A New Name a New Life

Ever since Gogol changed his name to Nikhil he has become a completely different person. In these last few chapters I have seen Gogol completely change. I feel like he only wants to embrace parts of the American culture and experience things that he knows his parents never will and may not particularly be found of.

First of all, Gogol has now had two serious relationships with American women. These are not the typical Indian women his parents had expected for him but instead seem to be true Americans and are open to the idea of their daughters dating an India. The fact that Gogol is Indian does not bother them at all and I think it shouldn’t. Both Rose and Maxine’s families have accepted him into their families almost immediately. Even in the book it says, “from the very beginning he feels effortlessly incorporated into their lives”(Lahiri136). Their families are so welcoming to Gogol and so different than the family he has had that he is drawn even deeper into the American culture. This is clearly shown when he has dinner with Maxine’s family for the first time. He is so shocked at how different the dinner is, even saying his “mother would never have served so few dishes to a guest” (Lahiri 133). He can’t even imagine his parents carrying a solid conversation with Maxine’s parents. I think that’s why he keeps pushing them away.

I think that he is afraid of embracing his Indian culture because to him it may mean that he has to forget his American side. I saw this when, after visiting his parents Maxine notices that his father had called him Gogol. I found it really interesting that he did not tell her about his pet name and its importance to his culture but instead simply brushed it off. For almost the entire book so far Gogol just wants to be considered another American kid but I think he has to get over his insecurities and be completely honest with his girlfriend if he wants anything to come out of it.