What is the plot of the namesake?
Plot. The Namesake depicts the struggles of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli (Irrfan Khan and Tabu), first-generation immigrants from the East Indian state of West Bengal to the United States, and their American-born children Gogol (Kal Penn) and Sonia (Sahira Nair).
What does the train symbolize in the namesake?
The presence of trains in the novel seems to be a reminder of the constant and inevitable forward motion of life, which advances and accumulates outside of anyone’s control, as Gogol reflects at the end of the novel. It is on a train that Gogol meets Ruth, and on a train that he discovers Moushumi’s affair.
Why doesn’t Ashima say her husband’s name and what does this reveal about her?
The important theme of name and identity is introduced at the very beginning of Chapter 1, when Ashima calls out for her husband from the bathroom. She doesn’t use his name when she calls for him, since “it’s not the type of thing Bengali wives do.” Their husbands’ names are considered too intimate to be used.
What does Ashoke give Gogol on his 14th birthday?
One girl close to Gogol’s age, Moushumi, comes to the party. After this party, Ashoke gives Gogol his birthday present: a collection of short stories from Nikolai Gogol. In Ashoke’s mind, this is a special gift because Gogol was named after this Russian writer.
How does Ashoke respond when Gogol says that he is changing his name?
When the judge asks him why he wants to change his name, he says, “I hate the name Gogol. I’ve always hated it.” Ashoke and Ashima don’t approve when they finally learn about Ruth, and Gogol suspects they are secretly pleased when she leaves for a semester to study abroad in England.
How does Gogol react to his father’s apartment?
Gogol immediately flies to Cleveland to identify his father’s body and authorize his cremation. Afterward, he goes to Ashoke’s apartment to clean it out. He spends an emotional, sleepless night in his father’s apartment before going to Boston to be with Ashima and Sonia.
How does Gogol meet Ruth?
Gogol meets Ruth, a white fellow student at Yale when he takes the seat next to her on the train. They strike up a conversation and begin dating. Ruth leaves for Oxford for a semester and a summer, and when she returns, they no longer get along and break up.
Why doesn’t the Ganguli baby get the name it was supposed to get before leaving the hospital?
Why doesn’t the Ganguli baby get the name it was supposed to get before leaving the hospital? The grandmother’s letter never arrived. Ashoke and Ashima couldn’t agree on a name. Indian babies are never named so early in life.
How does the train crash affect Ashoke’s life?
Ashoke’s life turns on the train accident that nearly kills him. After the accident, he resolves to travel, to see the world as Ghosh has urged him to do. The Gogol he is reading in the train leads to his son’s pet name.
What reasons does Gogol give his parents for this decision?
What reasons does Gogol give his parents for this decision? Gogol tells his parents it would be the same name they’d chosen for him when he was five. What courses does Gogol take in his first semester at college? Why doesn’t he tell his parents about the fifth course he takes in drawing?
What did Ashima do upon first meeting Ashoke when he visited her family home in India?
What does Ashima do upon first meeting Ashoke when he visited her family home in India? She impulsively stepped into the strange American shoes at the door. He polishes his shoes fastidiously.
Why did Gogol not go to kindergarten?
1 There is a reason Gogol doesn’t want to go to kindergarten. His parents have told him that at school, instead of being called Gogol, he will be called by a new name, a good name, which his parents have finally decided on, just in time for him to begin his formal education.
How long does it take to read the namesake?
5 hours and 54 minutes
Is the namesake movie like the book?
In 2006, The Namesake was adapted into a film directed by Mira Nair by the same title. As movie adaptations of books go, the film adaptation is very faithful to the novel. The movie begins with Ashoke on the train, then moves to Ashima meeting Ashoke, subsequently progresses to their life in America, and so on.