- Jhumpa Lahiri has said of The Namesake, "America is a real presence in the book; the characters must struggle and come to terms with what it means to live here, to be brought up here, to belong and not belong here."
1. How are America and India a real presence in the book?
2. How The Namesake allows the reader to think of America in a new way.
3. What are the specific struggles of the characters?
4. How does Lahiri use the portrayal of America and the struggles to lend greater meaning of the novel as a whole?
America and India are real presences in the book because they are constantly being compared to each other as the characters struggle to identify with one, the other, or both. Their cultures, traditions, and way of living are very different in some ways. Ashima, for example, has the hardest time assimilating to America. Unlike her husband and children, who were either pursuing their dream job in America or grew up there, Ashima hasn’t formed her own life in America. She does not wish to raise Gogol in America, a place in which she believes he entered the world alone. She wishes to incorporate the life she left behind in India, and is distressed when her children distance themselves from her and their culture. When Ashoke dies and her children have left the house, she is able to become more independent and starts finding her own life in America. She finds work at a library and makes her first American friends there, who encourage her to accept Gogol’s choice of girlfriends. In the end, she decides to alternate between living in America and India every six months, showing that she identifies with both cultures.
ReplyDeleteThe Namesake allows the reader to see America from the perspective of immigrants, Ashima and Ashoke, as they try to find a balance between two different cultures. They practice American traditions, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and allow their children to dress, eat, and speak like Americans. However, they do what they can to incorporate culture lessons and the Bengali language into their children’s lives. Readers also see how America disregards parts of the Bengali culture. For example, both the hospital and the school did not understand the Bengali custom of having two names, and that the pet name is not meant to be used as identification in the larger world. Also, Gogol comments on how people smirk at his parents’ accents, and speak through him as if his parents were incompetent or deaf.
In The Namesake America and India are almost like characters in the novel. Both are so different from each other and yet such a strong influence on the Gangulis. The family is trying to please each culture almost like how you would try to please a parent or grandparent. They try very hard to adhere to their Indian culture while working equally as hard to achieve the American Dream. The Namesake allows the reader to think of America in a new way as we are able to witness their assimilation to American life through their nervous and often uncertain eyes. Coming from a culture where your elders decide everything about your life from who you will marry to what you will name you child, the freedom of America was overwhelming. Ashima and Ashoke initially acted like visitors eating only Indian food and socializing only with other Indians. The Gnagulis later move to a house in the suburbs because that’s what is expected of growing families in America. They struggle to hold onto their Indian heritage as their children start going to school and become more American. While they struggle to maintain their former way of life, Gogol struggles to escape his heritage. His constant struggle over his name throughout the entire novel represents his search for his own identity. Lahiri uses the portrayal of America and the struggles of the Gangulis to lend greater meaning to the novel by putting the reader in the mindset of what it is like to be an immigrant. As Americans we often judge those who act differently because of their culture. We think they are less intelligent because their words get jumbled as they struggle to translate to English and we get annoyed when they want to cling to their cultural traditions. By writing the novel through the eyes of immigrants, Lahiri pushes us to view them in a different light.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India’s presence is thoroughly in the book by the way that each country’s culture affects not only Gogol but everyone else in his family as well. What makes their affect so profound is how closely knit their parents are with the Bengali culture in which they grew up. This may be due to a number of reasons, including the traditional style of clothing, the food they eat, and most apparent the language style upon which they bring to America in 1968. In the beginning of the novel, it is most apparent with Ashima, as she deeply reverends the traditions of the past and the culture that is surrounded it. This can be contrasted to her children, which never grew up in their country, and were instead exposed to the culture of the United States. The struggles of the characters arises from this separation, upon which Ahima almost immediately feels separated from the world because of how different life is in Massachusetts. She finds it difficult to adapt, and even harder when her first son, Gogol, who often strays away in an attempt to feel more like his American peers and friends. Renaming himself Nikhil, he separates himself through several events such as his several girlfriends and adapted tastes. As the reader interprets this in his or her mind, it allows someone to view the world from the perspective of someone that has not only moved from a completely different cultural and physical background, but from another that is native to this new atmosphere and arises conflict with the ‘old way of thinking’. This is special when you incorporate Lahiri and her portrayal of America as a place that may be culturally accepting but does not take in the variety of cultures that reside within its borders.
