The first third of The Namesake

[Ms.Clapp]

So what do you all think of the first third of this book?

[Sam]

So far I think it is interesting. I like how the author shows us the two different cultures, and how the characters are transitioning between them. One of the lines that really stuck out to me was this : "It had never occurred to him to buy his wife flowers."(page 12) I think it just shows how different Ashoke's culture is.

[Patti]

I thought that the changing perspectives in the first third of the book really reflected the transition from one culture to the next. The entire segment is told almost entirely from the point of view of the parents, who represent an old-school way of thinking. Even in their new environment, Ashoke and Ashima remain committed to their own way of life. As the book progresses, and the p.o.v changes to that of Gogol, the harsh cultural gap between parent and child is evident in their respective thoughts and actions.

[Jessica]

The anxiety that Gogol has about his name represents an even larger feeling of anxiety Gogol has about his identity as an individual. It is a type of synecdoche which relates to a recurring theme within this book. The name "Gogol" is meant to represent him, just as any name functions, but does it fit him, he wonders. What does it mean, what does it truly represent? And is he correctly represented by this name? Gogol's struggle with his name is symbolic for his struggle with his identity, which is largely influenced by his parents' struggle with making Indian and American culture coexist peacefully in their lives.

[Andy]

I think that Gogol is in conflict with his culture being stuck between his parents cultural beliefs and that of America culture. I agree with jessica in that Gogol's struggle is mainly in a cultural sense of where he belonged. The author makes it so that Gogol is this victim who is trying to find his own identity away from what his parents want him to be. The first part of the book mainly focuses from the early chapters to Gogol's parents being new to this American culture and struggling to adept to this new American way.

[Stanley]

So far, the first third of the book shows apparent conflict within Gogol's life about his namesake, and over the cultural change for Ashoke and Ashima.

In the first chapter, the feelings that Ashima has during her time in America (specifically Cambridge, Massachusetts) before giving birth to Gogol really reveals how homesick she is. Even though she has been there for a while and was brought inevitably by Ashoke's pursuit to get ahead in life by teaching in the U.S, she can not find it within herself to be comfortable to the language or culture. Her pursuit for a college degree in English was still undermined by her heritage (Bengali) and their way to say toes and fingers as toe and finger.

Her history with Ashoke, the love connection despite the arranged marriage, is also very inspiring to me. Ashoke is a highly gifted individual; he attended to colleges, BC and St. Xaviers, and graduated valedictorian from both in his field, which was fiber optics if I recall. His history, on the other hand, is just as amazing. His grandfather taught at Calcutta University and ultimately made Ashoke fall in love with Russian literature, which in turn saved his life at that fatal train accident that one day, which is all amazing to me.

As for Gogol, it's quite sad that his parents were never able to name him after his grandmother's wishes. Because of her debilitating illness, it is quite heartbreaking that the Bengali tradition could not be upheld and that Gogol had his "pet name", the last name of Ashoke's life-saving Russian author, be his official American name. Also throwing in consideration for the distant of Gogol to his relatives in India for all the Bengali traditions, it's just sad to see such rich traditions being thrown away because of complications like distance and such. The amount of grief stricken in chapter two is also a reality check. With the two deaths that had occurred this week to the two I've read so far, life just sucks. It's crazy and there's nothing we can do about it but...I just don't know. R.I.P. Ernst LaRochel Jr. and all my prayers to Joshua Eltume.

In Chapter 3, I'm glad that the Gangulis find their permanent home at 67 Pemberton Road, but I was at shock to find out that Ashima was pregnant again with their future daughter, Sonia; it was just something I wasn't expecting. As for Gogol, his inability to accept another name, such as Nikhil, would come to haunt him, something that I found to be ironic. In this chapter, he could only respond to Gogol; later in the book, he resents his name and namesake. Another apparent feature of chapter three is the conversion of Sonia and Gogol to the American culture, as compared to their parents continual struggle to surround themselves with Bengali friends and culture.

