MHS AP English discussion

Is Gogol growing on you yet? You can read the author Gogol's most famous story online - just search for "The Overcoat."

I find that Gogol is extremely easy to relate to - every young adult experiences a hidden (or sometimes not-so-hidden) rebellion while outwardly obeying their parents. As for his dislike of his namesake, who wants to be constantly compared to someone famous and successful? Gogol is struggling to find himself between his new and old cultures, and the expectations laid out for him due to his name. No wonder he's confused and resentful of nearly everything and everyone around him!

Okay, bear with me as I try and recap all my thoughts from chapters 5-8; I read all of it before posting anything.

Gogol has grown on me. The analysis of his thoughts and sentiments truly can be related to, especially for teenagers like myself and my fellow classmates. For examples, I'll draw from the individual chapters.

In Chapter 5, the whole idea of changing his name and actually following through with it could be loosely translated as doing as we wish without having people to stop us, especially our parents. In Gogol/Nikhil's scenario, he wanted a name change and the people that opposed it, even though they eventually gave in, was his parents. For myself, I am almost of the age of an young adult and if I choose to stay up all night, I think that it's my choice to do so and not be forced into sleeping by excessive nagging and threats of punishment. As for Ruth and Nikhil, who doesn't know of the love that is high school/college relationships? They are romantically hopeless in love with each other, supposedly, and the parents either approve or disapprove, which in Gogol's case is not approved of, and when split apart, it feels like months instead of minutes. Almost everyone has experienced this once or more in their lifetimes, and with all but one always failing, like Gogol and Ruth had. As for the deep talk between Ashoke and Nikhil about his namesake, and the emotions that ensued from it, most of everyone have had deep conversations in where the truth that was meant to be said for a time way overdue was said in a moment that stirs them to words and maybe even action, all depending on the severity. Whether the topic be personal or whatnot, talks at times when most unexpected are sometimes those that should have been communicated a time too long ago.

In chapter 6, Nikhil meets Maxine, another failed love of his life that he has committed to himself in that period of time. Yet again, his parents do not approve, yet Maxine's parents, Lydia and Gerald, are okay with it. Gogol also puts off seeing his father away to Cleveland in order to go vacation with Maxine in New Hampshire; most of everyone in life has done one thing they regretted in their life to live to the moment. In Gogol's case, he did not spend the day with Ashoke and Ashima in order to spend more time with his love of the time Maxine; in other scenarios, like mine, I've gone out of my way to be with someone I cared and still do care about for 1 day and 2 nights consecutively, making up lies that I probably shouldn't have in order to satisfy my own greed and emotions.

As for Chapter 7, who hasn't been home alone after living with others for so long. Who can't relate to the feeling of not depending on others for once and being by yourself? Sleeping-over, camping trips, going abroad could all be examples that one could relate to Ashima's feelings of being alone for once in her life. Even though Ashoke does come back time to time to help her with somethings, most can relate to her situation in her given scenario. When Ashoke passes away from his sudden heart attack, it is good to see that Nikhil did care all of the time for his father, despite the chain of resent for his parents in the previous few chapters. As for relation, most people have had close relatives and friends die much sooner then they should have. The pain and grief that relates to it is something that is easy to relate to. Quite recently, the death of a friend of mine, a great man who died when he shouldn't have by something out of everyone's control, much like Ashoke's death, has affected many, especially the immediate family. For Ashoke's family, who takes the brunt of the pain, the grief is shared by family friends who know only part of it yet share their condolences, like many do in the world when someone passes away. Another great thing about Gogol is that he remembers the little things about his father that are heart-warming to the soul. The promise he kept alive about their trip to Cape Cod was one that put me to tears. It is also something that can be related to; when someone dies, the memories that were made would keep them alive in the hearts of those who knew them. Even though they are no longer physically alive, the deceased shall always find life within the love and memories of those they had affected in their lifetime.