ReplyDeleteIn The Namesake, America and India are a real prescence in the book because the characters find themselves having to identify as either Indian or American. The customs and way of living in these countries are very different. I believe it was the hardest for Ashima to adjust to the American ways because she was not chasing her dream and getting a career like her husband and children. Simple American ways confused Ashoke and Ashima such as Americans not having good names and teachers believing that the children should decide what they should be called at school. When Gogol and Sonia visited India for the first time, they were amazed with how culturally different it was from America. The Namesake allows the reader to look at America in a new way because it shows how people from somewhere like India perceive America in a whole different light. It shows American life lived through an Indian family. Their eating style is different, their way of coping with death is different, and the way they celebrate things are different. It shows that although this family is from India and has different cultural styles, they are still living the American life in their own way. The specific struggles Ashima faces is how to actually live an American life. Her children and husband are out chasing their career path, while she sits home. She misses Calcutta and hates how her children are drifting away from the traditional Indian ways. She struggles when Ashoke moves to Ohio for work and her children are living on their own because this is her first time living alone. After Ashoke's death, Ashima believes him moving away has prepared her for this moment. Throughout the book, Gogol faces a struggle with his name. He hates the name Gogol and cannot picture it on a college diploma or job application. He believes that no one will take him seriously and is confused why his parents would name him after someone as strange as the Russian writer. When Gogol finds out the real reason for his name, his view of his name does a 360. Knowing that he is named after an author that basically saved his father's life (since Ashoke help up the book by Gogol which saved him), the name carries a whole new meaning. I also agree with Ashley above that his constant struggle over his name throughout the entire novel represents his search for his own identity. Lahiri also portrays the struggles of being an immigrant through the story of the Gangulis. Americans too often judge immigrants because of their difference in culture. By writing this story through the life of the Gangulis, it forces us to see America in a different way.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are represented through the characters of Ashima and Gogol. Ashima symbolizes India, since she clings to the culture, remaining with Bengali friends in America, dressing in saris, speaking Bengali, cooking traditional Bengali foods, and feeling more comfortable in Calcutta than America. America is portrayed through Gogol as he abandons his “good name”, changing it to Nikhil and begins dating American girls, unlike his parents who had an arranged marriage. Also, Gogol does not speak Bengali nor dress like a normal Bengali man would, instead wearing jeans, sweaters, and t-shirts. Additionally, America is considered home to Gogol and he feels out of place and uninterested in Calcutta, which is just the opposite for Ashima, creating a contrast between the generations within the Ganguli family.
ReplyDeleteThe Namesake depicts America from the standpoint of immigrants, which shows how different America is in comparison to other countries and allowing readers to see the difficulty of adjusting to a new culture. Ashima struggles with adjusting to American culture, while Gogol struggles with fusing both the Indian traditions he was raised with while fitting in with the rest of American society. Lahiri’s portrayal of America and the character’s struggles help to depict the struggle between the old and the new, between clinging to old ideas and the comfort and culture of home and embracing the new American culture and becoming accustomed to the ways of a new society.
