The Namesake was my favorite text that we have read this semester. I enjoyed the crossover between Indian and American culture. Gogol was a conflicted character who is trying to discover himself throughout the novel. He goes through a series of failed romances that help to shape his identity. Gogol begins as a child who clings to his name, Gogol, but eventually grows into a young man, embarrassed of it and confused by its meaning. It is not until Gogol hears the full story from his father about where his name cam from that he truly feels like it is significant.
The part of the novel that surprised me most was when Moushumi cheated on him. I though that he had finally settled down with the right woman. However, as I read, I realized that their marriage was simply a relationship of convenience. They were both trying to discover themselves in America and mistook their similar backgrounds as a basis of love. Also, Moushumi's insensitivity toward Gogol's embarrassment of his real name shows a side of her that Gogol cannot see past. That is the deepest secret of himself, and she tells her friend as if it meant nothing.
In class, we also discussed the progression of Ashima in the text. There is no doubt that she was the character who progressed the most. She was taken from her home in India and moved to America to marry a man she didn't know. She raised her children without any assistance or support from her family in India. She had no friends when she first arrived, and no understanding of American customs. Ashima is forced to adjust to a completely new and foreign lifestyle.
I agree, this was by far my favorite reading we have done all semester. I think that it demonstrates the experiences of most people that move to America from another country. I found it really sad that Gogol's wife cheated on him after he thinks he has finally found someone he thought he could happily spend the rest of his life with. Ashima was so strong after Ashoke's death and learned to live independently for the first time. She grew a lot from her experience in America. She had to leave behing family, cultural norms, and adapt to a culture she had not yet accepted into her life until she was forced to because she was left without Ashoke to push and guide her to learn new things.
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