On its surface, Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake" is a very underwhelming book. The whole story exists to explore the importance of a name. For a Bengali man named Gogol, it's the reality that he's named after a Russian author that his father loved. It's a comical situation, if just because he never got a true name, forcing himself to make his own identity as he navigated the world. As he discusses the first 40 years of his life, he discovers the wonders of the world both through his personal identity and the American one that he comes to adopt. The results may feel a bit muted, but help to explain the small ways that individuals evolve, mixing cultures and finding a new personal identity. It's heartwarming in small ways that elevate it to a perplexing treasure.
Before he was even born, the conflict around Gogol's name is given an elaborate origin. When his grandmother is unable to provide a name (as originally intended), the family discovers that they need to name him. It's been a tradition for Bengali children to sometimes not have a name for years, but in America the results are different. Because of this, a pet name comes to define him. It's formless, unable to really give a sense of who he is to the outside world. It's a comic tragedy, and one that comes into clearer form following his actual spring into childhood, where the world begins to wonder just what Gogol as a name means.
Without giving away too much plot, his name changes throughout the course of his name. This is not only out of personal insecurity with his name, but because his interests have evolved and he's attempting to be better respected. Even then, his name changes to something more mature with Nikil, reflecting of his shift into adulthood and the slow revelation of the world around him. As he becomes a college student, he finds a community who loves art house movies and discussing classic literature. In some small ways, it's reflective of things that have been inside of him all the time, and he's finally getting a chance to express himself and understand why these things were seen as significant.
It's a growth in confidence as he moves away from being just his parents' son. Among the most noteworthy details of the book is how Bengali and American cultures continually clash, looking for dominance in his DNA. In that way, Lahiri has created an essential perspective on immigration and how there are always multiple identities within their lives. They are constantly changing it in order to meet the moment. Lahiri's ability to place it within the passage of time only helps to make this whole exercise much more endearing.
"The Namesake" doesn't set out to be a bold story. Instead, it's one that asks "What's in a name" and comes up with something much more satisfying. There isn't much of a conflict beyond identity. Gogol grows and evolves in ways that are reflective of an everyman. In that respect, it may come across as a bit boring to readers. Even then, to stop and think about how a person changes over time is to see how Lahiri made a quietly powerful story about a life. It's likely that every reader has had a different identity in their past, no matter how small. This book provides understanding of one not often heard, and it's quite a journey to get there.
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