The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

1. The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, is a novel about the hardships and struggles of a Bengali who migrates to the United States to form a life different from 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 errors, their son's nickname, Gogol, becomes his official birth name. This is an event which will shape many aspects of his life.  Gogol has to deal with the conflicts and problems that come with immigration and being an Indian child growing up in America.

2. Identity was a prominent theme in the novel.  American born Gogol wants an American life, and he changes his name and rebels against his culture to accomplish this.

3. The Namesake has a very serious tone and Lahiri also tries to compare two different cultures.  Throughout the novel, Gogol reflects on his life. He tells us about the difficult decisions he had to make growing up, but also expressed how these decisions was what really shaped him as an adult.

4. The literary elements the author used in the novel were flashbacks, imagery, irony, personification, and foreshadowing. Lahiri used flashbacks throughout the whole novel when Gogol talks and reflects on his past and his memories. Imagery is used by having Gogol describe his memories and by paining a detailed picture of his caring parents who tried to supply him with the best life possible and lead him down the right path of life. The author uses Irony to describe Gogol’s entire life. Personification was used when Gogol’s voice was compared to a Husky’s. The final technique used was foreshadowing, and it was used when Gogol said that he lived most of his life outside his homeland.