The United States of America is still one of the most heavily immigrated to countries in the world and obtaining the “American Dream” is a widely held ideal for many. Both Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake and the film Brooklyn, directed by John Crowley, delve into the lives of newcomers to America. The Namesake and Brooklyn both deal with issues regarding identity and how it relates to family and culture, and assimilation, or lack thereof, to a new society. While these themes are similar, how they are dealt with vary from character to character, and book to film.
Where a person grows up and who they grow up around impacts their identity greatly. Gogol and Eilis, protagonists from The Namesake and Brooklyn respectively, must both deal with the American idea of individuality while coming from families with deep cultural roots. From a young age, Gogol is impacted by Indian tradition; receiving the pet name he did because his parents did not receive a letter from his mother’s grandmother (Lahiri 27). Gogol is also a distinctly Russian name hence setting him apart from the beginning, even from his family. Eilis, a young Irish woman who lives in a rural town, becomes set apart from her family by her wish to journey to America (Crowley). She is no longer …show more content…
Ashima, Gogol’s mother, comes to America at a young age, much like Eilis. Both Ashima and Eilis experience homesickness, Ashima weeping at her home every day, Eilis being distant at work. Eilis does have times of difficulty, especially when her sister passes and she returns home to visit. Her mother gets her a job, her friends set her up with a local man and while she has so much to go back to, the comfort of the known is almost overpowering; she even wishes it had been this way before she had gone to America (Crowley). However, Eilis does realize where her life and love is and returns to
Where a person grows up and who they grow up around impacts their identity greatly. Gogol and Eilis, protagonists from The Namesake and Brooklyn respectively, must both deal with the American idea of individuality while coming from families with deep cultural roots. From a young age, Gogol is impacted by Indian tradition; receiving the pet name he did because his parents did not receive a letter from his mother’s grandmother (Lahiri 27). Gogol is also a distinctly Russian name hence setting him apart from the beginning, even from his family. Eilis, a young Irish woman who lives in a rural town, becomes set apart from her family by her wish to journey to America (Crowley). She is no longer …show more content…
Ashima, Gogol’s mother, comes to America at a young age, much like Eilis. Both Ashima and Eilis experience homesickness, Ashima weeping at her home every day, Eilis being distant at work. Eilis does have times of difficulty, especially when her sister passes and she returns home to visit. Her mother gets her a job, her friends set her up with a local man and while she has so much to go back to, the comfort of the known is almost overpowering; she even wishes it had been this way before she had gone to America (Crowley). However, Eilis does realize where her life and love is and returns to