Chapter 8 was a doozy. Yet again, the love life between Gogol and Maxine was a bust - easy to relate to. As for the blind date with Moushumi, some people can relate to the success of arranged meetings, some people can attest to the success, and vice-versa. For myself, I have seen the success of an arranged marriage; my grandparents were happily married for 70+ years despite it being an arranged marriage and after extensive research on their life, it was concluded without a doubt that they loved each other throughout the whole way. And yet again, Gogol attempts to put his heart on the line again. He makes the same actions of putting his heart first instead of his brain and so on. As for Moushumi, her experience with Graham is one that other women have faced.

All in all, Gogol/Nikhil has grown on me. He's human, not some generated male who we all expect to act a certain way or do a certain something. The emotions and actions that he has and does throughout the progression of the book is like that of a human. He resents his name, so he changes it; he resents his parents, he isolates himself; his father dies, his whole demeanor changes. Gogol/Nikhil isn't just some robot, he's an actual human.

Oh, when two worlds collide! For the most part, I like Gogol. But i found it hard to swallow when he just stopped wanting to see his family when he started dating Maxine. He abandoned his own family for another, which I am sure he recognized. When the story shifted to Ashima's perspective, the mood was very, very depressing. It made my heartache -- her living all alone. And then Ashoke dies and i had to actually stop and process it. It broke my heart and now I understand why it was so depressing prior to Ashoke's death. It's like getting hit by a car and then the car reversing over your body...

In the earlier chapters of this section, I recall myself almost tearing up when Gogol found out the reason behind his name and what stuck to me was when Gogol asked his father if he reminds him of the accident and Ashoke said no, Gogol reminded him of everything that followed.

And once again, Lahiri makes it a point to constantly contrast the two cultures, despite the fact that Gogol is very much American, living in Maxine's home with her parents showed how different their lives are. That is what i meant by "two worlds colliding."

Overall, I like the book and the rich language. The details are absolutely on point and it is all very easy to imagine since i live in Mass and know how the weather and scenery and I'm rambling. But reading this book leaves a really unsettling feeling in me... I don't know. Just the idea of aging and growing and learning. I keep thinking of my own life and how i will eventually be old like him. It's weird.

Gogol is definitely starting to grow on me. I agree with Xuan with the "two worlds collide" bit. Gogol has had to grow up living in two worlds, and I think that influenced his later decisions in life. I thought that his dad telling him the story of his name to be one of the most touching moments of the book.

I think that part of the reason Gogol went out with Maxine was because she was so American, and he wanted to break away from his Indian family. I genuinely thought that Gogol would stay with Maxine, and Ashoke's death was shocking. I like how he put his family first, when he helped them out after Ashoke's death.

Through the last few chapters, I feel like I can really relate to Gogol and his adolescent/ teenage problems. During these years, he engages in several acts of rebellion, as well as relationship issues and heartbreaks.

As mentioned before by Stanley, we’ve all gone through that phase in life where we really wanted to do something, like Gogol wanting to change his name, but were stopped/ resented by our parents. He also, like many teenagers, takes unnecessary risks and things that his parents would reject, such as smoking marijuana, cigarettes, and going to various parties (103-104). This seems like Gogol’s attempt to fit in with the crowd, including his newfound friends, Brandon and Jonathan. It is also relative to his attempts to shy away from the Bengali traditions that his parents try to bestow upon him. Gogol also does something that he doesn’t enjoy, just to please his parents, like “unwillingly, but obediently” visiting them every other weekend during his first semester (106). I haven’t been able to relate to this, yet, but I’m sure when I attend college, I will encounter a similar issue. As for Gogol’s relationship issues, I can say that, as a teenager, I have also encountered such problems. With Ruth, for example, I feel like sometimes, we’re in those predicaments where we don’t want to tell our parents. Gogol wanted to go on with her to Maine, but did not want to go through the whole elaborate process of telling his parents about her.

I was also disgusted by the way Gogol treated his parents. Like Xuan said, he “abandoned his own family for another,” when he decided to go with Maxine and her family. It saddens me to know that Ashima waits endlessly for her son’s call and affirmation of his well-being, and her constant sense of loneliness because of the absence of her family. I also didn’t like how it took his father’s death to make Gogol realize his appreciation for his father. It kind of scares me. It seems like premonition. It really made me open my eyes and consider my appreciation for my parents. I don’t want to end up like Gogol and find out that I really appreciate him once he’s gone. I did, however, really admire the reverence Gogol showed his father when he shaved “off all of his hair with a disposable razor” (179). It shows that he really respected his father, and also Bengali tradition.