Chapter 4 skips to Gogol's 14th birthday, officially bringing him into the years of the American tee; the rebellious and whatnot stage of all Americans' lives - the one in which I live in now. He begins to show the common characteristics of teenagers - irritability, lack of patience, impulsiveness, etc. - and with it he begins to hate his name of Gogol. What surprised me was the no one ever told him why his name was given to him. If anything, I thought that should have been the first thing told to him when he came of age to understand. If anything, the explanation to his namesake would of helped him come to not hate it when it came to Mr. Lawson's biographical explaination to Nikolai Gogol's life. As for the college party, go Nikhil!

[Xuan]

I found the first third of the country interesting because it voiced the feelings of how my parents felt coming into this country. I understood how Ashimi and Ashoke wanted to keep their Indian traditions alive in America. There is a sense of shame to come back to your own country with Americanized children, that is why they are so adamant on teaching Gogol and Sonia the language and traditions. Lahiri makes it a point to constantly contrast the differences between the two cultures to show how strange the new land is for the couple, especially Ashima. Americans are so open about everything while Indians prefer their privacy.

I find the concept of arranged marriage so strange. You usually meet the person, then you marry them but for Ashima, she married Ashoke and then she slowly met him. I wouldn't be able to deal with that and I feel like the Indians aren't too fond of it either, but they do it anyway because it is a tradition.

Overall, the first third of the book depicts the struggles that both parent and child faces. Gogol is angered and embarrassed by his name even if he doesn't know the meaning behind it. Perhaps Ashoke is waiting until he is older to tell the story, because at his tender age, he is probably too stubborn to appreciate it.

[Sam]

One thing I thought was really interesting in the first part of the book was the switch in perspective. We got from Ashoke and Ashima to Gogol very distinctly, and it was a nice contrast between the two cultures that they represent. Ashoke and Ashima represent the Indian culture, and they try to almost force this identity on their children.
I thought the issue of his name to be the part of an overarching problem with Gogol's identity. I see it as Nikhil being Gogol trying to americanize himself, and a rejection of his Indian past.

[Alex]

From the beginning of the book, I was intrigued by Lahiri’s descriptive diction, and her need to include every detail of the lives of the Gangulis. What really caught my attention was Ashoke’s conversation with Ghosh on his way to visit his grandfather, and the accident that followed. It was incredible how he was able to be rescued by “clutching a single page of “The Overcoat”” (18). The book was, what Ashoke considered, a miracle. It allowed him to be saved and I think that was the reason he named his first born child, “Gogol”. He, too, was one of his miracles.

Gogol’s name serves as a point of conflict. It reveals Ashoke and Ashima’s ties to their Bengali traditions, and also highlights Gogol/ Nikhil’s assimilation. This is true, even very early in the book when Ashima and Ashoke were at the hospital contemplating on what to name their child. They both refer back to India, and the fact that “in India parents take their time” to name their children (25). Mr. Wilcox, however, urges the Gangulis to make a decision in order for the baby to be released from the hospital. We are also introduced to a sense of filial piety, as Ashima was reluctant to name her child without the consent of her mother’s letter; even when Gogol begins school, she “still dreams of the letter at times” (56). I think this is something children of first generation immigrants lack. Referring back to Xuan’s comment about “the feelings of how [my] parents felt coming into this country,” I can relate, because I feel as though I don’t fully understand some of my family’s customs and traditions, either. This was exhibited through Gogol’s reluctance to be called Nikhil at school, despite his father’s telling him that his parents “each have two names, too” (57). A contrast is made between the Indian and American cultures, when Gogol is enrolled at school, and Ashoke informs the teacher that he wants him to be called “Nikhil,” his good name. She doesn’t quite understand the point of this second name. As a child, however, Gogol shows indifference towards his name, and even prefers it over Nikhil.

