The Namesake, chapters 8–12: Gogol's story comes to an end...
The Namesake has finally drawn to a close; I would love to say how I'll miss Gogol terribly and how the book has deeply affected me, but in all honesty, I'm kind of glad. The novel started off somewhat promising, but it definitely didn't turn out to be one of my favourites.
Part 3 didn't really hit as close to home (on account of the fact that I've never been married... or divorced...), so let's just discuss...
In this section of the novel, Gogol has officially ended his relationship with Maxine (for the better, if you ask me). After Ashoke's death, Gogol began spending a lot more time with his family, and the pendulum of Gogol's ever-changing identity swung slightly back towards his Bengali culture. Maxine still represents the wholly American way of life, and now that they've broken up, it seems that that chapter of Gogol's life is passed. He even addresses a taxi driver in Bengali. This may also be due to his recent reunion with Moushumi (family friend Gogol hasn't seen in like... forever... if you forgot). The two had decided to meet up, by the suggestion of their parents, after Moushumi's fiancé Graham has left her (initially I pitied her, but not anymore... I'll get to that later...). I've had many awkward encounters with people that were always there, in all the gatherings and parties, but that I later realized I knew absolutely nothing about. It's like you're at a big party with other kids and your parents tell you to go talk to them JUST because you're the same age, as if that'll make you instant friends! They mean well, but it can be pretty frustrating having your parents set you up, so I can understand why Gogol was reluctant to call Moushumi. Basically, even they both had previously decided they never wanted to marry back into their own culture, they were instantly attracted to each other and end up getting married within the year, complete with a fully Bengali wedding. The scene of the wedding is definitely something I recognize. Indians really like to go all out with extravagant jewellery, colourful clothing, flashy venues, and occasionally animals as well... I remember attending my one of my cousins' weddings when I was in grade four and I remember thinking it was the most spectacular celebration I had ever been to (my aunt/ his mom probably just wanted to upstage the weddings her friends had for their kids)! It was one week long, each day comprising of different events, and fully equipped with lavish decor, horse-drawn carriages, and even an elephant, in total, costing about $1 million!!! Even more exorbitant than the celebration itself is the amount I had to spend getting outfits for each day... I can't even imagine the prices of all the bride's saris...
When Moushumi was first introduced, I was hopeful that maybe things would FINALLY work out for Gogol, and he would actually find someone that makes him feel like he can be himself; someone he isn't using as an escape from his culture. But as the story progressed and I learned more about Moushumi, I have to say, I liked her less and less. Now, at the end of the book, I can honestly say I liked both Ruth and Maxine more...
Yes, Moushumi has some sort of identity crisis of her own, using Paris and her friends, Astrid and Donald, as her own kind of escape, but that doesn't warrant her mistreating Gogol. She can't let go of her past, including her engagement to Graham. Gogol describes how "[o]ccasionally, in the apartment, he finds odd remnants of her life before he'd appeared in it, her life with Graham[...]. He doesn't feel jealous of her past per se. It's only that sometimes Gogol wonders whether he represents some sort of capitulation or defeat" (Lahiri, 229–230). She even keeps her old wedding dress, and when Gogol asks about it, her only response is: "'Oh that, [...] I keep meaning to have it dyed.'" (230).
There's still a part of Moushumi that doesn't want to give in to the culture that consumed her childhood and comprised of years of reservation, whereas Gogol has come to terms with it. She never saw herself marrying an Indian man (and particularly a Bengali man), but at first, Gogol seemed to have similar views, so they appeared to be a perfect match. However, as their life together progresses, they find themselves falling back into a Bengali lifestyle. Is it possible that this is why she begins to pull out of the relationship and tries even harder to be her old self? She says how, "[t]hough she knows it's not his fault, she can't help but associate him, at times, with a sense of resignation, with the very life she has resisted" (250). Therefore, as Moushumi tries harder and harder to be who she once was, she ends up pushing Gogol further and further away.
Maybe this video would have helped them out a little: Marriage Advice From Divorcees
(If you're wondering why I didn't just embed the video, it's because the image that appears just said "Don't Stop Having Sex" which is only like one point in the entire video, but I didn't want you to make any assumptions...)
Moreover, Moushumi doesn't want to become like her mother (which is something I really understand...), who was completely dependent on her husband. "For even after thirty-two years abroad, in England and now in America, her mother does not know how to drive, does not have a job, does not know the difference between a checking and a savings account" (247). As a result, she assures that she develops into a free-spirited and independent woman which makes it kind of hard for her to be in a relationship, as she tends to act without consideration of Gogol's perspective.
