Why is Gogol named Gogol in The Namesake?
Gogol is Gogol, of course, because his father and mother needed a name for him before leaving the hospital. The name “Gogol” was an important one to Ashoke, who adored Nikolai Gogol's work. Ashoke also has traumatic connection to the train-wreck during which he was reading Gogol.
How is Gogol described in the namesake?
Gogol is an obedient, inquisitive, and sensitive child, close to his parents and sister. The novel tracks Gogol's growth from child into young man. This growth includes changing his name, to Nikhil, and the gradual discovery of architecture as a career.
What do you know about Gogol?
Gogol's real name is Uday Kumar Chatterjee. Basu crafted Gogol as an intelligent boy, obedient to his parents but extremely curious about anything happening around him. He often finds himself entangled in a web of mystery. His curiosity drives him to solve mysteries, some of which are life-threatening.
What is Gogol's good name?
NikhilThe whole Gogol (his pet name) versus Nikhil (his good name) back-and-forth is a source of constant frustration, consternation, and alienation for our protagonist. It's the central question of the novel: just who exactly is Gogol Ganguli? (And what in the world are we supposed to call him?)
How does Gogol find his identity?
The Formation of Identity Gogol grows up perplexed by his pet name. He feels it is not his own, and it is not until college, after he has legally changed it to Nikhil, that his father tells him the story that lies behind it.
Why is Gogol afraid to be Nikhil?
Gogol did not want himself to be called Nikhil just in school while everyone in the family knew him as Gogol. He might have been happy if that name was used by everyone both in the family and outside. He could not identify with the new name given to him and felt that Nikhil was a stranger.
Who is the main character of the namesake?
AshokeGogolSoniaMaxineAshimaThe Namesake/Characters
What is the main idea of namesake?
Hence, the major theme portrayed in the novel is one of identity. This them is illustrated vividly by examining the importance of one's culture and background, gender, and name as the definition of patriarchal lineage and destiny in life.
Why was little Gogol very unhappy How was the problem sorted?
Question 1: Why was Gogol' unhappy about the new name given to him? Answer: Gogol didn't want himself to be called as Nikhil. He is afraid to be Nikhil - someone he doesn't know him and who doesn't know him. It shows that in Gogol's mind, a new name is a new person different from him.
What is Gogol's primary conflict?
In this satisfactory reading performance, the student presents the reasonable idea that Gogol's primary conflict is his fear of becoming “a different person” when he receives his new name. This idea is supported by relevant textual evidence (He is afraid to be “Nikhil” because he has always gone by Gogol).
What happens at the end of namesake?
The story ends with Gogol, Sonia, Sonia's fiance (Ben), Ashima and their extended Bengali family at her mother's Christmas party. We learn that Moushumi and Gogol are divorced and Sonia is about to marry Ben. Ashima has sold the house and will soon go to Calcutta.
What happened in the end of namesake?
Gogol returns home to help Ashima pack the house when he finds the book Ashoke gave him as a graduation present. Searching for comfort, and accepting his new life alone, Gogol finally reads the stories written by his namesake on the train home.
Why is Gogol named after Nikolai Gogol?
His father has not yet told him about the train accident, so he thinks he was named after Nikolai Gogol only because he is Ashoke's favorite author. At school, kids constantly tease him about his name. They wonder why a Bengali-American is named after a Russian man.
Why did Gogol change his name?
Before Gogol goes off to college at Yale, he decides to officially change his name from Gogol to Nikhil, this name change represents a maturation as he attempts to find his own identity. From this point on, he introduces himself as Nikhil to everyone he meets. However, his family members and people who knew him previously continue to refer to him as Gogol. His name continues to be a source of frustration and confusion for many years.
What is Gogol's culture?
Throughout his life, Gogol finds himself caught between the world of his parents and American culture. Growing up, his family maintained many Indian customs and traditions, but they also adopted aspects of American life. As a child of immigrants, Gogol often feels foreign in America. He also feels this way when his family visits India. No matter where he is, Gogol feels out of place. At times throughout his life, he resists certain aspects of his parents' culture. For example, at one time, he tells himself that he will never seek friendships or relationships with other Bengali-Americans. This is different than his parents, who are primarily only friends with other Bengali immigrants.
Who does Gogol date?
After changing his name, Gogol finds himself in a series of relationships. He first dates Ruth while he is in college. After graduating, he dates Maxine, a woman who represents everything that Gogol thinks he wants. However, after the death of Ashoke, Gogol starts to appreciate his family and his background more. He then starts a relationship with another Bengali-American named Moushumi. Although they both never planned on being in a relationship with another Bengali, they get married. Sadly, the marriage comes to an end. By the end of Lahiri's novel, Gogol is still trying to understand who he is.
Who is Gogol's first girlfriend?
