The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, follows the life of the Ganguli family and their assimilation into America and their struggles with raising their children in a new and vastly different culture. Gogol, the main character, was born in America by two Bengali parents, Ashoke and Ashima. Throughout the novel, Gogol struggles with developing his sense of self as he dealt with a clash of Bengali culture at home and American culture in public. His parents were staunch supporters of maintaining the culture and traditions of Bengali as they only formed friendships with other Bengalis. Meanwhile, Gogol was forging new relationships with his American peers at school contradicting the traditional beliefs of his parents. This discrepancy creates internal
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Throughout college and the few years after, Gogol chooses to create relationships with American women in order to escape the Bengali traditions of arranged marriages. Friedman discusses this “tour of love” with the women whom Gogol describes in “exotic” terms regardless of their background (Friedman). Friedman argues that Gogol finds all of these Caucasian women exotic and foreign to him because they come from backgrounds that he never dreamt to be possible with his parents. In talking about Maxine, Friedman believes that Gogol wants “Maxine’s mode of living” among other things in order to become a part of the upper-class American lifestyle (Friedman). Gogol falls in love with the Ratliff family’s “manner of living” and the “mess that surrounds Maxine” showing that he enjoys the relaxed and easy feel of the family (Lahiri 137). Gogol feels welcomed in this new relationship with Maxine, as there is no pressure on him to do anything serious in the relationship such as proposing to Maxine. With his parents, Gogol feels that there is an expectation to marry for practicality, following in his parents footsteps. Consequently, Gogol is extremely anxious about bringing Maxine home to his parents fearing that his parents will place that pressure on the both of them. Thus, Gogol does everything in his power to make sure that his parents will not like the girl he is dating so he can have an excuse
Throughout college and the few years after, Gogol chooses to create relationships with American women in order to escape the Bengali traditions of arranged marriages. Friedman discusses this “tour of love” with the women whom Gogol describes in “exotic” terms regardless of their background (Friedman). Friedman argues that Gogol finds all of these Caucasian women exotic and foreign to him because they come from backgrounds that he never dreamt to be possible with his parents. In talking about Maxine, Friedman believes that Gogol wants “Maxine’s mode of living” among other things in order to become a part of the upper-class American lifestyle (Friedman). Gogol falls in love with the Ratliff family’s “manner of living” and the “mess that surrounds Maxine” showing that he enjoys the relaxed and easy feel of the family (Lahiri 137). Gogol feels welcomed in this new relationship with Maxine, as there is no pressure on him to do anything serious in the relationship such as proposing to Maxine. With his parents, Gogol feels that there is an expectation to marry for practicality, following in his parents footsteps. Consequently, Gogol is extremely anxious about bringing Maxine home to his parents fearing that his parents will place that pressure on the both of them. Thus, Gogol does everything in his power to make sure that his parents will not like the girl he is dating so he can have an excuse