Lahiri Mahasaya

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).…

When a name is chosen for you, the name becomes your personality, appearance and you. In the book The Namesake, Lahiri compares Gogol/Nikhil's struggle with the struggle of growing up in two different cultures. America is a free country, which allows Gogol to change his name and be anything he wants to be. On the other hand, the culture of his parents and them giving him that name, is anything but free. The name they chose was chosen by respect and honor towards their homeland. The author…