Gogol has more than definitely grown on me. I can relate to a lot of his rebellious actions, not only against his culture, but against his parents, and even against American culture to an extent. I see a lot of myself in Gogol.

I feel as though it would’ve been in Ashake’s best interest to explain the value of Gogol’s name to him at an early age though. That way growing up he would’ve realized that the only reason he is around is because of the man he was named after; thus making his name his pride, his security, his life.

As for Gogol relationship with Maxine: I was clueless as to what was going to happen with them. I know that one’s culture is important, but I felt as though Gogol’s happiness triumphed over that. Yet, she didn’t understand much about Gogol. And when his father passed, things only become more stressed. And after analyzing it more, it seemed to make sense. He forgot about his family, and replaced them for Max’s family. Ultimately, family wins, true love wins.

I found Gogol's relationships with women, beginning with Kim, the girl who attended his friend's brother's college who allowed him his first kiss, are symbolic for his effort to distance himself from his seemingly embarassing name, Gogol, and also from his parents who bestowed this embarassment upon him. Distancing himself from his parents and his home life is symbolic for Gogol's struggle of trying to merge two cultures, Bengali and American, in a smooth and seamless way. He is not entirely successful in this struggle, therefore he is embarassed by having to deal with it. On the night when he kisses Kim, he introduces himself as Nikhil for the first time, and from then on, every woman he becomes intimate with knows him as Nikhil. The chapter in which "nikhil" kisses Kim closes with an interesting comment discussing the kiss:
"But he doesn't tell them that it hadnt been Gogol who'd kissed Kim. That Gogol had nothing to do with it" (Lahiri 96)



"Nikhil" is an entirely new identity for Gogol to adopt, an offer so sweet to Gogol's ears. He is no longer associated with Niccolai Gogol, is no longer a man with boy's pet name. It is interesting though, that Lahiri never refers to him as Nikhil. In doing this, she begins suggesting that Gogol will never be this other person, this "Nikhil", that he so desperately wishes and believes that he needs to be. Gogol never really does change into a new person once adopting the new name. In a way, Lahiri is saying that one can never really leave home.

I think Maxine and her family are a mirror to Gogol's own family. Lahiri spends much time outlining the differences between the two clans, for example when Gogol are in New Hampshire and Gogol is sure his family would never be comfortable on that type of vacation. Maxine's family is the antithesis of Gogol's, but more than that they are his idea of a more normal, perfect family, one he would not have to be embarrassed of.

Maxine herself is also meant to convey contrast. She is comfortable living with her family, never cringes or dismisses them, and accepts their opinions and friendship. Gogol, on the other hand, is constantly embarrassed of his family, and becomes a superficial version of himself around them, one that goes through the motions and does not always speak up when he disagrees with their actions.

Maxine's family and the Gangulis are meant to show the contrast of East meets West, of class divides even between educated families, and of the differences between cultures.

What do you think Gogol's affair with Maxine represents?

I definitely agree with Xuan when she says that this book gives her this unsettling feeling because of all the experiences that Gogol has gone through in just 194 pages... I feel as if I've watched him grow up when in reality he doesn't even exist. Maybe it's just because Lahiri makes Gogol so relatable and her writing is just so detailed and makes us feel like we actually have a real relationship with Gogol.

Gogol is definitely growing on me. But the thing about him that is really bothering me is that he isn't able to accept himself for who he is. I understand that it has been difficult for Gogol; growing up in America and trying to adjust to the culture and make friends is no easy task, especially since his parents desperately want him to remain a loyal Bengali. But I feel like Gogol doesn't realize that he can have the best of both worlds; he feels as if he needs to push his Bengali roots completely out of the picture in order to be a normal American. It really bothers me how he doesn't make an effort to see his family and how he dreads talking to his parents on the telephone and how he can't even take one weekend to go visit them in Boston because he is too busy going to Maxine's lakehouse with her parents that he's only known for a few months. I think it's completely normal for Gogol to do what he is doing because he is, in fact, growing up and discovering who he is. I just really hope that he learns to make more time with his family because I, for one, have learned that life is short and you really never know how much time you have with the people you love.

