"The Namesake" By: Jhumpa Lahiri

When Jhumpa Lahiri wrote the book "The Namesake," it was clear that it was about the struggle of Gogol Ganguli and his attempts to find himself. But after reading the story, Gogol wasn't the only person trying to find himself. His mother, Ashima, also felt lost and had to search to find who she really was. When Ashima moved to America with her husband, she made sure she never forgot her Bengali heritage. She never considered America to be, but more of a place she was living for the time being. When her kids were born she was already nervous about them growing up in a lonely country, and did everything she could to make them feel comfortable. When Gogol was born and given his name, it was a special time for his parents, especially his father. But as Gogol grew older, he was not aware of the significance and despised his name. From the moment he changed his name to "Nikhil," things in his life began to slowly crumble. He spent his life trying to figure out where he belonged in the world and hurt quite a few people in the process. It was as if he was not sure whether he was American or Bengali and he felt like he had to choose. In actuality, he merely just needed to embrace the two harmoniously because they were both key factors in who he was. One example of his struggle was his relationships. Each one took a turn for the worse when both of his cultures were beginning to collide. His relationship with Max was a tricky one, because it was during that time that his father died and he showed tremendous guilt. He was so fixated on her world and her family that he completely ignored his own. When his father passed he tried to do a better job of accepting his Bengali culture, and it was then that he met Moushimi. They were married, but there problems arose because they were different and at the same time, very much alike. There loved was centered around their shared culture, but neither one of them truly knew who they were as an individual. As for Ashima, she wanted to stay true to her country no matter what. But as the story progressed she also showed moments of growth. For example, she became more supportive of her children's relationships when her culture didn't too much believe in true love. She didn't love her husband in the beginning, but their love grew over the years and it was very evident how much she cared about him. By the end, she was pretty much a new woman. She viewed things a tad bit differently. She never let go of her Bengali culutre, but she did make room for her new American one.