The Namesake

Author: Jhumpa Lahiri

Date of pulblication: September 2003 

Place: India, United States

Plot: The novel describes the struggles and hardships of a Bengali couple who immigrate to the United States to form a life outside of everything they are accustomed to.

The story begins as Ashoke and Ashima leave Calcutta, India and settle in Central Square, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Through a series of events, Gogol becomes the main character's official birth name, an event that will shape many aspects of his life in years to come. Throughout the story, Gogol fights an internal battle to find himself. He struggles trying to balance between American versus Indian culture and appreciating friendship more than family. Continuously in the novel, the author, Lahiri, uses different appeals of argument to show the reader that family should always be valued and help the reader connect with the story. Pathos in particular forces the reader to connect emotionally with the story, specifically of how Gogol's name came about and Ashoke's tragic accident.

Characters

Ashok Ganguli

Ashima Ganguli

Gogol (Nikhil)

Theme: Diospora, Namesake