William Mason High School

Comparison and Contrast Essay: The Namesake

Riddhi Chopra

AP Literature and Composition

Ms. Nichole Wilson

September 24, 2015

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1997. Novels and plays often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties, and other social occasions. Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters and the society in which they live. Select a novel or play that includes such a scene and, in a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or another novel or play of literary merit.

Riddhi Chopra

Ms. Nichole Wilson

AP Literature and Composition

22 September 2015

Compare and Contrast Essay: The Namesake

        Maturing is a process that is not bound by time; it continues to shape an individual long after adolescence. For Gogol Ganguli, the protagonist of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, this is especially true as he grows up in a society different than his ethnic culture. The overall theme of the novel lies in how Gogol’s identity crisis shapes his sense of belonging in society from adolescence to adulthood, thus contributing to the nature of his familial and romantic relationships. Gogol’s maturing process is parallel to the pivotal events in the plot of the novel and is particularly evident upon Ashok’s death, where after Gogol begins to blend his two cultures together with more ease. The funeral is a fundamental scene in both the novel and Mira Nair’s movie adaptation, highlighting the disparities and connections between an on-screen depiction and a written portrayal and their effects on the concept of “self” and social interaction rate, enabling the reader to stand parallel to Gogol’s personal development throughout the novel.

        Up until his father’s funeral, Gogol’s perception of himself was disoriented and unsettled. Growing up, he continuously wishes to mingle among Americans and sway away from the cultural confinement his parents enforce upon him. His concept of “self” is not clearly defined, as he is unable to delimitate himself to either Bengali or American culture. He finds himself more at ease with his girlfriend, Maxine’s, family than in his own home, fully enjoying the absence of “the exasperation he feels with his own parents” (138). His social mannerisms with Maxine and her parents differ greatly from his interactions with his own family. It even seems that he has rejected his true family and found a new belonging- a somewhat childish infatuation. However, the significance of his father’s death and funeral lies in the guidance he intrinsically receives to forgo his naive exaltation of the American way of life, leading to him learning to efficiently blend his surrounding society and native culture. Gogol, remorseful of his father’s passing, begins to see the value in his culture and the practices followed by his folklore, even respectfully shaving off his head in the movie and admitting “I have so many regrets.” The implications presented in the movie’s funeral scene, both in his informal interactions with Maxine and humble correspondence with fellow Bengalis, emphasize Gogol’s newfound awareness for the value held in skillfully balancing both sides of his personality.

        The work’s most elaborate method of conveying Gogol’s sense of “self” lies in Lahiri’s use of tone. She describes Gogol’s life and the major events in it from a clean and whole perspective, often supporting her assertions with anecdotes about Indian culture in general. Lahiri presents Gogol as a recluse during the funeral scene, as he “doesn’t bother to translate… to introduce [Maxine] to everyone, to stay close by [Maxine’s] side.” (182). In the movie, while Gogol is seen interacting with family and friends and carrying out simple household tasks, he grows distant from Maxine in a similar manner, merely thanking her for bringing his belongings from New York and immediately abandoning her for his responsibilities. Gogol’s social interaction with fellow Bengalis peaks at this point, as he harbors them more than his girlfriend. The tone of Gogol’s dialogue in the book comes off as rude even without further description. Maxine is given life along with her dialogues, “tiliting her head” and “glanc[ing] around the room” (182) whereas Gogol speaks plainly. This aspect follows into the movie as well, as Nair gives more motion to Maxine’s character between her and Gogol’s private conversation; she is seen frequently changing positions and attempting to be more intimate with Gogol in order to best comfort him. Gogol’s reclusive attitude is adapted into the movie as he moves only to increase distance between him and Maxine. This connection between tone and movement of the characters enhances the collaboration present in the novel and the movie and is included to magnify Gogol’s gradual deviation from his adoration of Maxine and her impeccable lifestyle and towards the Bengali environment connected to him inherently. Additionally, a form of sound is present in the novel that is transferred over to the movie adaptation. The tone of the passage connects with the sound present in the scene, leading the reader to imagine the chaotic environment of the house, seen by the movie’s diegetic sound present during the funeral. As Maxine enters, conversations within the attendees of the event are heard. The loudest of these dialogues is an unknown male greeting the ceremonial priest, “Pundit ji, Namaste!”, he says. Nair’s purpose in inserting the noticeable Bengali dialogue contrasts with the English spoken between Maxine and the only other American in the room merely seconds earlier, thus emphasizing the two distinct cultures and languages present in the room and foreshadowing Gogol’s eventual election of his native lifestyle. Similarly, the novel’s detached tone describes the commotion from an outsider’s perspective, though not specifically from Maxine’s, and enunciates Gogol’s vastly different upbringing, one which he is resorting back to, in which he was constantly surrounded by many other Bengali families and often struggled to fit in.

        Disparities are bound to materialize when words turn into actions, evident by the altered aspects of the movie’s scene. The mood and emotions set in the scene vary with the different media used to present the work. Lahiri’s novel provides well-defined descriptive elements to illustrate the environment of the living room and later Gogol’s room. Blatant phrases such as “There is a religious ceremony conducted on the floor… of the living room” (181) and “sitting side by side on the edge of the bed” (182) serve little purpose other than to simply outline the succession of events. Hence, the novel’s previously seen dedication to shaping and conveying Gogol’s inner emotions is interrupted briefly in the funeral passage. In contrast to this fragmented illustration, Nair’s movie emphasizes the emotions of Gogol and Maxine to a greater extent, using close-up camera angles on all three while using medium and long angles on others in attendance. The scene begins with a high angle as Maxine enters the house, representing the weakness she feels in the situation, unable to comfort Gogol and blend in with those around her, the first indication of her eventual failure in permanently accommodating Gogol in her life. The second is emphasized by her black dress, which contrasts with the white the Bengalis around her wear, as customary at funerals in Indian culture. The lighting remains high-key throughout the scene as natural light fills the house, feasibly symbolizing Gogol’s rebound to his natural culture as he faces the emotional struggle as a result of this journey. Gogol’s emotions are surprisingly more evident on-screen than on paper. Close-up camera angles take an affection to his new appearance and personality during both the funeral ceremony and his conversation with Maxine because of the necessity of definite facial expressions, without which the scene would not be able to convey any of Gogol’s emotions. It is truly curious how, in this scene, actions can express more than words.

        Jhumpa Lahiri and Mira Nair exquisitely depicted the funeral scene using methods and devices unique to their form of media. While the written version contributes a context and overview of the event, the movie scene highlights the unspoken emotions felt by Gogol and Maxine. All together, tone, sound, and emotions cultivate the eventual development of Gogol’s identity and his sense of belonging in both American and Indian culture while gradually veering his social interaction patterns towards a different set of individuals and in different manners than previously seen. After the funeral, he is seen giving his family more respect and taking pride in his cultural background, even marrying a Bengali girl suggested by his mother. Indeed, it is after the tragic event that Gogol Ganguli truly lets go of his naive illusions and blossoms into a mature adult.

Works Cited

Lahiri, Jhumpa. The Namesake. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. 138, 181-182. Print.

The Namesake. Dir. Mira Nair. Prod. Mira Nair and Lydia Dean Pilcher. By Sooni Taraporevala.

Perf. Kal Penn, Tabu, and Irrfan Khan. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2007. DVD.