Gogol Identity In The Namesake

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In the novel The Namesake, Gogol struggles greatly with the idea of his cultural identity. Like many adolescents, Gogol feels conflicted about his identity. This confusion is further exasperated by his cross cultural upbringing. The Namesake portrays the journey to accept one’s identity while being impacted by different cultural ideals. Both American and Indian culture help configure Gogol’s identity. Gogol is between two very Indian and American identities. Although Gogol was born and brought up in America, he never feels completely American. Being raised by immigrant parents, a large part of Gogol’s identity lies in his Indian roots. This being said, Gogol does not feel very Indian either as he was not born in India and his only real connection to the country is through his parents. When the Ganguli's visit India, Gogol realizes how…show more content…
Gogol’s conflicted feelings about his name represent his confused identity; “the only person who didn’t take Gogol seriously, the only person who tormented him, the only person chronically aware of and afflicted by the embarrassment of his name, the only person who constantly questioned it and wished it were otherwise, was Gogol” (100). Gogol’s name is neither Indian nor American; it is in fact Russian. This idea of being neither Indian nor American is parallel to how Gogol sees his cultural identity. Gogol rejects his traditional Indian name as a way of rejecting the Indian culture that his parents had tried to ingrain in him. Gogol insists on being fully American, not realizing that his Indian background is a part of what makes him who he is. After the death of his father, Gogol tries to reconnect with his Indian roots, but soon realizes that he is not fully Indian either. Neither seeing himself as Indian nor as American, Gogol comes to realize slowly that he is a unique blend of both

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