The Namesake proves America and India to possess real presence as they are often compared to one another, and the reader is able to visualize what life is like as an outsider; meaning two different worlds are happening simultaneously and this stress is seen on the characters as they confuse/are torn between becoming "Americanized" and keeping Indian culture alive in their family. American readers can interpret this struggle to view America differently because being born and raised in this country paves a completely different path than if one were to be thrown into it. Sometimes it is easy to take the freedoms and privileges this country has to offer for granted and for this reason we see the apprehension of this Indian family to become accustomed to American lifestyles. Readers perceive America as they "norm" when in reality there are so many other ways of life and traditions people carry within their cultures (such as dress, eating habits, celebrations, mourning, marriage, childbirth, etc). Ashima suffers from lack of self-identification. She does not know quite who she is and can't seem to fit into any place in America. She would prefer to be back in India, raising her child is a complete Indian culture, whereas her husband is looking at the long-term goals and benefits of being in America and living the "American dream" to create a better life for himself and his family, Overall, Lahiri tries to send a message about america because after all is said and done, we are all human, and should respect each other equally. The failure of the Americans to appreciate the Indian practices (like the good and pet names") as any other, goes to show the difficulties immigrants have and even the poor treatment they receive for not being totally assimilated into American culture.
ReplyDeleteBoth America and India are portrayed as a presence in the story widely due to the fact that the characters have to learn how to live in America, which is not particularly easy for them. Especially due to the fact that they feel as if they do not belong there, which seems fitting considering the setting of the book takes place in the 1960's, the height of the Civil Rights Movement in America. America and India are also constantly being compared to each other throughout the novel as well. The Namesake can help the reader think of America in a new way by getting the reader to not forget about the "Melting Pot" idea of the country, but instead, find a better understanding of the thoughts and struggles immigrants possess when coming into the country, and what they need to change in their lives in order to live comfortably in America. For instance, Ashima is portrayed to have a very rough time adjusting to and adopting American culture. She struggles but tries to find ways to incorporate her own culture. Also, Gogol begins to abandon his own culture in order to adopt his girlfriend's culture, which poses as a bad sign for Ashima, due to her efforts to conserve the culture of their family.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are a real presence in the book because the characters have to learn to adapt to the American culture while at the same time need to hold on to their Indian heritage. This becomes very hard, especially for Ashima and Gogol. Ashima is very passionate of her Indian heritage, but needs to adapt to the American culture even if some of the customs do not agree with what the Indian cultures say. Ashima also becomes devastated when she realizes she is far away from home and cannot be with her friends and family as frequent as she used to. Gogol, on the other hand is sort of the opposite. He becomes so entangled with the American culture that when he is urged by his parents to take up the Indian culture even though he is so used to the American one, he becomes frustrated with what he has to choose. When he is in relationships, for example, he knows that he will not receive the approval if he goes out with an American causing him to reluctantly go out with Moushumi. Both America and India become real presences in what they have to offer in these two characters’ lives. The Namesake gives readers a new perspective of America by seeing what America can do to a family. Although it is portrayed as the land of opportunity, American can cause more harm than help in many cases. As with the case of the Gangulis, Gogol made decisions that devastated Ashima and Ashoke because of the pressure of the American culture. Also the fact that the American culture disregarded many of the Indian culture made it very hard for the Gangulis showing a new perspective on America. Some of the decisions were to allow other outside forces to affect family. Such forces became work, school and relationships. In the case for Ashoke, work became a major part of his life sometimes making him forget about his family at times. School and relationships affected Gogol and he struggled to please both school and relationships and at the same time to please his family.