The namesake fits that criteria in that it takes place in three cities and two countries, and examines the nuances involved with being caught between two conflicting cultures with highly. Jun 17, 2018 the namesake explores the themes of isolation, identity, clash of cultures and the immigrant experience. Gogol gangulis indian parents named him after a famous russian writer. The namesake, her first novel, has raised high critical expectations. Symbolism, imagery, allegory the main character in the novel is named after nikolai gogol, a nineteenthcentury russian novelist perhaps best known for his short story the overcoat and his novel dead souls. There were countless incidents throughout the novel that occurred on the train that in the end, ultimately contributed to the development of the. Ashoke transforms that moment from one of fear to one of gratitude, so the story serves as a symbol, for him, of survival and of a way to find love and rebirth through his son. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Through the ganguli family lahiri looks at how the immigrant experience is different for the two generations of immigrants, lahiri does this by first introducing us to ashimas experience and her feeling of alienation which is representative of most of the first generation immigrants. We all came out of gogols overcoat the name mistake. But then in his teenage years all he cared about was being called nikhil.
Relationships are two symbols that portray the theme of family. She and ashoke dont immediately name him because they are waiting for a letter from ashimas grandmother, in which she will divulge his name. When gogol had first seen her at pujos when they were teenagers, she was a quiet character and always had her nose in a book. This story by jhumpa lahiri, is an allegory establishing an identity with using symbolic meaning between two cultures that intersect. The namesake is the second book by jhumpa lahiri, who had previously won the pulitzer prize for her debut collection of stories, interpreter of maladies. May 08, 2020 in reality, through the use of symbolism, the novel gives true insight into the mental condition of ethan, and how the events and setting of the story affect this incredibly complex character. As movie adaptations of books go, the film adaptation is very faithful to the novel. The train meets with an accident, and after recuperating, ashoke relocates to america, settles down, returns home in 1977 to get married to aspiring singer, ashima, and. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. The namesake 2003 is the second book by author jhumpa lahiri. The book is a publication of september 2003 and is a 304page fictional novel.
What were the symbols used in the bookthe namesake. Lahiris first book, the interpreter of maladies, is a collection of short stories which won the pulitzer prize in 2000. Ashokes survival and therefore gogols existence relied on it. First, his father is reading nikolai gogols short stories when he is injured in a train accident outside calcutta. As a firstgeneration american, he attempts to reconcile his parents history with his own hopes for the future. A symbol that has a significant impact on the plot in the novel is the use of the novel, the overcoat by nicolai gogol.
The house on pemberton road is not what ashoke and ashima would choose for themselves. Food plays a central role in illustrating a show of affection, for example, in the case of ashima to her new husband. Heres an indepth analysis of the most important parts, in an easytounderstand format. Books are records of the past and carriers of names, as in the case of moushumis inscribed books from graham or dimitri, or ashimas. Trains symbol analysis throughout the novel, the namesake, trains were revealed as one of the major symbols present in the book.
In chapter 5, ashoke tells gogol of the train incident, and explains to him where his name originated from. Critical essays novel versus film adaptation in 2006, the namesake was adapted into a film directed by mira nair by the same title. The namesake by jhumpa lahiri, chapters vocabulary. Books are records of the past and carriers of names, as in the case.
Sep 16, 2003 the namesake fits that criteria in tmore the big read program selects books that broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves. The namesake essays are academic essays for citation. The film depicts the trials of indian immigrants in america. Characterization on gogol from the namesake book report. The main character in the novel is named after nikolai gogol, a nineteenthcentury russian novelist perhaps best known for his short story the overcoat and. In the novel, a series of coincidences leads up to gogols naming.
Gogols identity in the book namesake 447 words 2 pages. A train ride may simply only represent a journey, from one destination to another, but in the case of the ganguli family, it represents character growth and development from one stage in life to another. The namesake is a novel by pulitzer prize winning author jhumpa lahiri. Mar 01, 2019 overcoat symbolism in the namesake march 1, 2019 by essay writer jhumpa lahiris the namesake is a story that is parallel to nikolai gogols short story the overcoat. It was originally published in the new yorker and was later expanded to a fulllength novel. The namesake 2003 is the debut novel by american author jhumpa lahiri. Dec 01, 2014 vanilla bean the namesake is a book packed with imagery, allegory and symbolism. Jhumpa lahiris first novel, the namesake, begins with a recipe. Jhumpa lahiris the namesake tells the story of the gangulis, a bengali american family grappling with love, loss, and identity in the final thirty. In the namesake indian food symbolizes the whole of indian culture and the closeness of a bengali family and community. Books quotes in the namesake the the namesake quotes below all refer to the symbol of books. It presents the ganguli family as they struggle to adapt from their traditional lifestyle in calcutta to their newly found american lifestyle. In the namesake, gogol had many relationships with various girls. Through this, lahiri is able to convey the idea that a character must fully accept their culture in.