Gogol has most certainly grown on me. To me, he acts as a typical young American man growing up (spending all his time out of work with a girlfriend, etc). It bothers me that he avoids and doesn't want to go visit his family. I feel for Ashoke and Ashima, especially Ashima for having to live alone. Ashima really stands out to me because I feel for her so greatly; living by herself, her husband in a different state, not having any jobs or duties to really attend to aside from the library, and on top of it all, her children who she loves so much can't make an effort to come and see her.

I've noticed just like Xuan and Sarah that Maxine and her family are exactly what Gogol wants. Their freely lived life is everything that he wanted growing up. His parents' traditional ways never amused him as a child and they still don't even now that he's a young adult.

I feel as if now that Ashoke has expired, Gogol will be forced to grow up. I predict he'll drift from Maxine and want to spend more time with his mother and Sonia for maybe just the sake of trying to fill the void of his dead father. Also, I think Gogol will have learned a great lesson through his father's unexpected death--that, as Emily said, "you really never know how much time you have with the people you love."

Like most of the people here, Gogol has definitely grown on me. However, what I don't like is Gogol's new identity as Nikhil. By changing his name legally, I feel as if he is just distancing himself from his own reality. He has a hard time accepting the traditions and his parents' beliefs. Instead of holding on to his roots, he tries to completely lose them, which started with his name, followed by his relationships (especially moving in with Maxine). He doesn't appreciate his parents at all or their concerns. He needs to keep a balance of his American life and his Bengali life. But Gogol doesn't want his parent's life, and I think he is afraid of turning out so naive to the world like they did. He clearly wants the American life, which I don't criticize him for at all, because growing up in this nation is hard to do when your household tells you otherwise.

I think that because Ashoke suddenly passed away, Gogol is going to have this sudden realization about his name and might change it back. I sympathize for Gogol but he needed a wake up call.

Throughout the story, Gogol has grown on me, because I was able to understand why Gogol acted the way he did; wanting more of an American lifestyle than an Indian one and his struggles with it. However, as the story continued to develop I started to become disappointed in him. During his college years, it seems as though Gogol couldn't care less to visit his family. Now that his father has passed away, I think he feels regretful for not spending the time that he could with him and therefore he may start to, like Haley said, drift from Maxine and more towards his mother and sister.

Although Maxine appears to have the life Gogol has always dreamed of, and he enjoys being able to live in it, i think he feels envious of the way they interact with each other the most. He enjoys the hiking and swimming and dinners with Maxine's family, and yet he "fe[lt] no nostalgia for the vacations he's spent with his family"(155) because they were nothing like Maxine's: so free and fun as opposed to reserved and boring. Like Sarah said, Maxine feels comfortable with her family and they all respect each other while Gogol is embarrassed of his family's culture. I think it is sad that Gogol "cannot imagine"(141) his parents living the kind of life that Maxine's parents live because he makes it seem as though he is ashamed of them and their customs, where that is just how they have always lived and what they are used to. I think Gogol is too hard on his parents, and isn't accepting at all.

I enjoyed reading about Ashima's life in chapter 7, because it brought me back to the way the story had started out. However, by Lahiri switching objectives so far into the book, I figured it was for some significant reason, and I was shocked that it was to lead into her reaction to Ashoke's death. I think it was smart of Lahiri to describe the way Ashima has been living on her own while her children are away and Ashoke living in Ohio because it allowed the reader to understand how she would feel after Ashoke died. Permanently alone. I think this shift in the story was to allow Gogol to realize he hasn't been there, and in a sense abandoned his family to fulfill his own desired life and now change his way of living and thinking.