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are a real presence in the book because the main characters, specifically Ashima and Gogol, find themselves in a situation in which they need to try and balance their life around both Indian culture and American culture. Ashima has a very rough time adjusting to her new life in America. Throughout the book, she tries to continue incorporating her Indian believes and customs such as cooking Bengali food, attending Bengali parties, even wearing her saris, into not only herself but her family as well. However, she struggles to do this and eventually begins to feel alone. Unfortunately, it isn’t until after her husband, Ashoke, dies that she begins to adapt to life in America. She begins her first job at a library in which she makes her first American friends, and even accepts her children’s choice in who they choose to marry and love. Gogol has a very easy time adjusting to his life in America but struggles to incorporate his Indian culture as well. He abandons the Bengali customs of food, marriage, clothing and even his birth name which he is embarrassed by. The Namesake allows readers to think of America in a new way because it shows how different America is from other countries, specifically India. Also the namesake shows how hard it is for immigrants to adjust to the American culture from their own. India and America are different due to the process of naming a child, mourning a lost of a loved one and even celebrating marriage. Lahiri uses the portrayal of America to show the struggle between old and new generations, the struggle of trying to live the perfect American Dream, and even the struggle of living in a new society in which you are judged based off the way you look or act all by writing her novel so that the reader can acknowledge this struggle through the Gangulis family.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are a real presence in the book because the main characters, specifically Ashima and Gogol, find themselves in a situation in which they need to try and balance their life around both Indian culture and American culture. Ashima has a very rough time adjusting to her new life in America. Throughout the book, she tries to continue incorporating her Indian believes and customs such as cooking Bengali food, attending Bengali parties, even wearing her saris, into not only herself but her family as well. However, she struggles to do this and eventually begins to feel alone. Unfortunately, it isn’t until after her husband, Ashoke, dies that she begins to adapt to life in America. She begins her first job at a library in which she makes her first American friends, and even accepts her children’s choice in who they choose to marry and love. Gogol has a very easy time adjusting to his life in America but struggles to incorporate his Indian culture as well. He abandons the Bengali customs of food, marriage, clothing and even his birth name which he is embarrassed by. The Namesake allows readers to think of America in a new way because it shows how different America is from other countries, specifically India. Also the namesake shows how hard it is for immigrants to adjust to the American culture from their own. India and America are different due to the process of naming a child, mourning a lost of a loved one and even celebrating marriage. Lahiri uses the portrayal of America to show the struggle between old and new generations, the struggle of trying to live the perfect American Dream, and even the struggle of living in a new society in which you are judged based off the way you look or act all by writing her novel so that the reader can acknowledge this struggle through the Gangulis family.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are real presences in the book because they affect the characters. The Ganguli family are all both physically and mentally torn apart over where they belong and that causes them to struggle with their daily lives. They cannot simply just pick one they like more because both cultures play a huge role in how they live their lives. Gogol feels like India is holding him back because he wants to continue to live his life the American way he’s always lived, instead of the Indian way his parents are brought up. Gogol is raised by being surrounded by America and feels confused why he has to bring Indian traditions in his life when his American friends do not do any of that. This tears apart Gogol’s identity because his family expects him to be like them but Gogol grows up in a completely different way because of America. The only exception is Sonia, who is also in the same position as Gogol and they feel the same way together being torn apart. Gogol is used to the freedom America gives him, not the control that India has over his parents, like the arranged marriage. Ashima, on the other hand, feels like America is foreign, an unknown territory where she has to raise her children. She tries to find a medium ground but she loves her Indian ways and is confused of Gogol’s Americanized ways. The Namesake shows America as complex and diverse where although many immigrants live here, they feel like they do not truly fit in. Lahiri’s portrayal of America allows readers see how difficult life in America can be for immigrants because it is such a different lifestyle, as opposed to residents who have always lived in America without having experienced culture shock. The Gangulis are tied down to both cultures and are in between, but they feel as if they do fully belong to one culture and cannot leave one. America and India both make them up, not just one.