Spending more and more time with Astrid and Donald, she tries to emulate their lifestyle and her previous way of life before marriage, becoming someone Gogol doesn't know, and he starts to feel somewhat left out.
(Source: When You Feel Left Out. Dir. BuzzFeedViolet. YouTube. N.p., 17 Jan. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.)
She slowly begins to seem disinterested in Gogol, has an affair with a man she had met years earlier, and doesn't even change her last name when they are married (which is her decision but for the purpose of a literary analysis, it seems to represents a lack of commitment on her part). As I mentioned in my last post, I'm not exactly Gogol's biggest fan either—or the book in general—so I don't really care THAT much, but still, not cool Moushumi, not cool... They never really seemed that much in love; there was definitely an initial attraction, and when Gogol proposed, it was no surprise; they had no reason not to get married. But Moushumi is still stuck at a stage in her life that Gogol has passed through by this point in the novel, causing them to drift apart. Once Gogol learns about the affair, there's no going back, and they end up getting a divorce. If only Moushumi had read this set of instructions on how to solve an identity crisis, she could have saved their marriage!
Maybe there's some truth to Leo Buscaglia ("Dr. Love")'s quotation: "To love others you must first love yourself" (Source: "Quotable Quote." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2017.). Although I don't really believe this to be completely true, anything is possible in a fiction novel!
Some readers may have been rooting for Moushumi and Gogol to last because after dating so many white girls and avoiding his culture, Gogol actually ended up marrying a Bengali girl AND one who knew him before he became Nikhill no more hiding!
(Source: Mindy Kaling Animated GIF. Digital image. Giphy. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.)
Sorry things didn't really work out for you Gogol, but remember, there are tons of other people going through the exact same thing, so don't lose hope!
(Source: Movies Animated GIF. Digital image. Giphy. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.)
At least one good thing came out of this rather unfortunate section... Gogol is finally starting to appreciate everything his parents have gone through. After having disregarded his parents for so long, it's at his wedding where he finally starts to see how hard it was for them to move to a foreign land together; them being foreign to each other as well. He "thinks of his parents, strangers until this moment, two people who had not spoken until after they were actually wed. Suddenly, sitting next to Moushumi, he realizes what it means, and he is astonished by his parents' courage, the obedience that must have been involved in doing such a thing" (222).
The Namesake ends with Ashima, the entire family gathered for Christmas. Ashima is about to start a new chapter in her life and sell the house on Pemberton Road; she'll be going to India for quite some time. Even though she may feel quite alone, she's come a long way, from being dependent on Ashoke and feeling constantly on edge in this foreign land to living on her own.
While looking through things in the attic, Gogol finds the books his father had given him on his 14th birthday that he has yet to open. After Gogol's long journey, he realizes that even though the world knows him as Nikhil, the name "Gogol" will live on forever, along with the memory of his father. Finally, in like the last couple pages of the novel, FINALLY, Gogol accepts his name. So, with the party going on downstairs, he sits and reads.
Personally, I won't lose any sleep over not knowing how Gogol's life turn out, but what about you guys? Do you think he'll find his happy ending, or will he be perpetually stuck in this series of "accidents" he describes, never being able to settle down and truly discover himself? He explains how "his family's life feels like a string of accidents, unforeseen, unintended, one accident begetting another. [...] And yet these events have formed Gogol, shaped him determined who he is. They were things for which it was impossible to prepare but which one spent a lifetime looking back at, trying to accept, interpret, comprehend. Things that should never have happened, that seemed out of place and wrong, these were what prevailed, what endured in the end" (287). Maybe (although, probably not) all these "accidents" happened for a reason and will lead Gogol to his fate, his final happy ending!
Just like the book, our discussion has also drawn to a close, which means, time for my last cupcake recommendation for The Namesake!
The novel started and ended in the Ganguli home, so if you're feeling a little nostalgic after having read the book, go for a Boston cream cupcake! But, if you're just at the end and are finding the final pages of the book a refreshing close, maybe a mint chocolate cupcake will pair nicely! And lastly, a cookies and cream cupcake because... well... they just taste good :P.
I hope you all enjoyed my posts, and I look forward to doing some more blogging in the future!
La Fin.