Life For Immigrant Parents
Life for Immigrant Parents vs. Life for Immigrant Children in The Namesake
Life is a luxury for certain immigrant parents, although a bearer of burden for the descendents who are raised in foreign countries. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, the main character, Gogol, is shown to have gone through the process of assimilation before he realizes the mistakes he made in his early life. While an apparent discrepancy is portrayed specifically between Gogol and his parents, life for the children of immigrants is quite difficult; primarily a result of their parents' decisions, the clash between foreign culture and customary practices from back home, and regretful flashbacks after a tragedy.
Parents’ decisions should compose the majority of our personality, essentially our life
…show more content…
Ashoke and Ashima are quite tense as they find out that the letter from Ashima's grandmother hasn't come as of yet "and so [they agree] to put off the decision of what to name the baby until the letter comes, ignoring the forms from the hospital about filing for a birth certificate" (Lahiri 25). If it weren't for the customary duties, Ashoke and Ashima would have put an Indian name on Gogol that he would not regard as strange like he did when he became older. The fact of the matter is that Gogol is too young to understand his parents' circumstances at that time. Not to mention that Gogol doesn't respect his culture and customs in the sense that he doesn't feel that love for it which is very expected from a child who is raised in a foreign country. Like Gogol, Ashoke and Ashima are
What Is Gogol's Acceptance Of An Indian American Culture
376 Words | 2 PagesThe reason is that from the moment of their birth, they were brought up in the settled country and they consider it as their home country and wanted to follow its culture and tradition as their own. The Namesake describes the cultural dislocation in detail. When Gogol mentions his stay in a room for three months, it upsets Ashima. When Gogol and Sonia reduce their visits to their parents, Ashima suffers a lot: “Having been deprived of the company of her own parents upon moving to America, her children’s independence, their need to keep their distance
Jhumpa Lahiri's Namesake
1246 Words | 5 PagesBut then his father says that someday he will understand the meaning of this. Now Jhumpa Lahiri does not tell us as what it meant for Ashoke or how it will be a significant quote for him she is just trying to portray the thought of Ashoke that he is trying to make his understand that how a name is significant for oneself. Lahiri also has shown guilt feeling of Gogol changing his name into Nikhil. By the name, his father wanted to give him a trans-cultural identity , but for Gogol his new name Nikhil is more sexy, cool and normal to him as to previous
The Namesake, A Literary Analysis
1310 Words | 6 PagesIn the book, “The Namesake,” Gogol, the protagonist is a son of first-generation immigrants to the U.S. from India who is tasked with living the double life, fitting in with the culture of his parents as swell as the culture of U.S. Although Gogol struggles to find an identity, his struggle is based on the fact that he cannot fully be Bengali or American. Therefore he has to find a bridge between the two identities, which is the same struggle for many second generations. "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.”(49
Being A Child Of Immigrant Parents Essay
433 Words | 2 PagesBeing a child of immigrant parents is not easy. You are constantly living in the fear that one day you’ll wake up and you parents won’t be there with you anymore. Specially now that we have a new president, things are getting more challenging. But don’t get me wrong, I live a happy life. I am proud to call myself a Latina.
Treatment Of Immigrants
348 Words | 2 PagesThe treatment of immigrants was very hostile. In America there were immigrants who were German Americans, Italian Americans and Japanese Americans whom U.S. official considered dangerous, hostile, and enemies. Many living in the United States were second and older generation Germans, Italians and so forth. Those who fought in World War 2 were seen as friendly. But part of those who stayed home were seen to a degree suspicious.
The Namesake Thesis
764 Words | 4 PagesOne of the first acts of rebellion that Gogol preforms occurs right before he enters college. “In spite of his parents ' sanction he feels that he is overstepping them, correcting a mistake they’ve made” (101). Gogol makes his own decision to officially change his name to Nikhil. Ashima and Ashoke do not necessarily agree with this decision, but they let it slide since Gogol is old enough to make his own life choices. This action of Gogol 's represents Gogol distancing himself from his family and being introduced to independence.
American Culture In Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake
1427 Words | 6 PagesThe Ganguli family follow certain traditions from their Bengali culture. From the Ganguli perspective, babies are assigned two names. A “good” and “bad” name are both chosen by the family. However, unlike Ashoke, Gogol despises his name and feels as if the Indian tradition is meaningless. As a result, Gogol decides to change his name.
The Namesake Gogol Identity
1523 Words | 7 PagesGogol, the son of Ashima and Ashoke, was born in America and spends the first half of his life trying to run away from his Bengali roots. Although Gogol does not feel as lost and detached as his parents in America, he has a difficult time trying to balance the Bengali culture he was born into as well as the American culture he sees and experiences all around him as he is growing up. Throughout the novel, The Namesake, Gogol struggles to develop his identity due to the clashing of Bengali and American culture in his life. Gogol’s first obstacle in his search for self-identity occurs only a couple days after his birth, when his parents must decide on a name in order to be released from the hospital. Ashima and Ashoke eventually decide on Gogol, after the writer who saved Ashoke’s life during a train crash.
