Discussion question #4

Do you think Gogol would have been more confident in himself and his identity if he was born with the name Nikhil? Why or why not

Discussion question #3

If you were to live in a country that was foreign to you, would you assimilate to that culture, hold onto your old culture as much as possible, or be open to open to accepting both cultures into your life?

Discussion question #2

What does identity mean to you?

Discussion question #1

What would you do if you were born with a name that embarrassed you? Would you change your name at 18, learn to live with it, or give yourself a nickname that made you feel more comfortable?

Quote to think about/ Discussion question #5

"There's no such thing as a perfect name. I think that human beings should be allowed to name themselves when they turn eighteen," he adds. "Until then, pronouns." 

Trailer of the movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sOaA-4Y8tI

Analysis

The literary aspect that I found compelling was the themes of the novel. The overpowering themes of the novel are culture and identity. The topic of culture is prevalent throughout the story because Gogol is faced with the struggle to try and maintain his Indian culture in America, as well as trying to fit in with his life in America. Gogol is also very embarrassed about his heritage in America, and he does not acknowledge his Indian roots in his life. In contrast, his mother Ashima, has a difficult time adjusting to her new life in America because it was such a culture shock for her from her life in Calcutta. She struggles to fit into her American life, so she often spends time rereading her parents letters to her, instead of trying to meet new people in Cambridge. The grief of missing her family back home, and the new life she has embarked on, has made her very depressed. She holds on to her Indian culture as much as possible throughout the story.  When Gogol grows up, he finds that when being in a relationship with someone, what he expects to find is much different than his experience. When he is dating Maxine, he notices her life is much different than his. He finds that her family life is different than his because of their city lifestyle. Her life is much more lavish than his, and her "American" house is nothing like his. He wishes his family was like Maxine's, but that is not the case. He also finds that in contrast to him, she is very comfortable in her own skin, and that is something he is envious of because she embraces her culture. She does not worry about the things she does because of her cultural background, and he admires her for loving herself. Throughout the novel, Gogol struggles to accept his culture, and to be proud of it.  The thought of culture is always in the back of his mind, and it shapes his actions throughout the novel.

The theme of identity is the most important in the story. A character struggling with his identity thinks about being two different people at once, and being culturally confused. Gogol is very embarrassed by his name, and he doesn't understand why his parents chose to give him that name. He is very self conscious about it, and he even goes through great lengths to change his legal name to Nikhil. He aims to make his own identity by changing his name, Throughout the novel, he is never entirely sure of who he is because he is not comfortable in his own skin. He is also unsure of his identity because he is stuck in the middle of two cultures, and he does not know how to mix the two. Gogol is torn between the two because he feels he needs to keep his family's heritage, but he also hopes to live a modern American lifestyle.

A symbol that is very important to the Ganguli family and the story is the train. The train represents many things for the family. For Ashoke (the father) it represents fear and death because of a train accident he was in before he came to America. For Gogol it represents learning about the truth behind his nickname, and he and his father share a strong bonding moment. The train also represents Gogol's love life as he met one of his girlfriend's on the train, and he also learns about his wife's affair while on the train. Gogol also shares the thought of he and his father going on vacation to Cape Cod on a trip back to New York. The train represents important moments for Gogol and his father, and scenes of the train appear during different parts of the story. 

What is Identity?

Family Photo

Summary

The story is about a family from Calcutta, and the new life they are trying to create in America. The Ganguli family maintains a balance between practicing their Indian traditions, as well as learning new American traditions and hoping to fit in. The parents of the Ganguli family, Ashoke and Ashima, are very proud of their Indian culture, and proud of the sacrifices they have made for their two children, Gogol and Sonia, to make a new life in America. However, their son Gogol struggles with his identity, and discovering who he is as an Indian living in America. The name he was given at birth was his nickname Gogol, as Ashoke and Ashima were waiting for his official name to come in the mail from Ashima's grandmother in Calcutta. However, Ashima's grandmother dies of a stroke, and her letter with Gogol's official name is lost in the mail. His parents then settle on an official name, Nickhil for him. At first, he only wants to be called Gogol, not Nickhil, but as he grows older, he decides to change his legal name to Nikhil to make a new identity for himself in college. The struggle with his identity shapes him as a person, and over time, he learns to accept his life, and to be proud of it.

Title and Author

The story The Namesake is written by Jhumpa Lahiri.