But here, now, reposing in his arms, weighing next to nothing but changing everything, is the second.' Is Ashoke's love for his family more poignant because of his brush with death? Why do you think he hides his past from Gogol? What moments define us more-accidents or achievements, mourning or celebration?Ħ. When his son Gogol is born, Ashoke thinks, 'Being rescued from that shattered train had been the first miracle of his life. In his youth, Ashoke Ganguli is saved from a massive train wreck in India. When Gogol is born, the Gangulis meet other Bengali families with small children, and Ashima finds with the new baby that 'perfect strangers, all Americans, suddenly take notice of her, smiling, congratulating her for what she's done.' How, for all of us, do children change our place in the community, and what we expect from it? Have you ever connected with someone you may have otherwise never spoken with-of a different ethnic background or economic class-through their children or your own?ĥ. How are the events of the novel simultaneously dramatic and commonplace? What details made the characters real to you? Did you ever lose yourself in the story?Ĥ. Newsweek said of Lahiri's Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, 'Jhumpa Lahiri writes such direct, translucent prose you almost forget you're reading.' The Namesake is also subtle in style, elegant, and paced realistically. How does Gogol lose first his public name, his bhalonam, and then his private pet name, his daknam? How does he try to remake his identity, after choosing to rename himself, and what is the result? How do our names precede us in society, and how do they define us? Do you have a pet name, or a secret name-and has that name ever become publicly known? Do you have different names with different people? Did you ever wish for a new name? How are names chosen in your family?ģ. The title The Namesake reflects the struggles Gogol Ganguli goes through to identify with his unusual names. What memories or desires does Lahiri bring up for you? Does her writing ever make you 'hunger'?Ģ.

The Namesake opens with Ashima Ganguli trying to make a spicy Indian snack from American ingredients-Rice Krispies and Planters peanuts-but 'as usual, there's something missing.' How does Ashima try and make over her home in Cambridge to remind her of what she's left behind in Calcutta? Throughout The Namesake, how does Jhumpa Lahiri use food and clothing to explore cultural transitions-especially through rituals, like the annaprasan, the rice ceremony? Some readers have said that Lahiri's writing makes them crave the meals she evokes so beautifully.

The namesake by jhumpa lahiri