The Name Sake

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Throughout The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri cultural differences are seen. They are closely related to names and identity. Your identity is shown through your name and sometimes people may not be able to see themselves as their name shows them. Many cultures think certain names are ordinary but they also see names that are not ordinary or weird in some way. Throughout the book, you see the distaste Gogol has for his name. He does not like it and goes to great lengths to change it, although still maintaining part of his Bengali and Russian roots. Also seen is the distaste for his culture not wanting to keep in touch with the Bengali language trying to assimilate to American culture, which can be seen throughout the novel as conflicting with one another.
First, each nationality determines the name of their child in a different way. This first passage shows opens up light on this topic. It states, “The sign of respect in America and Europe, this symbol of heritage and lineage, would be ridiculed in India. Within Bengali Families, individual names are sacred, inviolable. They are not meant to be inherited or shared” (Lahiri, 28). The cultural conflict in this passage is due to the name’s significance. The American culture does not use names so often as a way to standout and be its own. You see names, which Americans possess that are the same. James, John, and Robert are all commonly used American names. You do not see the name Gogol used too often. This quote shows how Gogol’s name is meant to standout and be different. Its it not supposed to be common or sound nice like American names, but standout and be sacred to the person and their family. It is not supposed to be looked at like anyone else’s name. The name is of greater meanin...

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...nd this was a different person it would have created an even greater cultural conflict being that they would not be able to even interpret what was being said on the phone.
The cultural conflicts that Asian Americans (mostly Bengali’s as seen in the book) face in America is seen through their names and how they go through their everyday life. Going to and from a place by transportation and interacting with many other non Asian Americans, the cultures clash as well. Everyone’s identity is shown through his or her name. Gogol’s name stands out and creates cultural conflict in America due to its uniqueness. Lahiri displays many aspects of cultural conflict throughout the novel, but a focus on these two topics the most. Being Asian American your roots are tied back to your home country and sometimes the person whose ancestors came from that country can be embarrassed.

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