Will I Get A Higher Mark If I Like The Book?

I’m kidding! I loved the book but I wouldn’t mind. I finished The Namesake and the ending is the best thing ever but we will talk about that later.

When Gogol marries Moushumi, I thought to myself, another boring cliche ending. I’m so glad that the author showcased that every other relationship is not perfect. Since I am suppose to analyse plot and characters through this blog, it’s important that I display the flaws of their relationship but I feel so guilty. It’s not my position and they aren’t real people! Somewhere in the world, someone can relate to a character in the book. It’s one of the reasons why I love reading and here goes something.

To start off, “[the] assurance is important to her; along with the Sanskrit vows she’s repeated at her wedding, she privately vowed that she’s never grow fully dependent on her husband, as her mother has” ( Lahiri, 247).

I personally think Moushumi is afraid of becoming what her parents aspired her to be. She wants to escape from their expectations and not depend on her husband like the older generation of wives. She often sneaks out to eat alone or have lunch with her friend Astrid to assert her independence. She doesn’t want to repeat what she sees as her mother’s mistake but the vow she claimed to sets their relationship to failure when she pushes Gogol away.

“[When] the good news came she decided it was easier to decline the fellowship quietly, to file away the letter, not to bring it up” ( Lahiri, 246). She is being a mature woman by considering her husband and marriage. Unfortunately she made an impulsive decision because she was unhappy with Gogol and later divorces him.

It reminded me of Derek from Grey’s Anatomy. He is a talented surgeon and was offered multiple highly ranked positions at hospitals. He turned down the first offer and is constantly presented with the challenge of having a healthy balance between his career and life. This relates to how many people find it difficult to balance the two with increasing working hours. He obtains a position in D.C. as a chief neurosurgeon. He makes a sacrifice by leaving his family and friends from Seattle. Spoiler Alert: On his way back from D.C. to his home, he is hit by a car.

I was so surprised that Moushumi turned down that position because I would’ve ran the moment I received that letter. Moushumi is a Bengali female who grew up in a conservative household and choosing career over family is out of the question. I think the viewers would’ve thought it was weird for a white male to choose family over career because it’s not the norm!

It was interesting that, “it [reminded] her of living in  Paris- for a few hours at Dimitri’s she in inaccessible, anonymous” ( Lahiri, 264). It is similar to Gogol’s relationship with Maxine. She sees her affair with Dimitri as an escape from who she is. She has no obligations or responsibilities with him but it was strange that she denied her one year transfer in Paris so she can “stay” with Gogol.

I have to admit, I appreciate how Moushumi became the narrator near the end of the book. The life of a 1st generation Bengali female is drastically different from the life of a 1st generation Bengali male  due to misogyny in many South Asian cultures. As someone who is enjoying learning french, I liked how the reader got a perspective of France and the culture. Changing locations can definitely change a person and I’m hope to have that experience to fill my curiosity.

I loved how the book started and finished with Ashima. I was so proud of her! She is comfortable, happier, and independent after years of feeling out of place.

Can we talk about the ending? I was crying tears of joy. He showed the world that he doesn’t need a woman to be happy and is at peace with identity. He is enjoying the Bengali gathering he has always hated and reading the book his father gave him. I don’t know what is special about The Overcoat but I’m glad he is happy!

Reading this book made me wonder, where will I be in a couple of years? What will I do? What kind of person will I be. The unexpected events in life make it interesting. Whatever happens, I hope everyone including myself is living a peaceful and happy life.

P.S. If your live was a book, what type would it be?

 

Black Girl Confused Meme. Digital image. Know Your Meme. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

Frog Meme. Digital image. Know Your Meme. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. The Namesake. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Print

Ross, Ashley. Ellen Pompeo Explains Why Grey’s Anatomy Doesn’t Need McDreamy. Digital image. Time.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.