The Namesake

The novel “The Namesake” is written by Indo - American writer Jumpa Lahiri. She spent her childhood in India and at young age she migrates to America. What she feels is presented in this novel. Two generation makes vast difference. One prefer to old culture where as another accepting newer one.

Ashok Ashima belongs to middle class Indian family. They got married. Ashok is working at America so Ashima has to go with him. Ashima feels alienation and ever remembering home and wants to come back to India. Within few years she gave birth to a daughter and later on a boy. There is ritual in their family as elder have to give name of child. On the day of leave from hospital they didn’t get any letter from Ashok’s grandmother so Ashok kept his child name “Gogol”.

There is a reason behind this name. Once Ashok was travelling by train and met with an accident. Mostly people were died when rescue people came at that time pages of a book was turning and so rescue found Ashok is live and therefore his life was saved. The book was written by Nikolai Gogol so it becomes a very important incident in his life.

Whole family came to visit India. Gogol and his sister are not happy with Indian street. They went on tour at Delhi and Agra. They impressed by Tajmahel and then attract towards India.

Ashok and Ashima uses Bangali during dinner or whenever they are at home but these both child heating Bengali culture because they are happy with American culture. Ashima always missing India (homesickness) because of Ashok’s work and their children’s study they can’t came to India. Within this period Ashima’s parent die and even they don’t get the message earlier and when they get it was too late.

Gogol became young. He has affair with many girls. His friends make fun of his name so he dislikes his name. He wants to change his name so he struggle a lot and changed as Nikhil. On his fourteen birthdays Ashok gave book as a present. He didn’t give proper attention. Meanwhile his father dies in hospital and every ritual complete in America. Ashima starts living in India and per moth she taking care of her children at America. Gogol realise the value of his name for his father from his present given by father. He cried a lot. Now both children choose their life partner and start living.

This navel based on one family. All characters have their individual problem. Two generation suffering for their perspective about their life but they fit in such kind of a box from where they can’t move an inch. If they move than it is a problem for another.