The Namesake (71-158)

Summary
Gogol finally turns fourteen years old. Both Ashoke and Ashima decides to throw a big party with Indian friends and American friends. The party is supposed to be fun, but it isn't fun for him because half of the kids that is invited he really doesn't know them. The presents he really wasn't happy about them either. Later when the party is over Ashoke comes in the room and he gives him a present. Gogol is kind of shocked because he never gives him a present without Ashima helping him pick it out. It was a book about Nikolai Gogol. Gogol still doesn't understands why his father would name him that, even though he knows that his father loves his writing and his work he still doesn't understand. Later on they tell the kids that they are going to be in Calcutta for eight months. Then later they return back and Gogol starts his junior year of high school in September. While he is at this party he meets a girl name Kim. He was a ashamed to tell her his real name so instead of saying Gogol he tells her Nikhil. He ends up kissing her and on his way back he tells his friends what happened. When he turns eighteen he decides to change his name. His parents didn't understand why he would want to but they can't tell him no. He moves into the dorms of Yale and he is known as Nikhil at college. When he changes his name he is now called Nikhil Ganguli. He has a girl name Ruth and the parents want to meet her. When they see his girlfriend they are kind of shocked because they feel as he should be with a Bengali girl because its the tradition, but he doesn't care. They feel as it will result in a divorce and it wouldn't last. The father and him has a talk about why he named him the name he has. Gogol is shocked and he was kind of understanding why is father name him the way he did. Now he feels kind of bad for changing it. Later on he meets a girl name Maxine and he ends up meeting her parents. Gogol parents still doesn't approve.

Quote
The quote I decided to pick was " By the following evening he was no longer fully conscious, and so wasted that his spine could be felt through his stomach (Lahiri 92)." As I was reading this, this quote made me read it over and over again. It was coming from the book that Gogol has to read in class and when his teacher said this , he didn't like it. He wanted her to stop, but he didn't want to say anything because he didn't want it to seem like he is the outcast in the class.

Reaction
So far its just getting better and better. To me I feel as right now sooner or later Gogol will understand the history and the background of who he is and why he was named that. He doesn't know who he is and he is trying to be someone that he is not and his family sees it but he doesn't. That is why it gets more interesting because you see the rights and the wrongs within the family and within Gogol himself. It is understandable to want to be American, but you have to realize who you really are.