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. In the Bengali culture, a “pet name” is used by close