As I read deeper into The Namesake, Gogol has definitely grown on me because I feel like I am watching him grow up. It is interesting seeing Gogol grow up and be so different from his parents with him being so "Americanized", something Ashoke and Ashima have feared. I have grown to love Gogol but at times I feel like he is too selfish and a little bit too focused on his own desires, rather than his family's feelings. For example, when Gogol went ahead and legally changed his name to "Nihkil" because he felt out of place in America, I felt sympathy for his mother and especially his father.

The name "Gogol" was given to Gogol because of the importance and significance it had in Ashoke's life. The meaning behind this name means so much to Ashoke because of his near death experience that it was difficult for me to see Gogol change his name despite him being unaware of the true meaning behind "Gogol".

It was also hard for me too see Gogol become so distant from his family. Although Gogol was Americanized and seemed to shy away from his family's true Indian customs, I felt as though Ashima and Ashoke accepted him either way and never had any resent towards him.

Ashoke's death was a huge surprised to me and I immediately felt pain for Ashima. Since, Gogol was distant from his family because of his involvment with his girlfriend's family and Sonia had begun to live her own life, I wasn't sure if Ashima could handle being alone for the rest of her life. Thankfully, Gogol and Sonia pulled through and were there for Ashima after their father's death. Better late than never I suppose.

Gogol is very easy to relate to. Though I was not born into a strict family like Gogol's, I was born into two cultures. There are traditions in my family I wished I did not have to partake in. When I read about how Gogol was distancing himself from his family, it made me think of what would happen when I went off to college and moved out. You really never think about things like that at this age. Your parents are always around and they're taken for granted. After reading this, I'm definitely coming home for the holidays and more.

Exactly what Emily and Xuan say, it is a bit unsettling to take this boy, Gogol, and read about him growing up, and maybe in reality he does not exist. In addition, Gogol upbringing is indeed relatable, the “quiet crushes”, fatherly pressure to “join the math team” and to “maintain his A average” (93). I never liked that about my family, the pressure to become this perfect Asian boy with perfect grades. But this relation gets a little out of place to the point where I don’t want to hear what else happens. In his parent’s household, Gogol is trying hard to desert his Bengali heritage, trying to immerse himself in an American world instead. From dating Maxine, Gogol grows to show he does enjoy the American life, where there is no pressure to be worried, or not worrying about the food and be in the center of a house party. “he learns to love the food she and her parents eat” and “falls in love with Maxine, the house, and Gerald and Lydia’s manner of living” (137). It’s sad that he of all people have abandoned his own household and begin to live in a new more American one. I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m glad he moves out and that his relationship with Maxine fails. Sure it was the life he wanted, but such a life where Maxine doesn’t care about his parents and there are too many things she is too spoiled to appreciate, I just couldn’t see Gogol with someone who is so ignorant to his culture, when he himself appreciates all the details of hers.

Finally Ashoke tells Gogol of his namesake, I can lie in peace! Just kidding, but the end of chapter 5 was a I need to cry moment. It’s sad that someone like Ashoke has to grow up with a son that in the end would move away from him physically and abandon his heritage. Even though its Gogol’s life, it’s as Alex said, a bit scary to think about. Would someone like me, who is headed in a similar direction as Gogol lose his father and mother? Will I, in the end, not be able to see my own father in his last moment of death? I don’t like it, nor do I like Gogol. He’s the type of character that I would hate to become. Though his ideals of freedom and climbing the social ladder are inspirational. To answer the question: yes, Gogol was growing on me at first, but no longer is.

Ashima reminds me of my own mother. She doesn’t know how to pay the bills, live alone, and if my father ever died, I would have to do those for her. She isn’t hopeless, she’s merely inserperable from the past. If Lahiri allowed Ashima to change herself, I would be dissatisfied. It is that very Ashima, who doesn’t have too many American friends, lives in her own culture, and longs for her children, that makes me love her the same way I love my own mother. And Ashoke, I appreciate him as a father, although he is not mine. Teaching his wife how to live alone and isolate himself from those he loved so that she may grow. It makes me realize a little more that someday my own parents would go, and that I to would have to remember “that [him] and I made this journey” and should appreciate the presence before it is too late.

