The Namesake Group at eNotes

What are some differences between Bengali and American customs,...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:05:16 PST

What are some differences between Bengali and American customs, traditions, or practices?

The idea behind your question strikes at one of the critical issues of...

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 06:45:27 PST

The idea behind your question strikes at one of the critical issues of the novel. Lahiri's work seeks to examine how "hyphenated Americans" have to deal with the straddling of two worlds- the world in which they are and the world from which they came. Gogol's name represents this. On one hand, it is not really a Bengali name, but is one that derives from his father and his past, two elements that cause a certain level of consternation in...

Is it possible that Gogol blamed a dislike for himself on his name, and...

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:58:09 PST

Is it possible that Gogol blamed a dislike for himself on his name, and by changing his name he felt that he became a new person that he liked more?

Give an example of how you defined "American" before reading The...

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:30:33 PST

Give an example of how you defined "American" before reading The Namesake and after.

Ashoke and Ashima never really gave in, they just tried their best to...

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:55:51 PST

Ashoke and Ashima never really gave in, they just tried their best to assimilate into American culture where it was needed, for the sake of their children. They always tried to instill values and morals into their children, and keep them connected to their Bengali heritage as best they could. Inevitably, their children would be American, speak English, wear jeans and tshirts and listen to rock music, their parents couldnt change that. They...

I believe it was a lonely experience. To Ashima, India would always be...

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:51:13 PST

I believe it was a lonely experience. To Ashima, India would always be her home. It was warm and lively there, It was all she knew. India was where her family was, and the place where she had so many beautiful memories. When she came to America in the dead of winter, everything seemed so foreign and strange. It was cold, first of all, something she knew felt growing up in hot and humid India. She did not understand the language well, which can...

Moushumi's parents were aqquaintances of the Ganguli family. She and...

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:28:38 PST

Moushumi's parents were aqquaintances of the Ganguli family. She and Gogol met as kids, but she didnt take to him or any of the other children. She felt a little above them, to be honest. She had spent some time as a child in England, and always had a slight accent, despite being raised in America for most of her life. She has a deep passion for anything European, particularly of France. After Gogol's fathers death and his breakup with...

Can anyone exlain howThe Namesake is a bildungsroman? Does this refer...

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 07:07:29 PST

Can anyone exlain howThe Namesake is a bildungsroman? Does this refer tot he development of Gogol's character or that of his son?

The name has special meaning to Ashoke for various reasons. The first is...

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 14:30:37 PST

The name has special meaning to Ashoke for various reasons. The first is because it is the last name of one of his favorite Russian authors. When he was 22 years old he was in a terrible train wreck in which he almost died. He was clutching a page of from "The Overcoat," a short story written by Nikolai Gogol. The only reason that the rescuers saw him was because he held up the hand that was holding the page and the page fell. Another reason...

Identity: Gogol struggles throughout the novel with his dual identity -...

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 14:23:32 PST

Identity: Gogol struggles throughout the novel with his dual identity - American and Bengali. He changes his name in an effort to do away with any negative connotation there is with the origin of his name. Nikolai Gogol was considered an eccentric man and Gogol Ganguli does not want to be associated with the weirdness of Gogol the author. However, he feels this way because he does not know the true origin of his namesake. This theme...

At his rice ceremony, Gogol eats everything he is offered but when he is...

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 14:09:28 PST

At his rice ceremony, Gogol eats everything he is offered but when he is supposed to choose what destiny he'll have he doesnt touch anything on the plate (which includes a mound of dirt, a dollar bill and a pen.) When he is pressured to choose something, he cries.

Moushumi Mazoomdar is a woman whose parents are friends of the Gangulis....

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 14:06:43 PST

Moushumi Mazoomdar is a woman whose parents are friends of the Gangulis. She knew Gogol when she was 13, was invited to his party but she thoroughly ignored him and the rest of the kids. When she is older, she is a graduate student at NYU and Gogol asks her to meet him for a drink at the suggestion of his mother. Gogol and Moushumi get married but she cheats on him and they separate close to the ending of the novel.

In The Namesake, what is Ashima's first job in America?

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 09:03:35 PST

In The Namesake, what is Ashima's first job in America?

What are the themes of "The Namesake" and explain how they are...

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:32:30 PST

What are the themes of "The Namesake" and explain how they are significant to the title.

What are the themes in "The namesake". Explain the significances in...

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:48:22 PST

What are the themes in "The namesake". Explain the significances in light of the titled of the film.

Who is Moushumi?

Mon, 8 Dec 2008 23:58:35 PST

Who is Moushumi?

Gogol was born into a Ukrainian Cossack family in 1809. His family were...

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:58:40 PST

Gogol was born into a Ukrainian Cossack family in 1809. His family were landowners, so there was money for him to attend boarding school. As a child, he was frequently ill; the Dictionary of World Biography notes that he was so pampered by his mother that he developed an "inflated opinion of himself." The dictionary also describes him as "a skinny, unattractive child with a bad complexion and a long nose; he was often called...

Painful and isolating--over many years she makes friends in the Indian...

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 18:07:12 PST

Painful and isolating--over many years she makes friends in the Indian community in Boston, and her children and husband bring her happiness. But when her husband dies and her two children are independent, Ashima can finally return home. She has never fully assimilated in America, but she has put down important roots, hence her decision to spend six months in India and six months in the US.

Describe Nikolai Gogol, the author for whom Gogol Ganguli in "The...

Sat, 1 Nov 2008 08:29:26 PST

Describe Nikolai Gogol, the author for whom Gogol Ganguli in "The Namesake" is named.

Describe gogol's rice ceremony.

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:10:26 PST

Describe gogol's rice ceremony.