I find it ironic how Gogol resents his decision to have “his pet name turned good name” (76). He tries so hard not to find resemblance to the Russian write, and wishes that his parent could’ve chosen another out of all the Russian writers in the world. Gogol also resents the fact that his name has no connection to his Indian heritage, and he doesn’t understand why his father chose that name for him. Like Xuan said, even if Ashoke told him the reason for his name, he’d probably be “too stubborn to appreciate it. “

[Daniel]

Agreeing with Alex, I was intrigued by Lahiri’s descriptive diction, and her need to include every detail of the lives of the Ganguli’s. Right off the bat, Lahiri introduces the conflicting culture; as Ashima combines "Rice Krispies and Planters Peanuts and chopped red onion in a bowl." (1)

Ashoke and Ashima’s decision to name their child Gogol ultimately, and eternally ties Gogol to Ashoke’s past; because of the devastating train accident, and the book that, as unrealistic as it seems, saved Ashoke’s life. And even fast forwarding a little further into the book, Gogol is clearly unable, and unwilling to accept another name other than the one he was born with; which contrasts heavily with his views later on in this novel. But one could easily understand that when a child like Gogol is born in the United States that he is bound to the take up customs of the outside culture, outside meaning the outside of his house, because the customs his parents grew up with only seem to thrive in their home, and eventually Gogol is going to mature and he will have had soaked himself American culture- thus making American culture evident in his life. He is expected to conform.

Overall, the first third of the book gives a foreshadowing of the rest of the book, because it is so easy to make tons of assumptions through what Lahiri has given the reader. I personally tend to like books with this trend of a beginning. Therefore, so far, I like The Namesake.

[Emily]

I definitely agree with what Patti is saying about the changing of perspectives reflecting the changing of culture. Ashima and Ashoke are two people who were both brought up to respect and be faithful to their Bengali roots. Although Ashima and Ashoke left Calcutta for Boston in search of more opportunity, they still stay in touch with this "old-school way of thinking", as Patti said. The first few chapters are told from the point of view of both Ashima and Ashoke, and we get an understanding of how they feel about their Bengali roots and the difficulties of staying faithful to their culture in such a modernized and diverse area. However, they don't let where they live affect their Bengali way of life.

Then, the perspective switches to Gogol's. Gogol was born in the United States and although his parents raised him as a Bengali, he can't help but feel like a complete outcast in his classroom and with his friends, mainly because of his name and how he has been brought up. We see how differently Gogol feels about being a Bengali compared to how his parents feel. He grows to become embarrassed by his name, not sure of how much meaning it truly has. I think that Lahiri wants to emphasize how difficult it is for Ashima, Ashoke, and Gogol to live their new lives as Americans but to also stay in touch with their Bengali roots and that practicing the cultures of a Bengali and of an American will be no easy task.

[Haley]

Like Alex, I too was intrigued by Lahiri's descriptive diction and precise detail that went into describing each aspect of the Bengalis' lives. What really stands out to me is Gogol's desire to find himself, although he doesn't even realize this in the first third of the book. I could imagine how difficult it is for Gogol (and Sonia) to grow up surrounded by the American lifestyle and with a mother and a father trying desperately to force them to hold onto their roots from Calcutta.

It also strikes me how naive both Ashoke, Ashima and Gogol all are. Ashoke and Ashima are naive to believe their son wasn't a "real American teenager," to believe that he wouldn't venture out and party/try drugs. It seems obvious to me that Gogol would do those things because of the American ways he learned when he was a child. Just like American children ride bikes and play baseball, American teenagers party and try different things--which usually means branching out of comfort zones to fit in. In this case, Gogol has to go to extra extents to fit in, for example going as far as changing his name when he's with Kim at the party.

I also can't help but notice how Gogol was different even when he was in grade school--like in the field trip to the graveyard, Gogol was struck by the different names that he hadn't heard before. He knows that there's a deeper meaning behind his name, but his parents don't think he'll be able to fully appreciate the story behind it at his age.

