Relationships in the Namesake
This is incomplete... Scales just wanted me to publish it.
Each of the women plays a significant role in Gogol's life and his overall development. Each relationship represents a different stage of Gogol's identity crisis.
With Ruth, we see Gogol totally separate himself from his Bengali culture. When he dated Maxine, he totally embraced American culture until he was forced to include her in his Bengal lifestyle. After his Father's death, Gogol fully embraces his Bengali roots and marries Moushimi.
In the end, Gogol seperates from Moushimi and ends up alone. I do not believe Moushimi will be happy in a relationship until he finds a middle ground. Gogol needs to find a relationship in which he can embrace both sides of himself instead of strictly American or Bengali.
The last sentences of the novel shows that Gogol has started to accept who he is and all of his relationships helped him achieve this in their own way.
Ruth is Gogol's first serious girlfriend.
Ruth was a typical American girl and therefore was not totally introduced to Gogol's family.
Gogol strictly goes by Nikhil in this relationship, never truly revealing a significant part of himself to Ruth.
Their breakup did not seem to effect Gogol largely because the novel simply stated they were no longer together.
Maxine
Maxine is Gogol's second serious girlfriend. Like Ruth she is an all american women.
Unlike Ruth, Gogol becomes very interested in Maxine's typical American life. He spends a lot of time with her family in New Hampshire, distancing himself from his own family and culture.
Like Ruth, Gogol strictly goes by Nikhil or Nick in the relationship. Maxine finds out hat his parents refer to him as Gogol, but is told there would be an explanation later.
In a way Maxine represents the distance Gogol has created with his family. In the end, this is what drives them apart.
Moushumi
Moushimi is the only women Gogol's parents would encourage him to date seeing that she is a Bengali women.
Gogol and Moushimi eventually marry as he starts to fully embrace his Bengali culture.
Unlike Ruth and Maxine, Moushimi understands Gogol's background because she grew up in a similar environment.
Similarly to his previous relationships, Gogol and Moushimi eventually separate.
Each of the women plays a significant role in Gogol's life and his overall development. Each relationship represents a different stage of Gogol's identity crisis.
With Ruth, we see Gogol totally separate himself from his Bengali culture. When he dated Maxine, he totally embraced American culture until he was forced to include her in his Bengal lifestyle. After his Father's death, Gogol fully embraces his Bengali roots and marries Moushimi.
In the end, Gogol seperates from Moushimi and ends up alone. I do not believe Moushimi will be happy in a relationship until he finds a middle ground. Gogol needs to find a relationship in which he can embrace both sides of himself instead of strictly American or Bengali.
The last sentences of the novel shows that Gogol has started to accept who he is and all of his relationships helped him achieve this in their own way.
Ruth"As the hours of the evening pass he will grow distracted, anxious to return to his room, to be alone, to read the book he had once forsaken, has abandoned until now. Until moments ago it was destined to disappear from his life altogether, but he has salvaged it by chance, as his father was pulled from a crushed train forty years ago" (page 290).
Ruth is Gogol's first serious girlfriend.
Ruth was a typical American girl and therefore was not totally introduced to Gogol's family.
Gogol strictly goes by Nikhil in this relationship, never truly revealing a significant part of himself to Ruth.
Their breakup did not seem to effect Gogol largely because the novel simply stated they were no longer together.
"By the following year his parents know vaguely about Ruth. Though he has been to the farmhouse in Maine twice, meeting her father and her stepmother, Sonia, who secretly has a boyfriend these days, is the only person in his family to have met Ruth" (page 116).
Maxine
Maxine is Gogol's second serious girlfriend. Like Ruth she is an all american women.
Unlike Ruth, Gogol becomes very interested in Maxine's typical American life. He spends a lot of time with her family in New Hampshire, distancing himself from his own family and culture.
Like Ruth, Gogol strictly goes by Nikhil or Nick in the relationship. Maxine finds out hat his parents refer to him as Gogol, but is told there would be an explanation later.
In a way Maxine represents the distance Gogol has created with his family. In the end, this is what drives them apart.
Moushumi
Moushimi is the only women Gogol's parents would encourage him to date seeing that she is a Bengali women.
Gogol and Moushimi eventually marry as he starts to fully embrace his Bengali culture.
Unlike Ruth and Maxine, Moushimi understands Gogol's background because she grew up in a similar environment.
Similarly to his previous relationships, Gogol and Moushimi eventually separate.
Ok I know you literally could not care less about this blog, but as Brianna said some people didn't do their blogs so I had to come over here and comment on this. Ummmmm... this seems more like an outline than a blog. A bit disappointing considering this was your last blog in high school. You could have at least finished it. The ideas are there just it needs to be fleshed out. I hope life is treating you ok. See you soon maybe.
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