The Namesake By Jhumpa Lahiri Analysis

In today’s society, many individuals get picked on or feel misunderstood for being unique or different. In reality we all have differences and we need to embrace them, rather than suppress them in fear of what others will think. Otherwise, the world would be insanely uninteresting. “The Namesake,” by Jhumpa Lahiri, is about a boy called by the unique name of Gogol Ganguli. When he was young, Gogol was oblivious to the differences in his name to socially-normal-names, but as he grew up, he began to notice them. The story is about a significant event where Gogol realizes just how unique his name is. In “The Namesake,” Jhumpa Lahiri develops the theme that it is okay to be unique through family influence, interaction with others, and experiences.
This can first be seen when, as previously mentioned, some boys change the name on Gogol’s mailbox from Ganguli to “Ganggreen.” Gogol was enraged, as Lahiri explains, “his ears burn at the sight, and he runs back into the house, sickened, certain of the insult his father will feel.” He was shocked to find out that his father wasn’t bothered by this, but his father was teaching him that it was okay to have a unique name, whether or not people poke fun of it. Yet another piece of evidence is when Gogol goes to the graveyard on a field trip and has never been to a graveyard before. This implies that his culture is different than that of those around him, proving that it is just fine to be a little different. Most compelling, Gogol discovered more unique names on the rubbings he created during his field trip. Lahiri wrote “Abijah Craven, 1701-45. Gogol has never met a person named Abijah, just as, he now realizes, he has never met another Gogol.” This shows that Gogol was not the only individual with a unique name, showing that it is okay to be different. The evidence is clear, that Lahiri develops the theme of the story through Gogol’s personal