States with emphasis on Gogol Ganguli. Friedman distinguishes “the Namesake” from most other novels of its kind. As opposed to stories about immigrants coming to the United States in search of financial freedom‚ Lahiri flips the switch and conveys a completely different aspect of migrating. Instead Lahiri tries to illustrate a struggle separate from seeking wealth‚ which is the struggle to discover one’s true identity. Difficulties arise in terms of the main character named Gogol because he has split
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Massachusetts. Ashoke and Ashimi Ganguli have two children‚ Gogol and Sonia. The caste system in India impacts the lives of Ashoke and Ashimi‚ whose marriage is arranged‚ but in suburban Massachusetts such distinctions are undermined through the common ties of class and ethnicity. Nonetheless‚ for Gogol Ganguli‚ born in Massachusetts‚ reconciling his ethnic background with American culture presents a crisis of identity. Named after a Russian author‚ Gogol will become "Nikhil" in an attempt to forge an identity
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same country‚ they have not faced the same struggles‚ or even began to realize how hard and much different America is than most other nations. Their children have access to many things at their age then the parents did. For example‚ in America‚ if Gogol wants to date‚ then he can date. Back home in India‚ dating is unacceptable and it is not as easy to maintain a girlfriend in India then it is here‚ in America. In this analysis of culture and identity‚ The Namesake will be depicted as an intellectual
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of the Ganguli family. The novel ultimately shows us that one can simultaneously belong to two cultures‚ in this case Indian and American culture. Many scholars are hung up on the fact that protagonist Gogol must belong to one culture or the other. Heinze’s “Diasporic Overcoat?” suggests that Gogol puts on an “overcoat” through the switching of his name to represent the switching of his identity across various relationships and social situations. In doing so‚ he says “by implication one is never totally
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Jhumpa Lahiris “The Namesake” explores the link to belonging in detail. The emphasis is on Gogol Ganguli. Gogol struggles with a sense of belonging to his family and his Bengali culture and heritage throughout his life in the course of the novel. Born and raised in the U.S.‚ while his parents spent their entire life in India following Bengali culture and practices and moved on to America as young adults. Gogol must try to find a sense of belonging as he deals with trying to belong in American society
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"Namesake" is curious because as Gogol grows up and mature he was able to understand the teaching of his parents about life. In this novel‚ the relationship between parents and children is the main idea that determines the destiny of different stories. The Ashoke and Ashima relationship with their parents was attached to Indian culture. Parents are who decide the by choosing who they marry this was a decision it determined their fate and character as parents. When Gogol is a small child the relationship
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for their daughter and by marrying him she will have access to whole new world. Ashoke’s family is an upper middle class family. We can assume this by their wealth of knowledge as well as that their son is training in New York City for his PhD. Gogol
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characters to develop and change throughout the entire novel. There are many different characteristics in order to make up a bildungsroman novel. However‚ in The Namesake‚ the character that developed and changed throughout their life into adulthood was Gogol. Gogol’s coming of age was made evident by the bildungsroman’s genre conventions of social isolation and a conflict of generations. In Buckley’s novel Season of Youth‚ he talks about the characteristics and qualities that make up a bildungsroman novel
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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 corresponding
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both diction and the theme of isolation to show how Ashima and Ashoke constantly oppose Gogol and his beliefs because of the different cultures in which they grew up. After moving to the United States‚ Ashima and Ashoke possess an extreme sense of seclusion because they must raise a son in a foreign country that they are not familiar with. While Ashima lies in the hospital bed waiting to give birth to Gogol‚ she immediately feels isolated. Without Ashoke by her side she is “now alone‚ cut off by
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