The namesake by jhumpa lahiri the movie the namesake is based on the book of the same name written by the indian american author jhumpa lahiri. The 2006 film adaptation of jhumpa lahiris novel the namesake, tugs at the heartstrings and exposes the contrasts between indian tradition and american life. Books play an important role in many key scenes in the novel, beginning in the first chapter with the young ashokes allconsuming love for thema love that saves his life, and gives gogol his nameand read analysis of books. Food is a symbol within the namesake that lahiri uses to show either a connection or disconnection from culture.
Foster offers that sex is a symbolic action claiming for the individual freedom from convention in which gogol has been held to his whole life foster 155. The namesake movie essay 2015 words internet public library. The namesake in the book, the namesake, by jhumpa lahiri, gogol is the son of bengali parents, and has many different experiences trying to fit into american culture. In the novel, food is used as an indication of a characters connection to their culture. The namesake movie essay 2015 words internet public.
The namesake, jhumpa lahiris popular novel, can be classified under different types of genres. Oct 04, 2015 symbols in the namesake on october 4, 2015october 4, 2015by evanhurlburt the film entitled, the namesake, is director mira nairs interpretation of jhumpa lahiris novel which goes by the same name. You are born when you are born but there is also a rebirth when you get your name and it reoccurs at important parts of your life. In the namesake, jhumpa lahiri uses sex as a pathway for gogol to attempt to break through the cultural rules places upon him by his family. Gogols work is commended and mentioned countless times by lahiri in her writing. The book is full of mentions of birth, death and rebirth. Themes and symbols of the namesake by matthew garcia. In the namesake, it is the indian food that is one of the strongest ties back to india, and connects the family back to their original culture. The symbolic meaning of trains in the namesake literary. The namesake tells a story that is the story of all immigrant groups in america. Dec 05, 2014 i agree that nikolai gogols short story was a very significant symbol in the namesake. Essay on the namesake by jhumpa lahiri 1446 words bartleby. Books play an important role in many key scenes in the novel, beginning in the first chapter with the young ashokes allconsuming love for thema love that saves his life, and gives gogol his nameand ending with gogols chance discovery of the book his father had given him for his birthday more than a decade before. Gogol rebelled in some fairly obvious ways as soon as he was out of his parents house.
Of course, watching the movie is not a substitute for reading the book. Overcoat symbolism in the namesake literature essay samples. At the beginning, gogol didnt really care about his name when he was a child. Parents of great daring arriving with dreams, children growing up in a way that makes them almost strangers, the old culture merging with the new. When ashoke ganguli survives a catastrophic train accident in india thanks to a book of short stories written by nikolai gogol, he decides to move to america. Ashima and ashoke have a son named gogol who eventually enters a graduate program in new york to study architecture. Usually it would be looked at just as a mode of transportation, but in the novel, trains tell a story and have a meaning and purpose trains coming to life not exactly. Symbolism in the namesake by jhumpa lahiri 1830 words 8 pages in the namesake, jhumpa lahiri illustrates several factors contributing to an individuals life such as the struggle faced by settling immigrant families and their growing secondgeneration children. Learn the important quotes in the namesake and the chapters theyre from, including why theyre important and what they mean in the context of the book. It is the memory of this train crash and the desire to read his gogol book that saved his life that causes ashoke to name his son gogol.
The symbol makes its first appearance in the novel when ashoke is involved in a train wreck. Symbolism in the namesake by jhumpa lahiri 1830 words. The story the overcoat, by nikolai gogol, plays a central part in ashoke s. For instance, americans do not accept parents to get involved in their relationships. Dec 05, 2014 many symbols can be found throughout the namesake by jhumpa lahiri that helps develop plot. Overcoat symbolism in the namesake jhumpa lahiris the namesake is a story that is parallel to nikolai gogols short story the overcoat. A vocabulary list featuring the namesake by jhumpa lahiri, chapters. The namesake symbols nikolai gogols story, the overcoat. In the namesake, jhumpa lahiri illustrates several factors. Ashoke transforms that moment from one of fear to one of gratitude, so the. The story also sparks gogols realization that the name his father gives him is based on gratitude and love rather than out of a selfish desire to commemorate a favorite author. It was originally a novella published in the new yorker and was later expanded to a full length novel. This study guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the namesake. The main character in the novel is named after nikolai gogol, a nineteenth century russian novelist perhaps best known for his short story the overcoat and.