Gogol's transformation can also be marked by his romantic relationships. His first serious relationship is with a girl named Ruth. They date for a while in college, while Gogol is studying architecture. They fall for each other rather quickly, but it becomes obvious that his parents don't fully support his relationship with the ''American''. They break up after about a year together after realizing that they no longer love each other.
Who is Maxine in Gogol?
Shortly after moving to New York City and starting his job at an architectural firm, he meets a woman named Maxine. Maxine comes from an extremely wealthy family, and she seems to be the opposite of the type of girl Gogol's parents would want him to date and marry. The fact that she is so different from him is what attracts Gogol. Before long, Gogol is spending more time with Maxine and her family and less time with his own. During this time, Ashoke dies, and Gogol feels guilty for being so distant during the past few months.
Who is Gogol in love with?
Almost effortlessly, Gogol becomes integrated into their lives. He is in love with Maxine, and with her lifestyle—expensive,... (full context)
When is Gogol's sister born?
Gogol ’s sister is born in May, and this time the labor is quick. Gogol is left... (full context)
What happened to Gogol and Sonia when they returned to Calcutta?
When they return to Calcutta, both Gogol and Sonia fall terribly ill. Their relatives blame their discomfort on the air, the wind,... (full context)
What does Gogol realize when he sees his father's face?
It is the photograph more than anything that draws Gogol back to the house again and again, and one day, stepping out of the bathroom on his way to bed and glancing at his father’s smiling face, he realizes that this is the closest thing his father has to a grave.
Where did Gogol take the train?
For Thanksgiving of senior year, Gogol takes the train up to Boston alone. Although he and Ruth spent the first few... (full context)
When did Gogol go to kindergarten?
That September, of 1973, Gogol is driven to kindergarten for the first time by his father. He starts a week... (full context)
Where did Gogol grow up?
Growing up in a suburban town in Massachusetts, with intermittent, long trips to Calcutta, Gogol quickly becomes conscious of the difference between his parents’ culture and the world in which he lives. He comes to hate the name Gogol, embarrassed by its unique oddity.
Who is Gogol's wife?
Moushumi. Gogol’s wife. Moushumi knew Gogol when he was a young boy, and the two are set up on a blind date, in New York, by their parents. Moushumi is a graduate student in French literature and adores Paris.
Why did Ashoke give his son the name Gogol?
Ashoke is also deeply affected by the train accident that nearly killed him in his youth. He gives his son the name Gogol as an acknowledgment of what that writer means to him. Nikolai Gogol and the other Russian writers are also emblems of “foreignness,” of a life lived in exile.
What is the book Gogol about?
The novel tracks Gogol’s growth from child into young man. This growth includes changing his name, to Nikhil, and the gradual discovery of architecture as a career. Gogol navigates, over time, his relationship to his parents’ identity, as Bengalis in America. He also tries to forge his own identity, as a Bengali-American child born in the US.
Why does Gogol read Gogol?
At the close of the novel, Gogol begins reading Nikolai Gogol, his namesake, as a way of getting closer to his deceased father, who adored the writer. Read an in-depth analysis of Gogol (Nikhil) Ganguli.
Where does Maxine meet Gogol?
Gogol’s second serious girlfriend. Maxine and Gogol meet in New York, at a party. Maxine represents, for Gogol, a life very different from his own. She lives with her parents downtown, in a beautiful townhouse, and shares their intellectual, cosmopolitan life.
Who is Ashoke Ganguli?
Ashoke Ganguli. The third of the novel’s protagonists. Ashoke is a quiet, sensitive man, and although the narrator does not have access to many of his thoughts, he is nevertheless devoted to his wife and children. Ashoke is also deeply affected by the train accident that nearly killed him in his youth.
Where is Ashima Ganguli's home?
Only after many years, and following her husband’s death while away in Ohio, does Ashima realize that the Boston area is her home, and that she is surrounded by friends and a surrogate family there. Read an in-depth analysis of Ashima Ganguli.
What is Gogol's conflict with his name?
Gogol's primary conflict in this excerpt from "The Namesake" is his own name. Because Gogol is a child, his reaction to his new name is reasonable. He hasn't fully matured yet, so his response to change is hostile. Being tied to it your whole life, your name becomes synonymous with your identity. One can see this in Gogol as he describes his new name, Nikhil as "someone he doesn't know. Someone who doesn't know….
What is Gogol Ganguli's identity?
Gogol’s Identity Throughout Namesake, Gogol Ganguli struggles with his identity being both Indian and American. Although he tended to stray far away from anything Bengali, his deeply rooted culture never faded away. After his father’s death, Gogol gradually returned to his Indian traditions. He takes care of his mother and sister, abandons the life he could have with Maxine, then marries a Bengali woman. In his attempt to stay clear from anything Bengali, Gogol revels in the fact that he could….
What is the significance of the name of the namesake?