[Sarah]

I was intrigued by Lahiri's decision to include the train accident at the beginning rather than letting the reader wonder why Gogol was given this strange name. The constant references to the name and the way it played into his childhood (like the gravestone example Haley cited) cause the reader to wonder when Gogol will be told the true meaning of his name, other than that it is after his father's favorite author.
I found myself flipping back in my mind to the accident, analyzing its influence on Gogol's father's behavior (such as the fact that Gogol's dad is more Westernized and open to assimilation than his mother.) Also, it set more of a dark tone, adding weight to the often sweet story of Gogol's birth.
Added to Gogol's mom's immense pain at the loss of her homeland, The Namesake has a heaviness to it that causes the reader to sense Gogol's coming angst and struggle with his heritage, with his family, and identity. The accident conjures themes of destiny, the fragility of life (also developed through the bad telephone news the Gangulis are always receiving), luck, and discovering one's purpose. Eventually, Gogol's story might bring up these themes his father's experience has touched on.

[Vivian]

I actually thought that I wouldn’t like the book. I usually don’t like the summer books assigned to us, but so far, I’m in love with this book. I love how Lahiri was so descriptive in his struggle to discover himself through his anxiety over his name. Being stuck between two cultures is difficult. Both sides expect certain things that conflict with each other. His parents expect him to be well-behaved and to become a successful man, but the American culture urges him to be a “regular American teenager” and to live in the moment. Which culture is he going to choose?

[Jaclyn]

I agree with Vivian about Lahiri's description on Gogol's struggle with finding his own identity and dealing with a culture clash. As i read Gogol's struggle with trying to fit into the American culture with an Indian name, it reminded me of his mother's struggle with trying to raise a baby in a country with no family to help and different customs. Such that "[Gogol] hate[d] having to tell people that it doesn't mean anything "in Indian"'(76) while his mother "cries as she feeds him, and as she pats him to sleep...she cries after the mailman's visit because there are no letters from Calcuttta"(34). I think Lahiri describing his mother's struggle with this new world foreshadowed how Gogol would deal with having an Indian background in an American world and the conflicts he has with his parents later in his college years.

I thought it was ironic when Lahiri included Gogol's first day of kindergarten to show how he was the one that chose Gogol as his 'good name' and then by the end of chapter four we see that he wishes to be known as "Nikhil"(96) from now on. I think the reason Gogol hasn't accepted the name his parents gave him is because his father was never able to explain to him why they chose that name for him in the first place. I think if Ashoke had sat Gogol down and described the train accident, Gogol would have a new respect for not only his name, but for his father as well. I find Gogol's struggle with living an American lifestyle while stuck in an Indian culture very interesting because it shows his personal conflicts and the contrasts between the two cultures.

[Terry]

As for my feelings on the opening 4 chapters of The Namesake, I've noticed that in comparison to Achebe's style, Lahiri's is a good deal more flowery, almost to the point that it tends to focus more on details than actually telling a story, and as such I found her writing significantly more plodding and difficult to immerse myself in. Lahiri obviously puts a lot of effort into creating imagery and bringing the Ganguli family to life, but I would argue it verges on being a bit too much.However, I wouldn't say that Lahiri is a bad writer (only that her writing is slightly imbalanced), as her characters are quite believable and human, and her imagery is fantastic. However, as of yet the novel hasn't really caught my interest, and I suppose I can only hope for it's improvement from this point.

To continue my old habit of analyzing the book cover: A white lotus (symbol of spiritual perfection/awakening and purity in many Asian religions, but particularly Hinduism and Buddhism) blooms on a faded cream-color background with a slight speckling of red and yellow at the borders of the cream, indicating age . The stem of the lotus has an odd coloration, and is speckled with some highly chromatic blue and brown (in contrast to the normal green associated with most healthy plants) and is highly curved , which I feel could symbolize some perversion of normalcy or something going almost irreparably wrong. The lotus flower does not grow straight up(as a normal flower would), but the petals lay splayed on the back cover, as though the flower lay on the verge of collapse, a definite sign of foreboding for events to come(or symbolizing an attempt to hide something). The flower could be representative of Gogol's journey through life, with the coloring representing his two differing cultures, especially seeing as a the flower blooms in the middle of the two colored borders (which could symbolize the eventual balance of the two cultures). The author's name takes up a good deal more space than the book's actual title, giving the reader a feeling that the novel may not be as good as the author's previous works, or that it is trying to borrow off it's author's fame and previous successes, rather than standing alone as a singular novel should. To me, this is a pretentious move for the author to make, especially having her name printed in holographic, light-catching font.