ReplyDeleteMoving from one country to another for any person is difficult, no matter what country they are coming from, or where they plan to go. In this novel, the two countries that have a real presence are America and India. The main characters, Ashima and Ashoke are both Indian immigrants who come to live in America with high hopes and aspirations. However, letting go of their Indian heritage entirely is not as easy for the pair. Moreover, both characters struggle when it comes time to adapt to the unfamiliar ways of American life. While Ashima and Ashoke both consider themselves “Indian-American,” the couple holds contrasting opinions involving the changes that need, or may not need, to be made in their lives. Overall, Ashima is unable to adapt to her new living circumstances, while her children and husband, Ashoke, are handling the move from India to America well, and more positively. For example, children in America are able to tell their teachers what they would like to be called in school. However, Ashima simply believes that American names aren’t “good enough,” or at least up to her standards, and is quite unhappy when Gogol decides to change his original “good name” (as Ashima would say) to Nikhil, as Gianna also states in her previous blog. Unlike the rest of her family, Ashima also attempts to keep and maintain her Indian heritage and traditions as a part of her everyday life, yet at the same time, her family is growing more distant. It isn’t until Ashima is on her own, after her husband dies, and her children leave the house, that Ashima is able to adapt to America the way she has wanted to from the beginning.One of Ashima’s first choices is volunteering at the library, where she meets other woman who she can talk to for advice/help. Another choice that Ashima makes is living in both countries for a certain period of time, to pursue her goal of maintaining both an American and Indian lifestyle. By reading the namesake, I was able to gain a greater understanding of what life is like for immigrants everywhere. The Namesake appropriately demonstrates the many struggles and obstacles people face when immigrating. Because I was born here, and live as an American citizen, this novel has opened my eyes and has caused me to look at my home country a bit differently. Although our everyday routines may seem normal to us, similar to what Abby stated, but the foods we eat, languages we speak, religions we have, clothes we wear and holidays we celebrate are so different from those that exist in another country. Furthermore, Thanksgiving in Christmas, two major American holidays were days that Ashima and Ashoke hadn’t even heard of before they moved to America. Before they knew it, however, their family had adapted these holidays as they began their lifestyle here in America. Therefore, nobody can predict exactly how their life is going to turn out, even if they try their best to.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are real presences within the novel due to the fact that they greatly impact Gogol and demonstrate how he his constantly suffering from his internal struggle. He and his family had left their homeland (India), and chose to adapt to somewhere that greatly contrasted with it (America). Unlike his parents, Gogol wishes to veer off from his heritage and simply wants to fit in among his peers. For example, as mentioned in a few of these posts, Gogol changes his original name to Nikhil. However, his mother, Ashima, does not approve of this. She wonders why and is upset by the fact that her son would want to mask his heritage. As for Ashima, she wishes to balance both her Indian heritage and adapt to American culture, rather than being embarrassed of her cultural roots. As an American citizen who has never endured a similar struggle to these characters, The Namesake opened my eyes. After reading this book, it truly provided me with a better and firsthand understanding of how difficult it is for immigrants to adapt to a completely new culture. This connects with Lahiri’s portrayal of America considering the fact that his writing provides readers with an outlook that demonstrates how difficult it is to adjust to and balance two very different cultures.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are a real presence in this book throughout Gogol’s journeys back and forth, as well as through the family differences each character seeks to settle. This presence shows and helps demonstrate how Gogol is suffering constantly on the inside. Leaving your home and coming to a whole new country to settle into a whole new life is always hard. American and India are shown through his and his family’s struggles to adapt, as well as through their journeys transfering from heritage to heritage and culture to culture. The Namesake also allows readers, including myself, to think of America in many new ways. From the point of view in which the story is told in, it gives us an inside look on what lives are in India, and how America is so different. How life is different between two individuals, such as Gogol’s parents, too. We as Americans do not see arranged marriges so often, but for India, it is probably normal. We see America in a new way because we also see the differences between the two countries, and the cultures that are adapted and shown too. For Indian immigrants such as Ashima and Ashoke, many aspects of American culture are foreign to them, and they