But after a number of relationship failures and some few successes, Gogol is attracted to the comfort of his heritage, one that has settled deep in the marrow of his bones. At first he gravitates to the social acceptance of Americanization, pushing aside the Indian rituals that draw attention to his differences.
The unfortunate Gogol is tethered to this dual Indian-American life, never quite fitting anywhere. These children never really participate in the family celebrations or occasional visits to see relatives in Calcutta to the same degree as their parents but are more attracted to their new culture.
The majority of second-generation Bengali children become gradually Americanized, less drawn to tradition. As for their son, Gogol, who is a well-mannered and dutiful boy, he nevertheless detests his name, although he is helpless to change it until he is an adult. The Ganguli’s fit readily into an academic community where they eventually find a group of other Bengalis, establishing a network of friends who gather for holidays and special occasions common to Bengali traditions. Ashoke impulsively makes this choice based on the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol, who inspired Ashoke in a very personal manner as a young man.
Nonplussed, Ashoke offers the “second” name, Gogol, never meant for use as the child’s public, or formal, name. After the birth of their son, circumstances force them to forego custom and offer a name for the birth certificate. The traditionally-wed young couple emigrate to America in 1967 and must adjust to an entirely new world. In quiet yet compelling prose, Jhumpa Lahiri portrays the temperaments of the Calcutta-born parents, Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli, a pair tied to their Indian roots, customs and rituals. The Namesake overflows with the subtle grace and dignity of a family forced to make peace with their divided loyalties to India and America.
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