inherited the names from our ancestors. Whatever our names may be, they were always the best gifts provided by our parents, as they carried the best wishes and prayers from our friends and family. Many people loved their names, and in the contrary, many people believed that they deserved better; in the book The Namesake written by Jhumpa Lahiri, the protagonist Gogol had shown negative feelings toward his name. At the age of fourteen, Gogol felt embarrassed when others called him by his name; he also found it disturbing

According to the story, fourteen-year old Gogol was a very hard working, well-behaving son. “Gogol does not date anyone in high school. He suffers quiet crushes…to join the math team and maintain his A average,” (Lahiri, 93). Gogol, being an obedient child as he was, obviously did not want to disappoint his parents in terms of his academic career. He understood his priorities as a student, notwithstanding strong desires to fit in the American community. After high school, due to his constant struggles to confront his name, Gogol decided to change it; his decision may seem bald and rebellious, yet, he maintained his good habits of being an obedient son in college. “In the autumn of his sophomore year, he boards a particularly crowded train…the Wednesday before thanksgiving,” (Lahiri, 108). Gogol never forgot about his responsibilities as a son — beside his internal struggles and his neglectful attitude to reject his family, he continued to fulfill his responsibilities as a son by coming to family gatherings on holidays and taking his parents on campus tours. In fact, no matter what he called himself, he remained to be Gogol Ganguli — the obedient, well-behaving kid as he used to

As Gogol, he was stuck at being an obedient child of an Indian family; although he found his parents to be embarrassing, awkward and annoying, he always felt a sense of responsibility to do things that pleased them. Ever since he was a child, he has always wanted to be part of the American community; however, his name Gogol appeared to been an invisible yet inviolable barrier that isolated him from the rest of the American children. Conversely, the fact the he is now Nikhil made it possible for him to pursue the American lifestyle that he had been craving for. Nikhil suddenly became more socially involved: he started to make more friends and began to make contacts with girls. Under the circumstances of him changing his name, Nikhil also became more rebellious as well. “But now that he’s Nikhil it’s easier to ignore his parents…tune out their concerns and pleas,” (Lahiri, 105). His parents represented his old life when he was recognized as Gogol; now he is Nikhil, he is convinced that he could move on and forget about his past. However, in spite of his attempts to sever his connections with his family, considering that he chose Nikhil as his new name, it has became a valid indication that he is still connected to his Indian identity. Essentially, becoming Nikhil means he could be more confident around his peers — he