Jhumpa Lahiri,an internationally aclaimed
writer of ''Interpreter of Maladies:stories of Bengal and Boston and Beyond,'' impressed the literary world,again,with her second book,a novel''The Namesake.''
The novel deals with the theme of identity crisis and cultural
alienation profoundly Mrs.Lahiri,herself born in a family of
immigrants and axperienced the emotional conflicts in her life.Her protagonist Ashima and Ashoke reflects all such emotions with depth.
Ashima begot a boy, namely Gogol,after the name of the Russian author Nikolai Gogol.The choice of the name Gogol for their son is very significant.The whole novel represents his distrurb psyche to setup own identity either as American or Indian.Being an Indian by brith,Ashima couldn''t easily adjust with American culture.The writer has very skillfully sketched her character.Ashima''s rootlessness,anxity,alienation and such psycho-sociological problems are dipected with masterly compentency.
Gogol and Sonia,his sister,are represented the pathetic condition of next generation in foreign land.Gogol''s experiences related to his identification are the symbol of that dismayed problems which every immigrant faced.
In the age of globalization.immigration is common thing.Not only Indians but pepoles from every country are forced to live in alienated country where they have to face new language,new culture and everything new that is not the part of their life earlier.They experience that the native don''t accept them easily.It is also true within the country or even within small state also.Cultural displacement involves the loss of language,rootlessness,lack of family support,that identified in this novel perfectly.
This alienation disturbs the mentality of family.During the course of story,Ashoke dies.This event brings so pathetic change in the life of Ashima and her children.They experienced the agony and pain being far away from own root.At the end of the novel,Ashima,after her husband,decided to live half year in America and half year in India. To the answer of this question that can be arouse in the mind of reader,where actually is Ashima belong? The author herself narrated that"......True to the meaning of her name,she is without border,without a home of her own, a resident everywhere and nowhere."(page.276).
As a story-teller,Jhumpa Lahiri very skillfully brings her reader with her.Sketches perfect pictures of incidences and places with her pen.Some descriptions are so meticulously written.Alike her short stories,Mrs.Lahiri flashes of comic touches in descriptions,in images to reflect cultural dissimilarities.
With only two books,Jhumpa caught the sight of literary world throughout the globe.Even an internationally acclaimed movie,based on this novel,is made.In real sense,THE NAMESAKE is a must read novel for both,immigrants and native.