Identity Crisis in The Namesake

Simply put, home culture refers to an individual's point of culture of origin

The domestic sphere is a determinant of home culture

It is one that is determined by the family

Gogol's identity crisis: Indian heritage v/s American lifestyle.

To Gogol, Sonia and Moushumi, India is foreign, and America is home.

However, Americans see them as outsiders.

Cultural displacement therefore, heightens their identity crisis

Represents his desire to take control over his own identity

Gogol: literal confusion about his identity

The name holds meaning for Ashoke, but not for him

A change in name doesn't change his life

He eventually learns that names and nicknames are symbols of the bonds between people

The Namesake illustrates the importance of one’s background name and culture to one's identity

Only at the book's conclusion does Gogol display a willingness to reach back to his roots

When Gogol sits to read the book his father had given him, it suggests a new acceptance of his past, and a willingness to allow his background to become a part of his identity