Integrating Into American Culture

In The Namesake, a lot of the characters struggle with who they really are because they feel the weight of different cultures, different traditions, and different dreams. For example, Gogol is split between the Indian traditions of his parents and the American culture that he grows up in. Gogol shares the same struggles as his sister, and wife.
Each character in the story faces a choice: whether or not to integrate into American culture. They all struggle with this decision through the relationships that they have with their names, families, and choices relating to their future.
The idea of immigrants coming to America in search of a better life is very common today. I mention this because in The Namesake, one of the topics is class. The main