The significance of both name and identity is evident in “The Namesake” as it is applicable to all characters throughout the book. In particular, the character, Gogol Ganguli, which the book is based around, is born in America to Bengali parents, who immigrated from India. Gogol's confusion over his cultural identity impacts his life choices, consequently, impacting the connection he has with his family.
Why did Tommy Tran use the word "foil" in The Namesake?
Tommy Tran English 4 1/6/14 The Namesake Jump Lahiri used woman as a literary device, “foil”, in her novel The Namesake to help contrast with the protagonist, Nikhil “Gogol” Ganguli in order to shape his identity. There were quite a few women that came and went through Gogol’s life span in the novel but three essential women were his mother, a woman by the name Maxine, and his first wife, Moushumi. The literary device that is being used allows the women to either be completely different, or….
Who is the main character in the movie Gogol?
The story’s main protagonist, Gogol is the son of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli. Growing up in a suburban town in Massachusetts, with intermittent, long trips to Calcutta, Gogol quickly becomes conscious of the difference between… read analysis of Gogol/Nikhil Ganguli
Who is Gogol's sister?
Sonali (Sonia) Ganguli. Gogol’s younger sister, who calls him, affectionately, “Goggles.”. She too struggles with the divide between her American friends and her Indian background, and moves to California for college. After their father dies, though, Sonia moves… read analysis of Sonali (Sonia) Ganguli.
Where did Ashoke Ganguli grow up?
a caring father to Gogol and Sonia, and husband to Ashima. Ashoke grew up in Calcutta. An avid bookworm, he especially loves Russian novels. His life is changed forever when, during a train … read analysis of Ashoke Ganguli (Mithu)
Where does Gogol live?
She lives with her parents in a beautiful apartment in New York. Gogol falls in love with her effortless beauty… read analysis of Maxine Ratliff
Who is Ashima Ganguli?
Ashima Ganguli (Monu) mother to Gogol and Sonia, and wife to Ashoke. Ashima is the family member most attached to the traditions of India, and who is most homesick for her family. After her arranged marriage… read analysis of Ashima Ganguli (Monu)
Who is the man in charge of compiling birth certificates at the hospital where Gogol is born?
The man in charge of compiling birth certificates at the hospital where Gogol is born. His full name is Howard Wilcox III. Alan Montgomery. A professor of sociology at Harvard who lives upstairs from the Gangulis at their first home in Cambridge with his wife and two children.
Who is Gogol's junior year English teacher?
Gogol’s junior year English teacher, a cult figure among the students. Kim. A girl that Gogol meets at a college party while he is still in high school. Kim is the first girl that Gogol has ever kissed, and the first person to whom he introduces himself as Nikhil.
Who is Gogol talking to?
Out for drinks with his classmates one night, Gogol begins talking with an architecture student named Bridget. She is married, and her husband is a professor in Boston. They begin an affair, never seeing one another aside from the evenings of their review class.
What language does Gogol speak?
The driver is speaking in Bengali on his cell phone, and as they near his apartment, Gogol leans forward and, speaking Bengali, points out the right address. Gogol leaves a generous tip and steps out of the car. Their date seems on the one hand spontaneous, and on the other, fated and inevitable.
What does Gogol remember about Moushumi?
In the next few days, Gogol recalls images of Moushumi from years ago that he had forgotten—the books she always brought along to the parties, her seriousness at a young age. He is secretly pleased that she has seen his house and tasted Ashima’s cooking. He remembers a Christmas spent in her home, arranging an anonymous gift exchange, and Moushumi reluctantly playing the piano at her mother’s insistence.
How long does it take for Moushumi and Gogol to become intimately intertwined?
Within three months their lives become intimately intertwined. When they go out to dinner, they sometimes make comments in Bengali to avoid being overheard. Even as they get to know one another, Gogol feels he already knows her life—he can picture Moushumi’s house, the parties, the family dynamics, as if they were his own. They talk of their trips to Calcutta, and of being misidentified as Greek, Egyptian, or Mexican. She tells him nostalgically of her life in Britain, and of the paranoia of her parents upon moving to America.
Why did Maxine and Gogol separate?
Maxine and Gogol separate, less as a result of her inherent distance from his family than because Gogol has himself worked to maintain this distance, and now cannot imagine bridging it. With no grave to visit, Gogol finds himself returning home, the place where the most memories of his father still live, and reconnecting to the family he had once rebelled against. He is preparing to take another step toward adulthood.
What is the bond between Gogol and Moushumi?
He and Moushumi bond over their shared attempts to escape the commandeering influence of their parents – even as they are essentially giving in to that influence by seeing one another. Their similarities draw them together, which is a new feeling for both.
What attracts Gogol to Moushumi?
The things that attract Gogol to Moushumi are entirely opposite from the things that drew him to Maxine. Instead of hoping to escape his past, he is now increasingly drawn to it, reminded by his father’s death of just how fragile his links to that past are. He is now actively searching for memories that he had previously sought to forget.
