Cultural Conflict and Self-Discovery in 'The Namesake'

One’s identity resides in their heart and to call it out, one must dig deep inside themselves and discover their true purpose. For some, this is an easy process and they know who they truly are, but for some like Gogol Ganguli, this is not the case. In Jumpha Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake, different cultures, traditions, and lifestyles are explored as Gogol struggles with finding his true identity. Being a part of two cultures, living up to his parents expectations, and having two contrasting lifestyles affect the struggle for Gogol to find himself throughout his life. The first dilemma in his search for identity is Gogol’s name. Seeing no meaning in his name, Gogol undergoes an arduous task in discovering his purpose. He hates that “his name

From the time he was young, Gogol’s parents already have an identity for their son, a intelligent, studious, and caring boy. Their expectations are soon let down when at his rice ceremony, he “frowns, and his lower lip trembles. Only then, forced at six months to confront his destiny, does he begin to cry”(?). Already as a baby, Gogol refuses to confront his destiny chosen by his parents but instead wants to explore outside of his surroundings as he continues to do throughout his life. He does not “want to go home on the weekends, to go with them to pujos and Bengali parties, to remain unquestionably in their world” (?). He does not identify as the young man his parents expect of him and this affects his thoughts as he drifts further away from his heritage and further away from home. His parents expectation of an obedient son are shattered as Gogol embarks on a difficult journey to identify himself and wanders from his Indian roots in the process. Gogol’s dual identity makes it hard to find his calling since he becomes surrounded by fake versions of himself. He feels as if “he’s cast himself in a play, acting the part of twins, indistinguishable to the naked eye yet fundamentally different”(?). This analogy Gogol experiences highlights the different identities inside of Gogol which allows him to be someone different. However, he never finds the right contrast and