“Integrity: A name is the blueprint of the thing we call character. You ask, What’s in a name? I answer, Just about everything you do.” ~ Morris Mandel
Book Name – “The Namesake”
Author – Jhumpa Lahiri
Genre – Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Bildungsroman
“The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri is contemporary domestic fiction. In 2006 Mira Nair adapted the book into a movie of the same name.
Gogol Ganguly, an American, born to immigrant Indian parents, is embarrassed with his name, which is taken from the weird genius Nickolai Gogol. Consequences of changing his name and later knowing the reason behind his naming led him to the realization of his existence.
“But after eighteen years of Gogol, two months of Nikhil feel scant, inconsequential. At times he feels as if he’s cast himself in a play, acting the part of twins indistinguishable to the naked eye yet fundamentally different.”
NAME IS NOT JUST A LABEL, BUT A WHOLE IDENTITY
Gogol was not just a name, but a whole identity that he possesses. By changing to Nikhil, Gogol erased himself.
WE CREATE OUR SORROWS
The only person who didn’t take Gogol seriously, the person who was embarrassed about his name, the only person who wanted to change it was Gogol himself.
“…these events have formed Gogol, shaped him, determined who he is.”
WHICH DOESN’T BREAK YOU MAKE YOU STRONG
From immense dislike for his name, culture, Bengali rituals, trips to Calcutta, detachment from parents to sudden death, first love, a failed marriage matured an adolescent to an adult, fitting the novel in the bildungsroman genre. Before stepping into his parent’s boots, the teenager doesn’t realize the intensity of a relationship, the sacrifice his parents made, the misfortune of drifting apart from their motherland.
“…trying to accept, interpret, comprehend.”
ACCEPT THE BEAUTIFUL MESS THAT YOU’RE
Transformation of a teenage boy who hates his name into a grown-up who started accepting himself and his roots are a lesson worth learned.
Portraying the variations between the East and West culture, the struggle of a Bengali immigrant family, the exertion of two generations, and the indifference of first American generation towards their culture make this novel unrivaled. Being a Bengali and going through the fascinating description of Kolkata thrills me. Witnessing a world that I’ve not seen from the eyes of a Bengali family and vice-versa charms me. Along with Gogol, the development of other characters is also remarkable. Simple language and exhilarating development of plot make the novel a must-read.