Being relatively interested in etymology and names myself, I had high hopes for the namesake in terms of capturing my attention, though I must admit it wasn't quite what I expected.I will admit, at first impression the transition to third person narrative is a bit jarring for me as a reader, especially so being that the novel thus far seems to have no central protagonist. Admittedly, this is probably in the novel's best interest, as focusing on a family can help for characterization purposes, but from what I've gotten of characterization no-one has truly caught my interest.The characters I can most empathize with are Ashoke "He who transcends grief" and Ashima "She who is without limits or borders", the immigrants trying desperately to balance their traditional Bengali culture and their new identities as Americans. Their names do seem to play an integral role in their character development, especially so during their relationship-building scenes. Ashima "transcending borders" could be a reference to her moving to America with Ashoke, while Ashoke helps her "transcend grief" over losing her mother and being alienated from her homeland in a strange new country.

I would predict that the overarching theme that guides Gogol's journey through life will basically amount to "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"(To quote "Romeo And Juliet"), and his struggle to create his own identity (which hopefully will be coupled with the realization that he cannot run away from his past and his culture). I can understand Gogol's actions to some degree (remembering a similar period in my own life), but I hope for Gogol's sake, that he will mature and grow out of this phase quickly.However, as of right now, I personally can't form an attachment to Gogol's character. He's rather impetuous and bratty with no explanation other than the blanket excuse that it's simply "that time in his life" and that he's developing into a normal "American teenager" (p.93). His disrespectful behavior to his parents reminds me of another fictional Indian teenager I have issue with from Summer Reading of last year: Piscine "Pi" Molitor Patel from The Life of Pi.Both characters have in common a senseless period of angst, and while Gogol lacks the religious overtones that Pi had, he more than makes up for it with his sheer nonsensical anger towards his name(especially futile and childish seeing that in America, it is a relatively easy process to change one's legal name, which could possibly be a later plot point).

As for Sonali "Sonia", I find it rather irritating that her birth is glanced over and given relatively little attention compared to that of Gogol's. This would almost certainly cement her role as an unimportant minor character who will stand in Gogol's shadow in terms of importance to the plot, which saddens me as the entire point of lacking a central protagonist (as seen through the many changes in perspective) is to give the reader more insight into characters who would normally be less important and overlooked.

In response to Sam's comment about Ashima and Ashoke "{forcing} their identity (and Indian Culture) on their children", I would interpret it as no more than a natural way of raising their children.I remember oftentimes in my childhood, I would be assigned projects about my heritage or my family history, and as such I came to accept being well versed in your native culture (as well as American culture) as a second nature. In my mind at least, Gogol's "struggle" with balancing his two cultures is all in his mind, and thus (in my opinion)so mundane that it is undeserving of attention.Like it or not,(until we reach a certain age) most children and teens in America are at the mercy of their parents needs and whims, and defiance is almost entirely pointless (again, up to a certain age).

To pose a question to the group, am I the only one who finds it slightly disconcerting when the author assumes that it's common procedure for a normal American teen to routinely lie to his/her parents, do drugs, drink alcohol, and go out to wild college parties, etc... around age 14? The boy has BARELY hit puberty and already seems to have lost his moral compass and any sense of direction in his life.Speaking of which, I also find it a bit irritating that "...It hadn't been Gogol who kissed Kim. Gogol had nothing to do with it"(p.96). I can feel the possibility of split-personality disorder and alter-egos seeping into the story already, and I must say things are not looking good for the Ganguli family, should Lahiri choose to go in such a predictable direction. I have a horrible sneaking suspicion that Gogol's behavioral trend to treat both of his names as separate identities will soon catch up with him and his multiple identities being invariably the same person will prove to be a major revelation for him later in the novel.

I also predict that the girl at Gogol's birthday party (Moushumi) will have some greater role in the plot, based on the theory of "conservation of description". Lahiri more than likely wouldn't mention Moushumi unless she had some later importance, and the relatively small amount of detail she gave Moushumi is rather odd, catching my eye due to Lahiri's usually detailed and descriptive style.I wonder if she could be a possible love interest for Gogol, or even an cause of the "wrenching love affairs" that are supposed to plague Gogol's later existence.