also feel like strangers in American society. They struggle to maintain certain Indian traditions, while adapting to American customs, such as Christmas, for the sake of their children. Indian-American characters such as Gogol and Moushumi often feel foreign in both India and America, as though they're lost in between the world of their parents and the world in which they were born. They often feel like tourists, only, unlike most tourists, they have no chance of a homecoming. Gogol is never quite at home, whether is be at Maxine's, at his house on Pemberton Road, and not in Calcutta, either. He's not the only one who's having trouble finding a place to put his feet up either. The Namesake characters all seek to create homes for themselves, and the houses they live in reflect their personalities. The rich Ratliffs live in a lavish mansion, while Gogol's bachelor pad is spare and, frankly, depressing. The Gangulis' first apartment is small and cramped, but filled with love. If a home reflects identity, it's no wonder Gogol has trouble finding and creating one that lasts. In addition, it’s more fitting that he chooses to be an architect, for if he can't find a home, he can build one. Another struggle within this novel could include Gogol’s identity crisis. Growing up, Gogol gradually realizes that his name is quite unusual, and he really doesn't like that. He doesn't like that at all. Annoyed by the customs of his parents, Gogol totally embraces American popular culture. The summer before he leaves to attend college he officially changes his name to Nikhil.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India is a real presence in the book. It is through both of these that Gogol is transformed into the person we see at the end of the book. India gives him his name Gogol but it is Nikhil that he gets a job and starts his life with finding who he is. The Namesake allows the reader to think of America in a new way. I used to think everyone would be accepting and never realized how people were treated differently. I didn't realize how people treated others so harshly and how much immigrants had to go through. The specific struggles the characters go through are dealing with racism and also the difficulty of adapting to the new country. They have to accept new ideas such as holidays, ideas on the naming system and also who the people marry. Lahiri uses the portrayal of America and the struggles to lend greater meaning of the novel as a whole. The idea is how difficult it is to embrace a whole new country to learn a new language, and culture. Lahiri portrays the lifestyle of a newcomer to America to deepen the idea of treating people nicer and being accepting of people who are different than you.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India is a real presence in the book. It is through both of these that Gogol is transformed into the person we see at the end of the book. India gives him his name Gogol but it is Nikhil that he gets a job and starts his life with finding who he is. The Namesake allows the reader to think of America in a new way. I used to think everyone would be accepting and never realized how people were treated differently. I didn't realize how people treated others so harshly and how much immigrants had to go through. The specific struggles the characters go through are dealing with racism and also the difficulty of adapting to the new country. They have to accept new ideas such as holidays, ideas on the naming system and also who the people marry. Lahiri uses the portrayal of America and the struggles to lend greater meaning of the novel as a whole. The idea is how difficult it is to embrace a whole new country to learn a new language, and culture. Lahiri portrays the lifestyle of a newcomer to America to deepen the idea of treating people nicer and being accepting of people who are different than you.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are portrayed as characters in The Namesake; there is a constant battle between the different traditions and cultural aspects between the two. Gogol, for example, wanted to assimilate to America to the point where changing his name became an option. However, he kept his changed name Indian, which indicates that he wants to keep some things in his life Indian. The Namesake offers a different point of view of America to those who don't have a recent history of emigrating from a different country to the U.S. However, for those with similar backgrounds to the Ganguli family, it offers a sense of comfort, reassurance, and more that they are not the only ones who have this going on in their lives. Ashima struggles to have a career and a better life in America while her husband does. Gogol struggles to embrace his Indian customs when he's so in love with the American ones as well as wanting to fit in. The Ganguli familiy's goal is to try to balance the American and Indian customs and traditions and make their lives easier with it. Lahiri tries to use the portrayal of America and the struggles to show readers the beautiful struggle of trying to fit in to America and adopt its customs while keeping traditions and customs of one's own country. To the public eye, it's interesting and cool to have two cultures combined, but to the eye of the people experiencing it, it's a struggle to try to open the mind to new things, like Ashoke and Ashima having to get used to Gogol's unBengali new name, Nikhil.
