Setting and Adaptation in The Namesake

In the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the primary character, Gogol, is forced to adjust to several different environments as he ages like Calcutta, the diverse apartments he occupied all through college, and his ex-girlfriend Maxine’s home. Gogol’s parents, Ashima and Ashoke, were born in India nonetheless Gogol was born in America. Since of this distinction in upbringing, Gogol and his parents shared extremely distinct definitions of home. The culture clash in between Gogol’s Bengali heritage and new American ideals brought on internal conflict for him, as he struggled to choose exactly where he truly belonged for the duration of his childhood and even continuing into his adulthood.

Beginning early in his infanthood, Gogol and his loved ones made infrequent trips to Calcutta, India, where most of Ashima and Ashoke’s family members lived. They would either go for just a go to, or make the trip due to a recent death in their family members. Gogol never deemed Calcutta his home, like his parents did. He and his sister dreaded the trips there, especially the one particular they took for eight months even though Gogol was in 10th grade. While they are getting ready to leave Gogol expresses disinterest in India getting his temporary residence, “…labeled with the address of his father’s house in Alipore. Gogol constantly finds the labels unsettling, the sight of them creating him really feel that his family does not actually reside on Pemberton Road.” (147) Even so, Lahiri suggests that “Within minutes, just before their eyes Ashoke and Ashima slip into bolder, less complicated versions of themselves, their voices louder, their smilers wider, revealing a self-confidence Gogol and Sonia never ever see on Pemberton Road. “I’m scared, Goggles,” Sonia whispers to her brother in English, searching for his hand and refusing to let go.” (150) The transformation of Ashima and Ashoke when they arrive in India recommend that they think about themselves house, even though Gogol and Sonia are slightly skeptical and weary of this unfamiliar location. Ashima and Ashoke attempted to hold Bengali customs and traditions alive whilst living in America, for example the two names offered to their son, Gogol and Nikhil. Gogol, nonetheless, did not realize the tradition and as an alternative went against his parents’ wishes he declared his “good” name the identical as his “pet” name.

It is evident that Gogol by no means regarded his location of heritage in Calcutta residence in the manner of his parents he was born in America surrounded by American ideals, which brought on him to contemplate that his residence. Soon after Gogol graduates high school and is accepted to Yale, he moves into a dormitory in New Haven with two roommates. In Chapter 5 whilst he is living in the dorm, he tends to make frequent weekend visits house to go to his loved ones on Pemberton Road, nevertheless on one certain weekend he makes the declaration that he considers his dorm his home: “One weekend Gogol makes the error of referring to New Haven as property. “Sorry, I left it at home,” he says… Ashima is outraged by the remark, dwelling on it all day. “Only 3 months, and listen to you,” she says, telling him that right after twenty years in America, she nevertheless can not bring herself to refer to Pemberton Road as property.” (193-194) This quote is another instance of how his parents will most likely constantly refer to India as their house, even though their children, specifically Gogol, take comfort in distinct environments in America and adapt their definition of property. Gogol admits that “…it is his room at Yale exactly where [he] feels most comfy.” (194) He states how he enjoys the really feel of his dormitory, the oldness and grace especially, he also claims that it feels much more like property than his residence on Pemberton Road. As a result, Gogol’s temporary place of solace becomes his Yale dorm as an alternative of his childhood house, suggesting that he much more effortlessly adapts to new areas than his parents do.

Another residence that Gogol grows accustomed to is his girlfriend at the time, Maxine’s parents residence in New York. He spent a lot of time there, no matter whether it was spending the evening or attending a dinner celebration thrown by Maxine’s parents, Gerald and Lydia. Sooner or later, Gogol is asked to move in with Maxine. He rapidly adjusts to the Ratliffs way of life and their a lot more laid-back tendencies. On page 251, Lahiri writes “And but right here he is, evening right after evening, a welcome addition to the Ratliffs’ universe, performing just that.” Gogol begins to place off going back to Pemberton Road to visit his loved ones, as he would rather spend the weekend with Maxine and her parents. Which suggests that his definition of residence had changed but once again, and he felt most comfortable in the gigantic Greek Revival that Maxine grew up in. Also, a frequent theme in the novel was families putting their last name on the door/mailbox of their residence, some thing Gogol never ever did at his apartment although dating Maxine. Lahiri portrays that his apartment at the time was by no means regarded residence, “His futon and his table, his kettle and toaster and tv and the rest of his factors, stay on Amsterdam Avenue. His answering machine continues to record his messages. He continues to get his mail there, in a nameless metal box.” (248-249) This quote suggests that although he was technically living there, he by no means deemed it as significantly house as the Ratliffs house.

Gogol moves by way of and visits numerous diverse locations throughout his life, whether or not in India or America. Nonetheless, he always seemed to alter his definition of property and exactly where he felt most comfy. It changed with different ambitions, distinct girlfriends, and various desires. Some areas he adapted to far more easily, such as the Ratliffs home others prove somewhat much more hard to adapt to, like his grandparents’ property in Calcutta, exactly where his parents felt most at residence.