[Brittany]

I think the the first part of this book was such an amazing description of a culture clash within one household. Ashoke and Ashima versus their son, Gogol which parallels the clash between Bengali and American culture, respectively. I think this book diminishes the belief that the United States is a melting pot, and that all the cultures blend together. In this case, they don't blend together at all and the ideal that America is a melting pot is no more.

Ashoke and Ashima desperately attempt to shelter their son from the American culture, failing miserably when he begins to grow up, which leads him to start to despise his own name. It bothers me how Ashoke and Ashima can not admit to their son the real meaning behind his own name. On the first day of kindergarten, Ashoke reveals to Gogol his "good" name, Nikhil, but Gogol was too young to accept anything but Gogol. I believe his parents were extremely ill prepared to raise their son in such an environment, because now Gogol struggles with accepting who he really is and who his parents want him to be.

However, I disagree with Xuan and Alex, that if Ashoke told Gogol the true meaning of his name he would be too stubborn to accept it. On the other hand, I believe that he would have been more appreciative of his name and wouldn't be so ashamed of it, because a story like his father's is truly one of courage and bravery, and if Gogol had the opportunity of sharing such a story to his friends he wouldn't hate his name, he would learn to accept it.

[Clarissa]

I have to say the very start of this book caught my attention as Ashima is attempting to make an Indian snack with these american ingredients-- however of course something is missing.The comfortableness Lahiri portrays within Ashima really portrays how difficult and terrifying it can be to come into a whole new world, so to speak, and start a new life. It interests me how she tries to make over her home in Cambridge to remind her of what she left behind in Calcutta, through foods and clothing. It shows that although she is willing to leave her home to raise a child in a prosperous society, she is not willing to give up that which she knows and cherishes, which is her culture.

I completely agree with brittany concerning the idea that America is said to be a "Melting pot". The whole beginning of this story depicts how two cultures living among one another can be a difficult situation, not always easy to blend. Ashima and Ashoke holding onto their home culture, and then Gogol being brought up in this new cultural environment but being forced to ignore it.

As Gogol grows the sheltered attempts of his parents, as Brittany also mentioned, at keeping him from the American culture leads him to want to change his Traditional Indian name.I agree that this push to keep his Indian heritage alive caused Gogol to struggle with accepting his own self, but I disagree that Ashoke and Ashima were ill prepared. I think it was just the way they handled their own self struggles with accepting the new american culture around them. Acceptance here is a two way street.

[Sam]

I think that the fact that american life was so different for Ashoke and Ashima meant that they didn't quite know what to expect. This is why they try to bring as much of their home as they could with them, and that is why they try to almost form their own community of people from India, to remind themselves of their former home.

I agree with Clarissa in that keeping Gogol sheltered, his parents influenced his decision to change his name. It was as much an effort to rebel against his parents way of life, as it was trying to "americanize" himself.

[Grace]

As soon as I started reading The Namesake I was immediately hooked.
The Indian culture has always been interesting to me so it was not hard to become immediately interested in Ashoke and Ashima's life together. I was intrigued by the certain customs of India that I wasn't aware of. For example, the fact that Ashoke and Ashima's marriage wasn't by destiny but by careful planning from each of their families. After reading about other customs and the importance of them in India, I was dragged even deeper into the story when I learned of Ashoke and Ashima's move to America.

The most interesting part of this transition was the way Ashima and Ashoke reacted to American customs.Because of their dedication to indian customs, it was quite humorous to me to hear our traditional customs, here in America, to be talked about so negatively by Ashoke and Ashima. For example: "He pointed out that it [Nikhil] was relatively easy to pronounce, though there was a danger that American's obsessed with abbreviations, would truncate it to Nick."(PP 56) When I thought about it, Ashoke was right. American's do have a way of shortening every word they possibly can.

