The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is an example of a literary work that was made by Diaspora Indians in foreign lands (Macwan 112). This novel tackles the associated feelings of alienation, adaptability, loss of identity, mobility and adjustments to promote awareness on the status of migrants (Macwan 114). It raises inquiries about the definitions of ‘home’ or ‘nation’. This paper discusses Gogol’s definition of home in the novel and how this definition changed from his childhood to his teenage and college years up to his adulthood. Gogol, as well as his parents, holds the idea that home is closely related with the concept of belonging. His pursuit of defining ‘home’ is comparable to efforts in finding an unyielding sense of belonging.
Gogol became aware that he is uncomfortable living “in between” cultures. He always has this feeling of being an outsider and his concept of ‘home’ and identity became his major issue. He made different things in order for him to define and redefine himself. He even changed his name and moved away from home.
As a child of an immigrant, having two names reflects the problem of feeling neither one thing nor the other. Gogol never knew how to answer if he was asked where he is from. It bothered him not knowing where he fully belonged. He felt being squeezed in between India, the country of his parents, and U.S.A., the country of his birth. He tried to follow the Indian traditions and American customs. Gogol was enthralled more on USA lifestyle and society but the USA also does not accept him completely. He struggled for cultural identity and definition of his real home. Gogol felt as a stranger to both India and America.
As a teen he wanted to change his school. He became aware of the uncommon nature of his name since it was neither Indian nor American. This made him detached from his family. When he grew up, he changed Gogol to Nikhil. He felt as if he had a new identity but he still did not feel like Nikhil and the name Nikhil felt like scant and unimportant (Macwan 119). And so he went far from home. He sought for a new home as he is not at home with his name. Gogol made a home in New York as he resisted the demands to conform to his parents’ expectations. He wanted to live a stylish life, protected from the uncomfortable momentary instabilities of his identity problems. He made girlfriends. Gogol’s definition of home changed with his girlfriends. These relationships are a defined expression of the extent to which Gogol accepts or rejects an identity according to his family history. They also lead to a sense of loss of identity.
Eventually, as Gogol grew and matured, despite his different attempts, Gogol recognized his family as the source of his identity. He was able to recognize his family and accepted Indian-American identity. He did not ignore the Bengali customs anymore and did not envy American customs. This acknowledgment is bittersweet and was achieved with a price because his attachment with his home was only renewed when his father died. When he totally let go of his reluctance and accepted the two cultures, he married Moushumi. His definition of home became a concept of domestic life. The recognition of his identity does not serve as an implication of failure. Gogol’s mature identity is exposed to entail all the consequences he faced, because for him, home is very important as it defines his personhood. Ultimately, he claimed a home which answers the question of what personhood means in the world.
Work Cited
Macwan, Hiral. “A study of Diasporic sensibility and acculturation in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake.” International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities 2.7 (2008): 110-127.