Thus far, Gogol has grown on me like a bad case of Athlete's Foot. Despite the fact that he's mellowed a bit with age (as most people do) he still seems to have a lot of subconscious stigma concerning his name as a part of his identity, and this has caused him to stagnate and become a static character; while he does age in the body, he remains immature and doesn't really grow up mentally. For example, the class has already discussed his wish to change his name upon turning eighteen, but has given relatively little attention to his date in Chapter 8 in which Lahiri characterizes him as becoming severly annoyed with Moushumi for not recognizing him as Nikhil and insisting on calling him "Gogol" (she would have only known him as Gogol previously, and thus would not be at fault for this discrepancy), showing Gogol's immaturity and closed-mindedness.Gogol has gone through such trouble in forging the persona of the aloof Nikhil, he has gotten to the point where it is personally offensive to him for anyone to break through that mask and refer to him by his childhood name, a sign he wants to escape his past and start over (which would be a lot more effective in my opinion, if Gogol had anything genuinely bad or painful in his past to attempt escaping from or to complain about). Gogol himself essentially admits that the problems with his name are all in his head (as I said in a previous post) and that "the only person who didn't take Gogol seriously, the only one who tormented him..." (p.100) was Gogol himself, and that by all means, this inner conflict/identity crisis (which makes up the main plot, might I add) should not exist and thus, inherently has no dramatic tension. Gogol's overinflated sense of self-worth is first made apparent in his name-changing scene, in which despite his parent's agreement to the ceremony (after a healthy browbeating on Gogol's part), Gogol feels that" he is overstepping them (their authority),[and] correcting a mistake {they had} made."(p.100) an instant hypocrisy, considering in part 1 Gogol originally rejected the name Nikhil as a child (not understanding the purpose of a second name in his native Bengali culture), using it only as a way to ignore his true identity (as can be seen during the party with Kim), possibly as a method of avoiding responsibility for his actions. I feel that Lahiri herself has a small nod to this, by always referring to Gogol by his "good name", rather than "Nikhil" as he prefers to be known showing the aforementioned theme "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet".In my opinion, it's as if Gogol took Lahiri's lesson about identity and inevitability to heart, but completely missed the point and twisted it in such a way that could fit his new lifestyle so that the plot doesn't immediately stop functioning.The hypocrisy continues as Gogol reveals that he "doesn't feel like Nikhil" (again, referring back to the Shakespearean theme), and that it was unsatifactory that "the people who now know him as Nikhil never knew him as Gogol"(p.105), a fact that is instantly baffling due to his previous complaints about the people who knew him as Gogol never truly acknowledging him as Nikhil, demonstrating an rather disconcertingly high need for attention. Indeed, it is obvious how fractured Gogol's psyche has become when his self-makeover into Nikhil is coupled with the reminder that his "parents, and their friends, and their children, and his own friends from High School will never call him anything but Gogol", symbolic of how he cannot escape his past, regardless of how fervently he may struggle. However, Gogol still feels that now that he's fully adopted the persona of Nikhil, it is easier for him "to ignore his parents..., [to smoke]Camel Lights at parties, [to buy] fake ID's (so he can drink underage)" (p.105), and in general go down the road to debauchery. His main saving grace is the massive reality check after his father's death, immediately rushing back to his family for comfort (again, hypocritical considering the lengths he went to in order to distance himself from them while dating Ruth and especially so with Maxine, but I'm not complaining, as in my opinion his character needed a bit more grounding in reality), deciding essentially at the drop of a hat that he no longer "{wants} to get away"(p.182) from his past.

Am I the only one who finds it a bit ominous that our main character is exhibiting such self-destructive behavior and egotism? Why is it that the class finds it so easy to relate and gain an attachment to him when his life is just a massive string of lies, hypocrisy, and existential identity crises (none of which are particularly logical in their buildup or backing)?

