Chapters
8- 12 of The Namesake, the reader sees the progression of the
relationship between Gogol and Moushumi. In the beginning, they start dating and
eventually get married, but the marriage ends when Moushumi has an affair. I
think that Gogol and Moushumi are very similar in several ways. For example,
both of their parents forced something on to them. In Gogol’s case it was
Bengali culture and in Moushumi’s case it was the pressure to marry a Bengali
man. Both of these pressures caused the characters to react in the same way
which was rebellion which would make it seem like they are a perfect pair. As
described in the novel, Moushumi describes dating Gogol as a little rebellious
because he wasn’t the same person that her parents used to know. This would
make her feel like she is rebelling against them while obeying their wishes at the
same time. I think that trying to obey someone else’s wishes instead of making
yourself truly happy never turns out well in the long run. It may not seem to
have an effect in the present, but as time passes it affects you and the people
around you; as seen when Moushumi has an affair with another man while married
to Gogol. I think that the main reason why Moushumi agrees to marry Gogol is to
please her parents and because she felt lonely. She may have sincerely loved
him at some point, but your true feelings will never fade away. From the very
beginning, Moushumi said that she never imagined marrying an Indian man and
this would be very deeply rooted in her. Moushumi does go against this feeling
and marries Gogol, but it is quite obvious that it wasn’t what she wanted if
she feels the need to have an affair with someone else. I think that this also shows that their love wasn't for the right reason, you can't love someone because your parents want you to love them; that isn't true love. Personally, I could
never understand how anyone could deal with the guilt of having an affair. I
also can’t understand how someone could willingly hurt someone that they
supposedly “love”.
Throughout
this section of the book, I feel as though Ashima finally started to adjust to
the American culture. For example, she is okay with Sonia dating someone who is
not Bengali. I think that this is a major thing to overcome because when she
was younger there was no other option than to marry a Bengali and that would’ve
been the only that she knew. Changing habits or beliefs are always hard, and for
Ashima to do that is pretty extraordinary. The one thing that hasn’t changed is
Ashima’s love and yearning for Ashoke. I believe that anyone can live without
the one that they love, but they will never be the same person that they once
were. Losing a loved one is always hard and will linger in your mind forever.
The memories and emotions will always be there and this is seen when Ashima is
preparing for her last party at the Pemberton road house. She says that she
feels alone, overwhelmed and exhausted without her husband which is very
typical when you have to live without someone you love. I’ve never really felt
the loss of a loved one, but I know that if my parents weren’t with me, I’d eventually
be able to smile again but the happiness wouldn’t be the exact same.
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