I also found it interesting to watch Gogol grow up in America. Although Ashoke and Ashima would enforce strict Indian customs on Gogol, it seemed as though he couldn't help but be "Americanized" because of his constant surroundings of American customs and people.

[Harris]

“I’m saying I don’t want to raise Gogol alone in this country. It’s not right. I want to go back” (33) had hit me just as strong as “he, too, feels heavy, with the thought of life, of his life and the life about to come from it” (21), like a burdening memory rising to the surface. How many times my parents have said that to each other in their rooms, how many times my father reminds me of the sacrifices he made to come to this country: more than enough. At first glance Lahiri’s introduction with Ashima and Ashoke, had as it did with Alex and Xuan, reminded me a lot about my own parent’s immigration story. I was dissatisfied. I didn’t want to read a book that made me tear up at every twenty pages. However, this is Lahiri’s book and through the use of Ahoke’s background and Ashima’s homesickness she is able to characterize a struggling Bengali family that is trying their best to overcome the hardships of change, from isolating themselves in America (Pemberton Road) to giving birth to Gogol, and losing close contacts with their new Bengali friends by moving to Pemberton.

Given the title of the book, Namesake, I find it ironic (maybe purposeful?) that the characters are constantly emphasized through change. A namesake is a legacy, something passed down generation after generation, a name that doesn’t change. By now, I understand that the namesake is given to Ashoke’s son, Gogol, represented by the man who wrote the book that saved his life. I also wonder, as does Sarah, why Lahiri would include the train accident so early on, rather than giving us a mystery. I also wonder how Gogol would react to his name as he grows older, even though his name is not that of Bengali tradition. I wonder how he would react to his Grandmother’s missing letter and if he would ever resent never getting that name. It’s already clear his parents have not yet fully become Americanized, still eating homemade chicken curry, wearing saris, and still having the tradition of a good name. However it is seen that Gogol is the one retracting the heritage that he is to live with, little by little. We can see that when Gogol would rather be called Gogol and not use the good name their parents are intent on giving. In addition, Ashima would “concede and make him an American dinner once a week as a treat” (65). I find this a little too obvious though. A boy living in an American world would have to change somehow. And in regards to Vivian’s question: “Which culture is he going to choose” I feel as though he’s going to go the “regular American teenager route,” because Gogol is always attempting to free himself from his parent’s identity. I mean, it is hard trying to keep something like the Bengali culture from changing when there is very little of that culture present in the first place. It reminds me of my parents telling me to “speak Chinese in the house”. I try, but it’s hard.

Does anyone find Lahiri’s ending to chapter three a little creepy? I’m thinking maybe the graves symbolize death, and that in the end something related to death is going to occur?

At the middle of Chapter 4, I get so excited to see Ashoke giving Gogol the book that had saved his life, because maybe something will click in Gogol’s mind and somehow change the course he’s headed in. But I’m disappointed. Lahiri does not allow Ashoke to speak of how he had obtained his limp. Maybe it is indeed a little too early to say.

I’m enjoying this book thus far. Its funny how Gogol and I have quite a few things in common, and its funny to relate. And like Jaclyn said maybe the beginning of this book was to foreshadow the upbringings that Gogol would have to face as well. But the difference would be that Ashima and Ashoke are struggling in a world where there is no Bengali culture, and Gogol would be struggling in a world where there is too much.

[Immaculate]

I agree with Patti on how the distinct perspectives in the first third of the book reflect a transition from one culture to another. It's very evident that although Gogol's parents choose to stick to their culture's customs, despite the move to another country whose way of life seems completely different from what they're used to, and thus, struggle to come to terms with it , Gogol has no problem basking in the new environment's culture, in an attempt to sort of break free of his parents' traditional ways. Peer influence also plays a role in Gogol's unwillingness to give into his parents' old fashioned life-style, because he enjoys being Americanized, in order to feel accepted by his peers. However, the more Ashok and Ashima fight to instill their Indian customs and believes in Gogol, so that he may know and understand where he comes from, the more he resists, thus proving that the harsh cultural gap, like Patti mentions, between him and his parents will only become wider as the story progresses.