Speaking of which, I for one think it's important to note that Ashima or Ashoke always involved when something truly life-shattering happens, and I can thus empathize with the belief that Ashima (and/or Ashoke, as Tamisha said) is more suited to be the protagonist than Gogol. Ashima and Ashoke's journey as immigrants and struggles in the U.S. are only touched upon rather lightly (in the grand scheme of the book), but they resonate much more strongly in my opinion. There's real dramatic weight with Ashima, a woman who has to contend with loneliness and isolation in a strange culture she refuses to accept (and now, without her husband to help her) and Ashoke's will to go on and create a new life for himself after the paralyzing train accident (did anyone else spot the bitter irony that someone who is supposed to "transcend grief" brings so much pain to his family in death?); at the very least a good deal moreso than Gogol's self-imposed identity crises. Lahiri purposely begins the book's narrative from Ashima's (and subsequently Ashoke's) perspective, further adding to my confusion that she/they is/are not the main character/s.I also found it rather odd that , like in "Memoirs of a Geisha" the author chooses to write from the point of view of someone of the opposite gender.

I was also intrigued that Lahiri chose to change perspective to Moushumi to give her better characterization near the end of chapter 8. This use of exposition would almost certainly cement Moushumi's importance to the plot, being that other characters in Gogol's life (namely Sonia) get relatively miniscule description in comparison.It's ... less than subtle to say the least, but sometimes in writing it's necessary to sacrifice grace for the sake of the plot progression, so the reader can understand Gogol's attraction and his bond with Moushumi, and perhaps form one for ourselves..

I also find it a bit unrealistic that as obsessed as Gogol is with his name, that he never truly bothered to read the short story "The Overcoat" which saved his father's life. It seems a bit too far-fetched that even after having the importance of his name explained by his father, Gogol wouldn't want to actually appreciate and experience the potential of his namesake (possibly out of fear that Nikolai Gogol would bear some resemblance to him and cause him any further embarrassment) blatantly rejecting his father's physical (the book with Gogol's short stories) and metaphorical (his name) gifts, especially sad considering Ashokes death. I hope that Gogol's actions get a bit more settled and less predictable as the book draws to a close, but Lahiri hasn't really surprised me thus far. I can only remain hopeful that her writing picks up and gives the reader more reason to care about Gogol's life.

At first, when I was reading this segment of the book, I was very much annoyed by Gogol's rebellious acts, some of which included his lack of respect for his family's traditions, his abandonment of his family to live with his lover Maxine, his blatant disregard for the special meaning behind his name and decision to instead legally change it, and everything about him that resembled a brat. I wanted to smack some sense into him, in a sense. However, everyone has a reason for why they act the way they do, and so I came to the realization that Gogol's behaviors were no different from those of normal teenagers, like everyone mentioned. His acts of rebellion, although some a lot more selfish than others, proved that he was growing up. He felt pressured by his parents to keep close the Indian customs and traditions he came from, while still holding onto the American lifestyle he had grown into. Balancing both cultures felt difficult to him, and so he acted out, as any normal teenager would, struggling to be in control of his own lifestyle. At the same time, even though the abandonment of his family was pretty cruel of him to do, especially when his mother and sister needed him for consolation in the father's passing, i finally came to the conclusion that he needed to do this. He needed to embark on this journey of absolute defiance, in order to learn from his mistakes and grow from them, in order to find himself, and in order to finally figure out his place in the world, but most especially, his place in his family.

It's a common misconception that all teens are lost and confused.. not "knowing" who they are quite yet. When really we do. We just haven't decided on how we want to go about being that person. So Gogol is in many ways easy to relate to, he's a growing adolescent like myself, struggling to find a place to comfortable fit in in this world. His rebellion towards his parents is also easily understood by someone like me, because at this "coming of age", a teen is now realizing that we can make our own decisions, we lead our own life, and so that is exactly what we WANT to do and in our minds nothing and NO ONE can stop us from doing so. It's simple really.

Now, in many ways it's also difficult for me to relate to Gogol. The cultural rebellion part I can't fully understand because I've been brought up in this all american culture. Religion and tradition haven't been pushed on me throughout life and I personally have grown to enjoy my name. However, it's really interesting to read a lot of the above posts, because it seems as many of you have had to struggle with a "forced" lifestyle. These harsh expectations is you will, that your parents/guardians have placed on your shoulders.It really brings a new light to my eyes. Being born and raised in America I would have assumed everyone else born and raised here, no matter their cultural background, would also be apart of the american culture. Completely wrong.