What do books symbolize in the namesake?
Books Symbol Analysis Books are records of the past and carriers of names, as in the case of Moushumi’s inscribed books from Graham or Dimitri, or Ashima’s books of addresses. They also can grant a reader the power to travel—an idea made literal by Gogol’s purchase of an Italian guidebook.
Do I remind you of that night the namesake?
This is why Gogol asks his father in horror, “Do I remind you of that night?” But Ashoke, unlike Gogol, has no interest in erasing parts of his past. Thus, he tells Gogol, “You remind me of everything that followed.”
What book was Ashoke reading in the namesake?
Ashima and Ashoke agree to register the boy’s legal name as “Gogol.”Gogol is Ashoke’s favorite author, in part because Ashoke was reading Gogol during the train accident. A dropped page of that book caused the authorities to recognize Ashoke in the wreckage, and they saved his life.
What is the theme of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri?
As its title suggests, at its core The Namesake tackles the question of forming one’s own identity, and explores the power that a name can carry. Gogol’s decision to change his name to Nikhil before leaving home for college demonstrates his desire to take control over his own identity.
Who is the main character in The Namesake?
Ashoke
GogolAshimaSoniaMaxine
The Namesake/Characters
What does the name Gogol symbolize?
Polish, Ukrainian, and Jewish (from Ukraine): from Ukrainian gogol ‘wild duck’, ‘mallard’, a nickname denoting a wildfowler or acquired on account of some other association with the bird.
What is the point of view used by Lahiri in the novel namesake?
Third Person (Limited Omniscient) Although The Namesake is written in the third person, we get the story through the filter of different characters’ points of view, primarily those of Gogol, Ashima, Ashoke, and Moushumi. This narrative technique means that we don’t get the story in chronological order.
Why did Gogol change his name to Nikhil?
Gogol tells his parents that he is changing his name because he feels that the name Nikhil is more suitable to represent him in adult life.
Where is Jhumpa Lahiri from?
London, United Kingdom
Jhumpa Lahiri/Place of birth
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri is celebrated for her depiction of immigrant and Indian-American life, yet her poignant stories also capture universal themes of longing, loneliness and barriers of communication. She was born in London in 1967 and raised in Rhode Island.
What happens at the end of The Namesake?
Gogol spends time at the party, taking pictures of Ashima, Sonia, and Ben, setting up the fake tree in the living room for the last time. He realizes it is his opportunity, finally, to connect more fully with his father’s life, and to learn more deeply what the name “Gogol” meant to Ashoke. The novel ends.
What is the meaning of the title namesake?
A namesake is a person, geographic location, building or other entity that has the same name as another or that is named after another entity that first had the name. The opposing term, referring to the original entity after which something else was named, is called an eponym.