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.  

Homesick

So far I have really liked the Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. While I have only read the first two chapters of the novel I find the storyline really interesting and I am excited to see Ashima go back home to her family.

At least until now all Ashima has talked about is her family. Even when she is in labor and after giving birth she is continuously thinking about how here family should be there with her. This is clearly shown when it says, “these acquaintances are only substitutes for the people for the people who really ought to be surrounding them” (Lahiri 24). She just wants her mother to be with her though this tough time and I completely understand that. I don’t even think she had the chance to say a proper goodbye before she was whisked away by here new husband to a land completely foreign to her.

I think what bothers her more than her own sorrow and pain is that her new born son, Gogol, will have to grow up in this land without any aunts or uncles or even more important to Ashima, grandparents. She explicitly states this when she says, “She has never known of a person entering the world so alone, so deprived” (Lahiri 25). She just wants her child to be raised in the same way she was, around people that will love him no matter what.

Ashima is lonely in Cambridge and I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t tell her husband. At first I understood when she said she didn’t want to embarrass him but now that they have a child together things needed to change. That is why I was really happy to see her build up the courage to tell him that she is not happy there. I feel like they are just starting to communicate with each other and understand each other like a married couple should.

I can’t wait to see what happens as they go back to Calcutta to see Ashima’s family. I want to see how Ashoka helps Ashima get though this tough time and more importantly see if Ashima is even willing to come back to Cambridge.