Immigrant Family Essay
659 Words | 3 PagesAn immigrant family wants the best for everyone lives, however moving to a new country brings struggles. There struggles include finding a home, a good paying job, avoiding to be deported, being separated ,and continuing their education. Immigrants expect a better life because their old home and country did have much benefits as the new country gives them. The advantage of an immigrant family is family values which tends them to be closer. Disadvantages of an immigrant family are the struggles that were first mentioned and including that they face other people calling them a threat.
Who Is Gogol's True Identity In The Namesake?
1739 Words | 7 PagesThroughout the story The Namesake, the protagonist Gogol Ganguli, or otherwise known at Nikhil, has a seriously tough time with finding his true identity. In the beginning of the story, the Ganguli’s give birth to their first child, an exciting moment that could only be celebrated by three of their Bengali friends, due to being living in America. Due to their being no telephone contact with their family in Calcutta, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli wait in the hospital for three extra days waiting on a letter send from the grandmother, containing the contents of their new born baby’s name. The letter never arrives, so now what? They decide on naming their child “Gogol” after Nikolai Gogol the author of the book that saved Ashoke’s life in a near death
Pressure, And Expectation In The Namesake
454 Words | 2 PagesForce, pressure, and expectations are some of the things that Gogol endures in "The Namesake". In the story, Gogol is about to start kindergarten but he has conflicting feelings because his parents have told him he will use a new name which he doesn’t want. The characterization of Ashoke and Mrs. Lapidus is of extreme importance to the plot and Gogol, due to the conflicts between the two in front of Gogol about his name. At the start of the story, when Gogol walks into Mrs. Lapidus's office with his mother to talk about his enrollment, there is a clear conflict about what he should be called in school. Gogol's mother states that he wants his name to be "Nikhil" because they come from a different country and want him to fit in with the other kids.
The Namesake Conflicts
431 Words | 2 PagesThe Namesake is a fictional novel on an Indian boy's life written by Jhumpa Lahiri. The main character is Gogol Ganguli with his family Ashoke, Ashima, and Sonia Ganguli. Gogol throughout the whole book wanted to figure out his identity in the world. His family wanted him to live the lifestyle of his original heritage with his pet name Gogol, but the world outside of his family wanted him to live like an American with a normal name. His life had many problems including his name, significant relationships with females in and out of his life, as well as, a death in his family.
Racism In The Kite Runner
823 Words | 4 PagesKite Runner Being an immigrant is about leaving one’s native country; but it is also, more importantly, about adapting and assimilating to a new culture. Relocating to a new country could sometimes cause a life-transforming moment. In 2003, when Khaled Hosseini published the mainstream fiction story, “The Kite Runner,” he was an extremely successful M.D. (Medical Doctor) who was practicing internal medicine. Throughout his novel, he describes different characters which possess different characteristics and personalities. As illustrated in the book, Baba and his family moved to the United States to get a better life, and they quickly started to assimilate the American culture.
The Namesake
789 Words | 4 PagesGogol has a deeper appreciation for all his mother and father have done for him. Another change is that Gogol is willing to travel to Calcutta to spread his father ashes in the Ganges. Gogol has an intense feeling of resistance towards his trips to India as a child, but Gogol’s lack of opposition to this demonstrates his newfound understanding of what India meant to his father and how India will be a part of his life forever. Gogol is guilt-ridden about his actions which lead to him shutting his family out of his life because to him his parents represent the life he never wants to live. The death of his father brings him to the realization that he cannot run away from his culture and must surround himself with people who respect and make an effort to understand
Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake Analysis
703 Words | 3 Pages(6.140) : Maxine and her family are an escape for Gogol, but they also represent the distance from his family. Gogol views this relationship as an escape from his past, as an escape from his old self. He is now even more distanced and alienated from his parents. The closer he becomes with Maxine, the further he distances himself from his parents, and when his fathers dies, Maxine becomes a symbol of this alienation, and Gogol is overridden with
More about Life For Immigrant Parents
What Is Gogol's Acceptance Of An Indian American Culture
376 Words | 2 PagesJhumpa Lahiri's Namesake
1246 Words | 5 PagesThe Namesake, A Literary Analysis
1310 Words | 6 PagesBeing A Child Of Immigrant Parents Essay
433 Words | 2 PagesTreatment Of Immigrants
348 Words | 2 PagesThe Namesake Thesis
764 Words | 4 PagesAmerican Culture In Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake
1427 Words | 6 PagesThe Namesake Gogol Identity
1523 Words | 7 PagesImmigrant Family Essay
659 Words | 3 PagesWho Is Gogol's True Identity In The Namesake?
1739 Words | 7 PagesPressure, And Expectation In The Namesake
454 Words | 2 PagesThe Namesake Conflicts
431 Words | 2 PagesRacism In The Kite Runner
823 Words | 4 PagesThe Namesake
789 Words | 4 PagesJhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake Analysis
703 Words | 3 Pages