It explores many of the same emotional and cultural themes as her pulitzer prizewinning short story collection interpreter of maladies. The namesake overview the namesake by jhumpa lahiri is a pulitzer prize winning novel that follows the ganguli family from their lives in calcutta through their journey to america. The namesake by jhumpa lahiri is a pulitzer prize winning novel that follows the ganguli family from their lives in calcutta through their journey to america. Nov 26, 20 trains are a recurring symbol in the namesake. In this lesson, read about these different genres as well as the recurring motifs from the novel. The character of ethan frome through symbolism literature. Blog post 3 symbols in the namesake gogol and the overcoat.
Another small but present symbol in the namesake is the circle of life. Books, art, and decor narrator point of view bookers seven basic plots analysis plot analysis threeact plot analysis. The novel moves between events in calcutta, boston, and new york city, and examines the. Train rides physically and symbolically represent a journey. Well get to dead souls in a minute or you can skip ahead to the circle of life. Dec 05, 2014 trains were a very subtle yet extremely major symbol in the namesake. Trains, food, clothing, the circle of life, books, art, hands and decor, to name a few of the symbols. These symbols tend to be somewhat hidden but obvious at the same time.
Nov 19, 2012 this post is a followup to last weeks post about the power of names in the book the namesake first of all, my prediction was pretty accurate. Symbols in the namesake on october 4, 2015october 4, 2015by evanhurlburt the film entitled, the namesake, is director mira nairs interpretation of jhumpa lahiris novel which goes by the same name. Overcoat symbolism in the namesake essay art, art movements. In the namesake, jhumpa lahiri conveys a characters preservation of culture through her use of food as a motif. In her small apartment kitchen in cambridge, massachusetts, ashima ganguli is mixing together rice krispies, peanuts, diced onion, salt, lemon juice and chili peppers in a humble approximation of a snack she used to buy in calcutta. In the indian culture that gogol comes from, there is more than one birth. May 14, 2018 in the novel, gogol is involved in a love affair with maxine ratliff.
The setting of the novella, much like ethan, is a hard and frozen 173 landscape in a town in new england, called starkville. The ganguli family in the namesake by jhumpa lahiri the namesake is a literary piece by jhumpa lahiri. It has been said that all modern russian literature came out of gogols overcoat. At the time when they formally met, at the insistence of their parents, she was striking and bold, a significant shift in personalities. The namesake, presents the life of ashima ganguli, who has been transported from india to america with grace and compassion. He wants to be free from his parents lifestyle and adjusts to the american way of life, because he was born in america. The stories of nikolai gogol gogols stories are fraught with meaning. Some of the american values seems very appealing to him. The namesake symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. Although i dont agree that the book represents gogol gangulis life fully, there are certain aspects of the overcoat that can be related to events in the namesake. Trains appear again and again in lahiris novel, and twice a train accident plays a significant role in the story.
These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the namesake by jhumpa lahiri. Through this, lahiri is able to convey the idea that a character must fully accept their culture in order to develop as a person. Jhumpa lahiris the namesake tells the story of the gangulis, a bengali american family grappling with love, loss, and identity in the final thirty years of the 20th century. What are some literary techniques used in the namesake. The the namesake quotes below all refer to the symbol of books. A number of details are lost or changed to make the story fit within the film medium. Most of her stories revolve around indian families living in their native land or of indian immigrants, most of who travel to the united states of america to have a better chance at life. In the namesake, cultural identity is a huge theme in the book. The start of gogols namesake began when ashoke and ashima never received the letter from ashimas grandmother with gogols names. The namesake cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. The symbolic meaning of trains in the namesake literary expert. Nov 24, 2014 after finally finishing the book and reflecting on the symbol of trains, i came to a conclusion that trains represented the concept of a negative outcome, and bad news. She gets to know him by getting to know his favorite foods and flavors potatoes and salty foods. Ghosh, who impresses upon him to travel, while ashoke is deep into a book authored by nicholai gogol.
434 1061 1348 1440 1553 116 240 296 1275 726 1344 234 1055 925 1224 977 1587 1430 956 331 807 1395 300 407 865 58 797 147 1496 1013 1052 215 1300 391 1569 553