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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I feel the same say, when you said you felt as though Gogol and Moushumi loved eachother for the wrong reasons. Moushiumi and Gogol loved eachother to obey there own parents, as both parents wished for there children to marry into the Bengali culture. But later on in the novel Ashima becomes okay with the American culture, as she lets Sonia marry a non Bengali man. Also I completely agree with you that individuals can carry on to live there lives after the passing of love ones, but they will never completely go back to the way they were before the death.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you said. I think that Moushimi and Gogol got into their relationship out of lust and not love. I also believe that Moushumi is very obsessed with her old Parisian culture that the thought of Gogol tying her down is seen as a restraint to her freedom. Also, If we analyse their relationship from the Oedipus complex through a psychoanalytical lens, we can see that Moushumis very self conscious because she subconsciously knows that she will not be able to reach such an outstanding level of resembling the Bengali culture like Ashima has done for Gogol. Whether it was Ashima's nurturing character or her ability to cook such delicious Bengali delicacies, Moushimi strongly believes that she will not be able to conform to such a culture that she was never really a part of.
ReplyDeleteYour title says it all, I feel as if the whole book experiences true love and loss at some point or another. The loss of Calcutta and the homeland, the loss of loved ones, the true love Ashima and Ashoke shared, etc. I agree with your insights in regards to Moushumi and Gogol's relationship: for Moushumi, it was nothing but a rebellion and perhaps she thought she loved him, but deep down she probably never did. She was adamant about not marrying a Bengali man and like you said, that doesn't necessarily change. I also agree with your take that she was lonely and perhaps that was one of the reasons she married Gogol! I also think it was her just being your typical woman: going through a crisis, trying to force herself to settle down and get over her failed (potential) marriage, hoping maybe her marriage to Gogol would force everyone to forget about her failed engagement.
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