Although Gogol Nikhil Ganguli is a Bengali‚ he isn’t your average typical one; the whole pet name (Gogol) vs. his good name (Nikhil) sets forth a battle within his mind causing himself to alienate him from those who care about him the most. In The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri‚ the theme of identity crisis gets played a lot throughout the novel. When Gogol first starts school‚ his father tries to persuade him to go by his good name‚ Nikhil‚ but he refuses because he’s afraid to be someone he doesn’t
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The Namesake isn’t a word at all. It is a date. 1968‚ to be exact. But in many ways it is fitting that the opening line of Lahiri’s captivating novel takes the reader back in time‚ for much of the story is an examination of the tension between past and present. And it is that tension between what was and what is – never far from Lahiri’s or the reader’s mind – that drives the narration‚ colors the drama‚ and shapes the lives of the novel’s characters. As The Namesake opens
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find a place that we can fit in completely. Most people struggle‚ some does not. The question of identity is especially difficult for immigrants and their coming generations since they have different cultures and different views. In the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri‚ the main character Gogol struggles with his cultural identity due to the ideological difference between him and his parents on the concept of name. According to Bengali naming traditions‚ everyone has two names‚ a pet name and
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1. Explain how the relationship between Ashoke‚ Ashima‚ and Gogol develops throughout the novel. The theme of the relationship between parents and children becomes prominent‚ as Gogol grows old enough to interact with his parents as a child. During his young adulthood‚ Gogol is impatient with his parents and they‚ likewise‚ feel unable to relate to their American children. Gogol begins to feel tender toward his father after his death. He now understands the guilt and uselessness his parents had
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That is‚ one is constantly recognized by the people and by oneself with his name‚ and the name consciously and unconsciously keeps influencing one’s identity as the name directly relates to how one perceives the world and oneself. In a novel‚ The Namesake‚ by Jhumpa Lahiri‚ this power of name is well depicted through the identity crisis of the son of an Indian immigrants family‚ the Ganguli. Gogol Ganguli‚ the son of Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli‚ struggles with his dual identity due to two different
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How would you respond to a collision in culture‚ would you completely change your original culture‚ modify it to a certain extent‚ or not make a single altercation to your identity? In The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri‚ Gogol is caught in the midst of colliding cultures and responds by adapting to the host culture‚ the American culture. Throughout Gogol’s life‚ he faces an identification crisis and a crisis in balancing between the Bengali and American culture. Gogol slowly moves to the American culture
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The title The Namesake reflects the struggle of Gogol Ganguli‚ son of Ashoke and Ashima‚ Indian immigrants to the U.S.A. to get identity in the culture where he is born and brought up with his unusual name. Names do have some meaning in India. A lot of practice is done when a child is named in India. An Indian child generally carries two names‚ a pet name and an official one. Pet names are for the family and neighbours and acquaintances. They carry or may not carry meaning. But official names are
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The Namesake showcases a boy named Gogol who culturally different from the rest of society‚ and undergoes numerous life changing situations. A namesake is a person named after another. The namesake in this novel being Gogol and the author of the Overcoat‚ Nikolai Gogol but to why his father chose this name and this namesake is a mystery to Gogol Ganguli. Symbolism‚ something used quite commonly throughout the novel‚ in which it shows two major symbols. These being the name “Gogol” and trains‚ all
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“Some people claim that a person’s cultural identity is the foundation or groundwork on which every other aspect of their being is built” (No Bullying). That describes exactly what Gogol in the novel‚ The Namesake‚ by Jhumpa Lahiri is trying to discover about himself through his name. Almost every aspect of this novel have to do with Gogol and his journey with his companions and family to find his sense of belonging through his culture. Lahiri uses the manipulation of time in this novel in order
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Moving to a different country is never easy and author Jhumpa Lahiri captures this struggle in the astounding book‚ The Namesake. Her words perfectly emulate the struggles each main character— Ashoke‚ Ashima and Gogol face. This book is written in a third person omniscient view which enables readers to look into the intimate thoughts of each character‚ and how they individually handle their ability to balance the Bengali and American culture. Each character’s journey to conform is unique‚ making
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