Jhumpa Lahiri's novel "The Namesake" (2004)
The Namesake is a fictitious story rich with themes that illuminate the various encounters that refugees are often subjected to and must contend with, the clashes caused by cultural disparities, the contradictions of accommodation and assimilation with human diversities and values, and the distorted relations between generations. As a consequence, this paper delves into the novel by reflecting on debates about symbolism, the importance of a name and branding, the implications of cultural identity, gender roles, the essence of relationships, and so on, and the significance of reading purposes for gaining an in-depth understanding as well as conceptualization of the messages that the author intends to deliver to the target audience.
The Symbolic Importance of Ashoke's Train Wreck and Recovery
Ashoke's train wreck as can be identified from the novel was the first major accident incident depicted in the novel. The symbolic importance of the train is that it marked the point transformation in Ashoke's life. For example, the train wreck was coincidental to the day that Ashoke encountered Ghosh who informed him of the beauty of the world hence planted in his mind the ideas and rationale for exploration of the world. "Do yourself a favor. Before it's too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it. One day it will be too late" (Lahiri, 2004).
Similarly, it was during the tragic train accident that he realized that life is unpredictable and can end at any time. In this view, he took the chance of his spared life to explore the world where he landed in America in search for a better life. Nonetheless, the train incident though signified a point at which he could have lost his life; it symbolized the point at which he found it necessary to his recovery process to have ambitions for his life a fact that steered the rest of his life including being the force behind the choice of his son's name.
The Importance of Naming
The process of identifying a name for an individual is significant because it is tied to cultural as well as individual beliefs. In regards to individual beliefs, a name can be based on experience or relations. For example, Ashoke names his son Gogol to remind him of a novelist whose writings he found very influential in his life. Other than the novelist being his favorite, he values his name believing that it was a page plucked off the book which made the authorities to find and rescue him when he got involved in the train accident.
Culturally, naming is significant since it ties and identifies and individual with his or her cultural values, practices and norms. It is for this reason that Ganguli's family had to wait for their son's official name to be sent from Calcutta. The sudden death of Ashima's mother who had the responsibility of mailing the official name, unfortunately, passed on and Gogol had to stick with the same pet name. However, Gogol has no idea regarding his father's preference to that name and prefers to change his name to Nikhil which he finally regrets upon being informed. "You remind me of everything that followed" (Lahiri, 2004).
The Theme of Competing Cultural Identity
Cultural identity creates a great rift in the lives of various characters as exemplified in the novel. For instance, Ashima is identified with being culturally conservative. She believed and found it hard to sit next to American's whom she had sit next to when they had to leave for India on learning that her father had passed on. She was noted saying "I don't want to go... I don't want to see them. I can't." while replying her husband Ashoke who had asked her to take a seat (Lahiri, 2004). Moreover, she finds her food and cooking styles very much different from that of Americans. This gave her hard time when she did prepare crusts with milk which most of Gogol's friend did not eat during the party. Nevertheless, Maxine is forced to leave Gogol's father burial ceremony because she was feeling out of place and that all the traditions that were being done were senseless to her. For instance, she did ask Gogol if in case he wanted to go with her. Unfortunately, Gogol declined for he was feeling so close to his family members like he never had.
Gender Roles
The gender roles with a focus on Ashima Ganguli reveal from the onset of the novel that women had to be submissive. For instance, Ashima had no choice but to accept her parents' wishes to marry her to Ashoke. As young as she was then, she responded by agreeing to marry him and accepts to leave her own place and go with him. The novel furthermore informs the audience that women's major role was to take care of the home in aspects of having to cook and take care of the home while the husbands took to fend for the family. This is exemplified when Ashima has to be at home raising their children Gogol and Sonia while her husband left for Cleveland to work. A notable quote from Ashima to reaffirm and second the aforementioned claims was "Though no longer pregnant, she continues, at times, to mix Rice Krispies and peanuts and onions in a bowl. For being a foreigner Ashima is beginning to realize, is a sort of lifelong pregnancy -- a perpetual wait, a constant burden, a continuous feeling out of sorts. It is an ongoing responsibility, a parenthesis in what had once been an ordinary life, only to discover that previous life has vanished, replaced by something more complicated and demanding. Like pregnancy, being a foreigner, Ashima believes, is something that elicits the same curiosity of from strangers, the same combination of pity and respect" (Lahiri, 2004).
The Importance of Reading or Literature
In the novel, various characters took reading for purposes of entertainment, exploration, information seeking and educational. For instance, Ashoke is exemplified to be fond of reading novel affiliated to Nikolai Gogol where he draws life lessons that encourage him to soldier on in life. "My grandfather says that's what books are for," Ashoke said, using the opportunity to open the volume in his hands. "To travel without moving an inch" (Lahiri, 2004). Correspondingly, Ashima is noted to be fond of English poets while her father-in-law like his son is an avid reader. Moushumi, on the other hand, enjoys reading from which she used as a means of escape and avoidance strategy. The novel furthermore ends with Gogol reading the Nikolai Gogol's literary work that had been given to him by his father. Hence, the author's intent is to inculcate the culture of reading among her target audience since it is in books where best life lessons are stored.
The Relationship between Gogol and His Father
The relationship between Ashoke and his son Gogol is one that can result in a linear progression curve if plotted on a graph. For instance, at the base, it is strongly based on the fathers feeling such that he is reminded of the tragic accident that almost claimed his life. In respect to Gogol, the relationship is noted to be on the growth where he gradually gets fond of his father and reaches a climax long after his father's death when he finally gets to read the book which motivated the choice for his name.
Importance of Family to Gogol
Taking into account that Gogol grows outside India and spent most of his childhood life in America, a family to him symbolizes foreign cultures, beliefs, and norms. He views it as a factor that is drawing away his identity since what his parents require and expect of him are much different from what he learns in school as are taught in the contexts of the American societies. The Bengali celebrations and ceremonies are meaningless to him since they are valuing cultures he does not understand. It is further revealed that him and her sister more of valued Christmas as opposed to the family traditional rituals.
Comparison of the Film and the Novel
Comparison of the film and the novel highlights similarities including cultural differences as the major theme besides other themes like love and relationships, the importance of a family, the formation of identity, inevitable change and generational differences. However, the film uses different characters and places contrary to those in the novel.
Conclusion
Concisely, the novel is entirely expressive of the encounters and life experience of Lahiri as an immigrant caught between two cultures. Through the novel, the author succeeds in informing the audience of the life as a foreigner having to accommodate and get assimilated to different cultures, norms, and beliefs of other people. Above all, it depicts how change is inevitable and that generations are learning to accommodate their cultural diversities as well as compromising for purpose of living in peace and harmony.
Reference
Lahiri, J. (2004). The namesake. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
