Cultural Hybridity in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake
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Faculty of English
Abstract
Jhumpa Lahiri’s narrator in The Namesake explicates an immigrant’s position
of cultural hybridity in the United States. In Lahiri’s narrative, Gogol Nikhil Ganguli
vacillates between the traditional Bengali and modern American cultures in terms of
his fascination of the West and resentment of the East. Gogol and Sonia represent
young immigrants in America, whereas their parents stand for original Bengali
culture. Ashoke chooses a Russian name while Gogol’s family back home in Calcutta
suggest Nikhil as an official name for the boy in school. Ashoke gives the boy Gogol
as his pet name in the honor of a famous Russian writer; however, the son legally
changes his name into Gogol Nikhil Ganguli shortly before he leaves for college.
Both Gogol and Ashoke embody cultural ambivalence resulted from their experiences
of two different worldviews, the Indian and the American. The protagonist, while
migrating from the East to the West, shares both the cultures: the original indigenous
Bengali and the modern American one. Gogol represents the many of the second
generation immigrants while his father embodies the first generation, and both are
split between the two worlds. The protagonist’s relationship with parents and family
reflect the hero’s quest for his identity while living in the Indian diaspora in the West.
Not only Gogol’s engagement with Maxine but also separation from her embodies
immigrants’ split identities. After reluctance for some time, Gogol marries,
Moushumi, the Bengali girl, but their relationship ends with their divorce. Gogol, who
resents his name over the years, accepts it after his father explains its significance. His
hatred of name replicates his resentment of tradition and Indian identity because of
upbringing in different world. Precisely, Lahiri’s novel explicates generational and
cultural gaps in the disaspora.