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Jennifer Watson Tutor: Virginia Gillese English 211 April.09.2021

An altered insight or interpretation of one's values, when compared to those of their originating family, creates strains in the fabric of the family life. First-generation family members migrate to a new country, often before welcoming their own children, and ultimately open a chasm of generational differences in their own household. "The Namesake," a novel by writer, Jhumpa Lahiri, tells the story of Ashima and Ashoke and their children, Gogol and Sonia. The book emphasizes the innate struggle to understand each other and connect in a culturally relevant intergeneration manner. In many ways, the first-generation Bengali couple's children lack respect for the Bengali traditions, much to the dismay of Ashima and Ashoke. The Ganguli's maintained their ties with the Indian culture by perpetuating traditions and rituals alongside gatherings with their Bengali friends and occasional visits to India. Gogol shows resentment towards his family in his youth; he doesn't feel like he belongs to his Bengalese culture. Gogol was born in a different time and place than his parents. He prefers to be more American than Bengalese due to his connection with the western world, his own birthplace and culture. This paper focuses on the generational struggle for immigrants. It focuses on how the Indian culture clashes with the firstgeneration Bengali American culture through rituals, traditions, and customs in the novel "The Namesake."

Rituals keep us from forgetting what we are overlooking. The Ganguli make an effort to remain loyal to their Indian heritage through rituals. One crucial ritual vital to the characters in the is called the so-called mourner's diet or fasting. This ritual aims to show the grief of the entire family, the loss of a family member. For example, when the Ganguli suffer the loss of their father and grandfather, it begins a cascade of rituals, the first being the family must fast to demonstrate their loss and suffering. The fast begins with the Indian people refraining from eating fish and meat for the first ten days; they can only eat vegetables, rice, and dal; Next, they are not allowed to talk during these meals as silenced must be observed as a sign of respect to the lives lost. Lastly, they must prove they can reject desires and focus on spiritual aspects of existence; family members must shave and cut their hair during this time. Overall, this practice of mourning plays an essential role for the Gangulis. With this in mind, one should consider Gogol and Sonya eat a vegetarian diet for ten days which is irritated by the restriction forced on them by their parents and all the rituals from the ceremony. Gogol's mother scolded him for eating a hamburger during the mourning over their grandparents (Lahiri, Jhumpa. (2004). The namesake. New York: Mariner Books,, p. 179). This conflict creates changes in the fabric of the family and can develop ruptures and tears that prevent connection, understanding and support for one another in a relevant manner. As it relates to critical cultural rituals, the generation gap between the parents and children threatens the very bonds that each family member relies on for personal and cultural safety.

Sometimes tradition and habit are just family expectations. However, sometimes people feel guilty betraying their traditions as they understand the importance of these traditions for others but reject the essential nature of these acts for themselves. Ashima attempts to hold on to her

Indian traditions throughout her American life, even though she feels surrounded by strangers and alone. When Ashima gives birth, she enters to find her baby, whose name card reads "Baby Boy Ganguli." However, they have been waiting on the arrival of a letter that contains the child's name. It is a tradition for the elderly of the family to choose the name of a newborn child. The doctor informs them of some issues with the registry; if they do not name the child before leaving the hospital, they multiply time-consuming matters and paperwork. Naming is something significant to Ganguli's; it is tied to identity in a way that would make reusing someone else's name dishonourable. They trust that Ashima's grandmother's letter will arrive. They sometimes use pet names when one is undecided, so Ashima and Ashoke call the baby Gogol. Gogol, a Russin author whose short story saved Ashokan's life. Traditions do not, perhaps, mean so much to Gogol. He doesn't like his name after noticing that children in school occasionally make fun of his name. Gogol also feels estranged from his name, especially when he realizes that "no one he knows in the world, in Russia or India or America or anywhere, shares his name" (Lahiri, Jhumpa. (2004). The namesake. New York: Mariner Books,. page 59). Gogol is confused about his name because his name is neither Indian nor American. "He hates that his name is both absurd and obscure, that it has nothing to do with who he is, that it is neither Indian nor American but of all things Russian" (Lahiri, Jhumpa. (2004). The namesake. New York: Mariner Books, pg.76). Therefore, Gogol changes his name to help change how he sees himself for more growth. It is essential to see how traditions, such as naming, are vital bonds within a family. In times of stress and struggle, a family must lean on the strength of their bonds, and without rituals and traditions, it is often challenging for each member to feel a sense of connectedness and belonging. In this example, Gogol's family did not rely heavily on tradition for naming. He

suffered a sense of disconnection from the family and confusion about his belonging to his American and Indian culture systems. All humans believe in something, whether spiritual, religious, individual or the belief in the lack of a system. Cultural beliefs are the threads within the family fabric, and without the thread, the material will fray and disintegrate under pressure. Ashima and Ashoke's obligations were that of their Bengali ideals. They understood their Indian culture clashes with the American culture, and the ceremonial aspects of a wedding were one of them. Moushumi and Gogol, both Bengali, let their parents plan the entire wedding, inviting people neither of them has ever met and engaged in rituals they understood. Their wedding was a prominent Bengali affair; it was a long ceremony with little opportunity for the bride and groom to be alone. Gogol's and Moushumi didn't have the type of intimate and personal wedding their American friends would have planned. Gogol eventually suspects something of Moushumi and discovers her deceit; they ultimately choose to dissolve the marriage. The Bengali culture does not prescribe to Divorces and is highly opposed to their most basic cultural belief system. Further examples of the disconnect between generation are that "Fortunately, they have not considered it their duty to stay married, as the Bengalis of Ashoke and Ashima's generation do." (Lahiri, Jhumpa. (2004). The namesake. New York: Mariner Books, page 276). They allowed themselves to release each other from the confines of their cultural beliefs with the hope of finding a more individually fulfilling experience. The pressure to settle for less than "their ideal of happiness" ( Lahiri, Jhumpa. (2004 277). The namesake. New York: Mariner Books,) was not enough to confine them each to a lifetime of misery, as would have been the decision for all generations before their own. Ashima, surprisingly, is pleased with this outcome instead of being unhappy after hearing the decision, which further demonstrates the changes in generational and

cultural beliefs. It is important that as rituals, traditions, and customs begin to mould to their new environment, flexibility is possible. The family that can move, change and develop in their new environment while maintaining the integrity of their past experiences are the most likely to survive.

In conclusion, Lahiri's novel suggests family generations and circumstances change throughout the years and across country lines. The clash between ages when immigrating from a vastly different country and culture can mean the end of some experiences. Still, it may also signal the beginning of a disconnect between the members of the family. As circumstances shift and the years go by, certain truths remain apparent for each of them and to see which remain throughout, you must simply find the rituals, traditions, and beliefs. The ties that bind the family together will adhere to remaining "old world" ways of life and flexibility to more "new world" beliefs among the family system....