The Power of a Name

Upon reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, I became exceedingly attached to the main character, Gogol. Whether it is because we share the same background, or because he simply seems realistic to me, I cannot help but empathize with him throughout the novel. Through the course of the novel, the reader sees Gogol develop from initially despising the sound of his name, to eventually being able to accept his identity. His transformation, though slow, is a true representation of human character.

I particularly admire Gogol because of his flaws. He looks down upon his heritage, and chooses to dissasociate himself with every aspect of his culture. He is unable to realize the importance of family until he has undergone severe tragedies. Before he knows the significance of his name, he blames his parents and disregards their efforts at compliasance. Lahiri made him a very realistic individual because he does not undergo a drastic change in attitude overnight. His new perspective is sparked by his father’s explanation of giving him a seemingly peculiar name.

When Gogol is young, he is told that his “namesake” was selected on the basis that his father’s favorite author was the Russian, Nikolai Gogol. One day, when Gogol is finally old enough, his father, Ashoke, recounts the train accident that nearly took his life. Although the accident was a traumatic experience, it opened his eyes to how short life is. Books saved Ashoke’s life during his time of recovery. After hearing about his father’s experience, Gogol looks at him as though he is a stranger.

“And suddenly the sound of his pet name, uttered by his father as he has been accustomed to hearing it all his life, means something completeley new, bound up with a catastrophe he has unwittingly embodied for years” (Lahiri 124).

But Gogol’s change is not that simple. The fact that his change was an ongoing process enables the readers to indentify with him. He continues his ways of smoking, neglecting his family, and sleeping with various girls (all of which are completely “American”). His shift in attitude finally becomes evident when his father suffers a sudden heartattack. Ashoke’s death takes great effect on all the family. Not only must his strong-willed mother, Ashima, learn to live alone, he must also live with the fact that he never gave his father a fair chance. After years of neglecting him, and hating him for giving him such a ludicrous name, Gogol is finally appreciative of everything his father did for him. He begins to feel closer to his father than he ever did while he was alive. Gogol’s guilt was insightfully expressed by Lahiri because she captured the essence of human nature. Many a time, we are unable to grasp the importance of something until it is gone. Ashoke’s death was like a slap in the face.

The third major step to finally becoming secure with his identity is his marraige with Moushumi. Moushumi, a Bengali girl his mother has selected, seems to be everything he could possibly want in a wife. When Gogol discovers that his marraige has been based on a lie—she repetitively cheats on him—he realizes that he has no one. There is no one left for him to focus his attention on, no one to distract him from his family. He finally realizes what he must do. He picks up the novel his father gave him. Instead of feeling sad, he feels free. In the last few pages of the book, Lahiri makes many powerful statements, “There were things for which it was impossible to prepare but which one spent a lifetime looking back at, trying to accept, interpret, comprehend. Things that should have never happened, that seemed out of place and wrong, these were what prevailed, what endured, in the end” (Lahiri 287). (637).

Writing>Reading. Enough Said.

Dear Mr. Coon,

I love this kind of writing assignment because it allows you to express yourself in an informal yet aesthetic manner. I have always been particularly fond of writing. The reason for my passion for writing is that there is no right or wrong way to express your opinions. It gives me confidence that I can fully convey my ideas while writing, and that no one will judge it. I am a writer more than a reader. I must admit, that of all the homework I had tonight, this was the most fun part (seriously). I always look forward to writing short papers, especially when they are personal. Writing is also useful for many things: I have written to release my anger, gather my thoughts, and to express feelings of love. One of my favorite things is to write letters. This past summer, I fell in love. Even though this boy lives thousands of miles away, we are able to stay in touch by means of writing. Although people often say that speaking on the phone is more personal than writing, I beg to differ. I prefer to read long letters from him not only because I am able to store them as memories, but also because they convey more meaning.

My weaknesses are as follows: I tend to ramble on while writing. I find myself writing much too much and sometimes even things that are unnecessary. However, it can also be looked at as a strength. Luckily, I am never at a loss for words. I have rarely been in a situation where I simply can’t think of anything to say. Whether this is because I am a talkative person, or simply because I am passionate for words, I continue to run into this issue.

When I was young, I began reading at an early age and quickly developed an attachment to books. My favorites were of course those of Dr. Suess, but the books I can remember most avidly were the Ramona Quimby series by Beverly Cleary. My favorite part about these books (and books in general) was being able to leave reality for a bit. Books allow you to step into someone else’s life. As I grew older I continued to read; however, as school got more stressful, I began to focus my attention predominantly on schoolwork. I am even guilty of sometimes having put books back on shelves because they took too long to get interesting. I regret not reading as much as I would like to, but one of my goals this year is to integrate books back in my life. I have not completely given up though. I have read all of the Harry Potter books multiple times—I even went to a spectacular midnight party to buy the seventh book. Aside from that, I also like reading novels in which I am able to analyze the characters. Although some may call Pride and Prejudice “dense,” (sorry!) I enjoyed reading it. At times it was hard to understand, but I felt accomplished after having learned so many new words.

I hope this blog entry has given you an interesting perspective of me.

Sincerely,

Manasi (532)