The Namesake Totally Explained

Everything about The Namesake totally explained

For the film adaptation of the novel, see The Namesake (film) The Namesake (2003) is the second book by author Jhumpa Lahiri. It was originally a novella published in The New Yorker and was later expanded to a full length novel. It explores many of the same emotional and cultural themes as her Pulitzer Prize-winning short story collection Interpreter of Maladies. Moving between events in Calcutta, Boston, and New York City, the novel examines the nuances involved with being caught between two conflicting cultures with their highly distinct religious, social, and ideological differences. It is now a major motion picture.

Plot summary

The novel describes the struggles between first-generation Bengali immigrants to the United States, and their children, particularly their son, Gogol.
The story begins as Ashoke and Ashima leave Calcutta, India and settle in Central Square, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Through a series of errors, their son's nickname, Gogol, becomes his official birth name, an event which will shape many aspects of his life.

Characters

The Gangulis

Ashoke Ganguli: Gogol's father who has a near death experience while he's a young man. Prior to embarking for the United States in the 1970s, he's involved in a horrific train crash.

Ashima Ganguli: Ashoke's wife who arrives in Boston after an arranged marriage (Born Ashima Bhaduri).

Gogol/Nikhil Ganguli: The main character who struggles with his Indo-American identity and rebels against his parents only to find that his values and emotions are not much different than theirs.

Sonia/Sonali Ganguli: Gogol's younger sister. Ashoke and Ashima specifically gave her only one name which would serve as both an official and pet name, in order to avoid the confusion which arose with giving Gogol two names but pet names are hard to avoid, especially in Bengali families thus Sonali's name ends up being Sonia.

Gogol's love interests

Ruth - Gogol's college sweetheart is a white American to whom Gogol is deeply attached. They soon separate after Ruth spends both spring and summer terms in England studying literature. Shortly after Ruth's return to the United States, they begin fighting and decide it's best that they stop seeing each other.

Maxine - Gogol's first "real" love, Maxine, is of white American ethnicity and a member of a liberal and very wealthy Manhattan family. Although the two love each other, they eventually break up due to Gogol's struggles regarding the emotional complications of his father's death. Maxine later gets engaged to another man.

Moushumi Mazoomdar - Gogol's wife is a childhood friend from another Bengali family. After his breakup with Maxine, Ashima talks Gogol into starting a relationship with Moushumi, particularly due to their shared culture and background. Although she grew up in England, Moushumi shares a great deal in common with Gogol and the two eventually marry. However, their marriage breaks up when Moushumi starts having a sexual affair with her old love interest (a German man named Dimitri in the novel, a French called Pierre in the movie). Gogol and Moushumi realize that a shared culture isn't enough for them to find happiness together.

Film

The film The Namesake was released in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and India in March 2007. It is directed by Mira Nair and is based upon an adapted screenplay by Sooni Taraporevala.

Bengali version

The Namesake has been published in Bengali from Kolkata, India by Ananda Publishers by the name Samanami

Further Information

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