ReplyDeleteBoth America and India have such a strong presence in the book. America is where a majority of the story takes place but we are constantly being drawn back to India. Gogol is Indian-American and growing up his parents wanted him to know both cultures. Eventually, the family starts to celebrate Christmas, and get more accustomed to America. We see how the girls that Gogol dates are not approved by Ashima because they are not Indian. That’s why Ashima pushes Gogol to date Moushumi for example. It’s funny, because America is supposed to be a place where cultures are accepted yet in this novel, we see how people of other cultures feel divided. For example, when Pamela makes annoying comments about Gogol’s Indian descent at the party Maxine’s parents throw. Another example is when Ashoke dies, Gogol should shave his head in respect but doesn’t, probably because it’ll look bad, which is total disrespect to his culture if you ask me. Eventually, Gogol becomes more accepting of his culture, he spends more time with his mom instead of with women. Ashima also decides to spend half of the rest of her life in India and the other half in America, which shows a balance of both cultures.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are real presence in the book because they”re differences are constantly brought up. The difference in life, culture and tradition becomes a constant struggle for the character in the book because it hard for them, specially Ashima, to adopt the American culture when they are not American. It was the hardest for Ashima because she wanted to keep all her indian traditions and raise her children in the indian culture. From Gogol’s point of view He has to somehow stick to his Indian culture while living in America where the culture is completely different. There is traditions in India like the shaving of the head when someone dies but he also wants to fit and live within the norm of where he lives. Experiencing the American traditions and cultures allow him to feel a connection to the people around him and feel like he belongs there instead of feeling like an outsider. Maintaining some connection with his Indian cultures also helps him understand more about his family and discover himself so he can become the person he is at the end of the book.
ReplyDeleteThe namesake give reader who might not have the experience of immigrant parent a point of view from people who struggle with leaving their country and coming to America. It allows the reader to see how some immigrants adapt to the change and how incorporating two different culture can create something interesting and how it helps people find their identity.
America and India exist as real presences in the story as they hold extreme weight over the characters in the story. To Ashoke and Ahimsa, India is their home, the only country where they can feel like they are themselves, despite living the majority of their adult lives in America. India is the place where their family has resided for generations upon generations, where their family will continue to live, and where they grew up and became accustomed to their cultures. However, in America, Ahimsa and Ashoke are outsiders, never truly belonging no matter how much time they spent in the country. The informality and abnormal cultrural norms are a shock to the couple, as they can never get used to the hodgepodge of cultures and lack of rigid social structure that exists in their homeland. Although Ashoke is able to live in America comfortably and come to terms with the strange land that he has chosen to move to, his wife ahimsa has troubles adapting to living on her own in a new country, setting precedents for her children to follow. In spite of this, their children, Sonia and Gogol find themselves out of place in India as much as their parents do when in America. India, to the children is a place that holds meaning to their parents, meaning that they don't understand and will not understand. India to them is a place of mystery and awkward exchanges with family members they don't know. However, America is home to them, as they grew up there, live there, and continued to live there throughout their adulthood and other parts of their lives. Although they never do truly fit into the land of opportunity, they have a sense of pride in being from here, a sense of belonging. Lahiri allows the reader to sympathize with the characters in the story, as her depictions of America show it in a newer, unfamiliar, more mysterious light. Although the novel is in third person, the authors portrayal of America shows it in a much more unforgiving and intimidating sense, explaining it as the reader itself may be a foreigner much like Ahimsa, struggling to cope with the major change of scenery and trying to find themself in a new and challenging environment.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and India are presences in the book because the two cultures are often compared to each other. This piece of literature is about a Bengali couple from India that starts a family in America, so it shows how the two cultures clash. Since the two cultures clash, Gogol has a hard time finding who he really is because he is not sure whether he would be better off sticking to the Bengali culture or the American culture. The Namesake allows readers to think of America in a different way because this piece of literature tells how the characters live in America as immigrants with a completely different culture. This shows readers some of the different challenges foreigners face when they come to a new land like America and how rough it can be to adapt. Some struggles Gogol face is that in Bengali tradition, Bengali people should only marry other Bengali people and how they show affection is very different from how Americans show affection. Since Gogol was raised in America he wants to do some things like the Americans, but has to follow certain Bengali rules. The culture differences make Gogol go on a journey to find out how he would have to adapt to the two cultures.
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