Yikes Maxine

I just read chapter 8 of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. This chapter had a main focus on Gogol's love and relationships. Man it was filled with romance and relationships. The beginning started off sadly commencing with "the additional absence of Maxine" (Lahiri 188). We find out at the beginning of the chapter that his beautiful relationship with Maxine is over and the broke up. It is unclear who broke up with who however I believe that Gogol broke up with Maxine (mutual break up though) because of a fight she started about him spending too much time with his family.

Keep in mind that this goes on within the year (mostly at the end) that his dad dies. Now personally, I think that would be so difficult and hard to go through. For Gogol and his family, it is the same way. his family and he take it so hard and mourn together. It seems to bring his family together because they spend more time together. They are forced to go through it together. They visit Ashima on weekends more often and call every night. Maxine unfortunately doesn't take it well. "They began to argue about this" with "Maxine going so far one day as to admit that she felt jealous of his mother and sister" (Lahiri 188). This insecurity of feeling jealous of his mother and sister seems absurd to me along with Gogol. They are his family and they were going through a rough time together. I don't think she should've felt jealous, but instead comforted him and supported him. He really needed her in this time of sadness and death. However, instead he turned to his family and went through it with them. To me, that shows how maybe he didn't have as much of a connection with Maxine and didn't feel close enough with her to go to her for support. So maybe it is best they broke up. 

Hopefully you enjoyed this post. Let me know what you think. Is it best that they broke up?

Identity

Well, I've gotten through 4 more chapters of The Namesake and I am now at chapter 6. A lot has happened. Gogol (I guess now Nikhil) has grown a lot and is now in college! Lots of years have gone by in only 6 chapters, but one main theme I've noticed in searching for identity. The Ganguli family as a whole cannot seem to figure out how which culture to associate themselves with and how much. They seem lost. I could really feel them being tugged and pulled by the different cultures and traditions.

Gogol seems to really be stuck between two cultures. His roots are in India with his family, yet he lives in America and was raised there. I know if I were in his position, it would feel weird and odd knowing that you and you're sister are the only ones who were born and grew up somewhere different from India. It seems hard for him to figure out which traditions to celebrate and which to not. It must be tough not celebrating some common American traditions while in America and instead celebrating the Indian ones that few people know about. 

The one thing that doesn't seem to help him through this is his name. His name provides no clarity on who he is and provides no help to find his identity as more of an Indian or an American. For most of the book, he believes he was named Gogol only because it's his dad's favorite author. He cannot figure out why they would not name him under an Indian name or even an American name (seeing they live in the US). It bothers him SO much and he cannot stand his name whether it's writing it, hearing it, or even just seeing it. He explains "What dismays him most is the irrelevance of it all" (76). He's not russian, and it's not HIS favorite author.

The result of all this identity searching is rebelliousness. As he grows into a teenager and starts to go to college, we see Gogol start to rebel a little bit. He goes to parties, drinks, etc. The search for his identity and the struggle between Indian culture and American must be tough and put a load on his shoulders. The way he "lets off steam" you could say is to rebel. I sure hope this doesn't continue and he stays on the right path the rest of the book. 

The Namesake

Wow! So I just read the first 2 chapters of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. You know, I went in thinking it would be another boring novel for English but I actually enjoyed it! However, it was only the first two chapters so I have to keep reading to see if things stay the same. One thing in the book really interested me: the connection between Ashoke's mother fearing he would be hit by a bus or a tram and die while reading a book and how Ashoke almost actually died, deep into "The Overcoat".

So here's where it started, Lahiri explains how Ashoke was always reading books and how "Ashoke's mother was always conviced that her eldest son would be hit by a bus or a tram, his nose deep into War and Peace. That he would be reading a book the moment he died" (13). I think the assumption here (at least what I thought while reading) is that he would be reading and be so into the book that he wouldn't notice a tram or bus coming, and he would then get hit and die. To me, that is quite sad that his mother was CONVINCED that he would get hit and be reading a book when he died. The interesting part is that she would almost right, but not in the way that I think she expected or thought he would. 

So now I'll explain what ACTUALLY happened. As a 22 year old, he was traveling on the 83 Up Howrah-Ranchi Express to visit his grandparents for the holidays. So at night, everyone went to bed and was asleep except for Ashoke. Can you guess what he was doing? Reading, of course! So at 2:30 in the morning, the tram derailed and his bogie capsized and was flung far into a field. Most of the people asleep died, but Ashoke stayed alive (obviously still injured however). 

So here's the interesting connection: his mom believed he would be reading a book when he died and he ALMOST did die while reading a book (technically "The Overcoat" is a short story, but it's the reading something that matters). However, the complexity is the fact that him reading is what saved him contrary to what his mom thought (that reading the book would indirectly kill him)! The only reason he was not sleeping is because he was reading; had he been sleeping, he would have died like the rest... How's that for a twist? I really enjoyed reading that part. 

I'm excited to see where Gogol, Ashima, and Ashoke go next!