Gogol In Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake

Gogol’s lack of an ordinary cultural background shapes his view of the word “home” throughout the entire novel, The Namesake. From America to India and all around, he’s never quite sure where he belongs. In one part of his mind, he knows his family ties in India play an important role in his personal and family life. On the other hand, he spent much of his childhood learning and growing accustomed to American traditions. Through internal conflicts and multiple relationships, his definition of ‘home’ can be seen changing with each chapter. During the beginning of the novel, Gogol lived in America, the only place he truly knew as home. He was born there in August 1968 to his fully-Indian parents, Ashoke and Ashima. At his annaprasan (rice ceremony), Gogol was unable to choose an item which would determine his future career, and instead, he just cried. This was possibly the first hint that he may struggle with feeling ordinary as he ages. Even his name

He learnt that he quite loved Indian architecture, but he was still apprehensive about seeing India as his home. As the book states, “‘I’m scared, Goggles”, Sonia whispers to her brother in English, seeking his hand and refusing to let go” (Lahiri, 82.) This shows that even though they were together as a family in a place their parents know as home, Gogol and his sister were uncomfortable being far away from America, a place they were more familiar with. They slowly adjusted to the Indian lifestyle, but the two were constantly faced with issues- they even had to ask “English, please” just to purchase a postcard. When they returned to the United States, Gogol headed off to college and faced embarrassment with, again, his name. He desperately wished for normality. So, he legally changed his name to Nikhil. At this point in the novel, he seemed to be more confused than anything about what home could mean to