Book Review: Jhumpa Lahiri’s Novel “The Namesake“Is Hypocritical Because It Explores Race & Class In America Yet Ignores Racism & Class Issues In Indian Culture.
I finally read Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel “The Namesake”. After I read “The Namesake“, I think the book is well written but I also felt the book was extremely elitist and classist. For instance, I wonder why Lahiri thought it was necessary for Gogol to fit into white American culture? The theme of class is one that the novel explores.
I noticed that Gogol’s family is actually an upper class South Asian family in America and in India. I just thought it was odd reading about the “servants” in India working for the Ganguli family yet there was no depth to explaining their existence.
I wanted to know more about the lives of these Indian servants but I guess that’s just not the focus of Lahiri’s novel. I did feel the novel was only about the wealthy South Asian people. I guess this is Lahiri`s world a very privileged world she is a part of.
Lahiri’s novel doesn’t even discuss the caste system in India I thought that was odd? After all, the novel is about an upper class South Asian family shouldn’t she discuss the caste system a bit more?
In India, a person`s “rank“ in life relates to where an individual fits in the racist caste system. For example, the “Brahmin“ caste is a higher caste and the ” Untouchables” are the lowest caste.
I thought it was hypocritical of Lahiri to write a novel complaining about the racism in America yet ignoring racism in India.
I guess, it would be a shock for rich South Asian people when they immigrate to North America that “race” matters just like “class”.
Another theme of the book I thought was disturbing, is the family honour system. For instance, I felt that there is an incredible amount of pressure placed on young South Asian people to “conform” to accept their family values. I am cognizant that family honour is very important to the South Asian culture.
Maybe because I am not South Asian, I just felt the patriarchy and the oppression in this culture seems very overbearing.
Gogol’s internal struggle to negotiate between the public and private spheres is a central theme of the novel. It is the reason Gogol legally changed his name to Nikhil. However, Gogol realizes that changing his name does not mean he can truly change his identity.
What about an individual’s happiness? What about that? The South Asian culture is an endogenous culture. After reading “The Namesake”, it seems that the public image, the community’s values are more important. I don’t understand the group mentality ideology.
I understand that in the South Asian culture, there is a theme about “shame” this is very important. If someone does something dishonorable to the family it makes the parents look bad in the eyes of the community. But there must be some South Asian families that don’t care about what the community thinks?
I think this is the struggle that young South Asians deal with. Should a young South Asian person follow his or her’s heart or upset
their parents and community? Of course, I know there are indeed consequences for young South Asians that do not conform to the family honour values.
I just think though, that there must be some South Asian familes that are openminded in relation to relationships?
I felt like Gogol felt “trapped” in South Asian culture and that’s why he dated Maxine because her family was so different from his family.
However, after Gogol’s father dies, he does a complete 180 in turning around his personality to appease his mother. I didn’t feel that Lahiri explained this drastic change. I wish she had digged a bit deeper to explaining why Gogol changed?
Why did Gogol marry Moushumi? Since Gogol was always interested in white women, isn’t it a bit drastic for him to suddenly marry a Bengali woman?
I just felt this did not make any sense. I also did not like that Gogol’s mother Ashima forcing him to marry Moushumi.
Moushumi didn’t love Gogol and she had an affair with a white man.
She was rebelling against South Asian culture she didn’t want to marry Gogol she wanted to be with someone she could relate to a white American man.
I also did not like the ending it was so sad. I understand that Gogol learns to love himself but I guess I kind of wished the ending was more “happy”. I understand real life there are good times and bad times but I was hoping Gogol would find someone to love.
It was sad that the novel ended and Gogol was alone. I wish Lahiri had made the ending a bit more “hopeful” for Gogol.
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