The Namesake (Part 3)

        Another blog about the Namesake, another part for me to express my good and bad feelings toward this book. It's the end of the book now. Overall, I liked the book even though I get irritated by Gogol's actions in general. He's just so ungrateful but he changes at the end with reading "The Overcoat" by Nicolai Gogol. He embraces his name and culture. It is fun to read about how, not just one, but all characters grow and change throughout this whole book. And that's exactly what we are going to talk about today.

        

        Let's start with the marriage of Moushumi and Gogol. Their whole marriage in the first place was against what they were standing for. Both Gogol and Moushumi wanted to be separated and distant to anything Indian related. "By the time [Moushumi] was twelve she had made a pact, with two other Bengali girls she knew, never to marry a Bengali man" (Lahiri, 213). But, now, by marrying with Gogol, she proves that people's decisions and beliefs can change over time. Even though It is something that they said they would never do. Similarly, back in 7th grade, my friend and I made a promise to each other about going into the same university. I was so determined at that time that I would never move and live there with my friend, but look where I am now. Not just me, but both of us changed our decision in less than two years but it's normal. That's what growing up feels like. One time we say "I would never do it", a few years later we find ourselves doing whatever we said we wouldn't. 

        The whole time they, Gogol and Moushumi, were married, they kept changing. Maybe not in a good way for their marriage but we can see the shift of feelings from each character towards each other. Moushumi finds Dimitri after all those years, she can't get over Graham and she cares more about Donald and Astrid than Gogol. Obviously, Gogol starts to realize the changes in Moushumi but still gives her a chance. He first thinks she is stressful and makes excuses for her actions, but then he is just confused in general. Especially when they both went to Donald and Astrid's house, we can see the major shift of Gogol's feelings toward Moushumi. When she exposed that Gogol changed his name, "He stared at her, stunned. He has never told her not to tell anyone. He simply assumed she never would" (Lahiri, 243). I think the main reason why they got divorced is Moushumi, and Gogol's loss of trust in Moushumi. Exposing Gogol's name may not be a big of a deal, but little things matter. Gogol regrets telling Moushumi about his name and loses trust in her. So, when they get divorced, Gogol doesn't even feel anything. He is cool with it. I think pretty much everyone can relate to losing trust in someone you were once close with. It happens and It is part of our growing process in our lives. 

        Of course, Moushumi and Gogol are not the only characters that are changing in part 3. We also see the change in Ashima, especially when she sells the house and decides going back to Calcutta. "She has learned to do things on her own, and though she still wears saris, she puts her long hair in a bun, she is not the same Ashima who had once lived in Calcutta" (Lahiri, 276). She changes so much but also stays connected to her culture this whole time. It is not an easy thing to stay true to your culture and roots while living in a foreign country. But she did change her views about certain things. She didn't force Gogol to not have a divorce with Moushumi, she didn't force Sonia to have Bengali boyfriend, she started to have American friends from the library, she learned how to do things on her own. And most importantly, she accepted Massachusetts as her home. I can actually relate Ashima to my mom because my mom is the only person who can remind us that we are still Turkish. Sometimes I totally forget about that. She is the only person who cooks Turkish foods, invites Turkish friends and celebrates cultural holidays. Automatically we also do get involved in her plans which is a good thing. Even though she still stays true to her culture and roots, I can say that my mom's view about certain things also changed. She used to be so strict about not buying a Christmas tree because that's not in our culture. But now, she is the one planning when to buy It. 

And this week's question for the readers: Is there anyone around you who has stayed true (or connected) to something they believe? Did you also see a big change in their personalities and beliefs?