Reflection: "The Namesake"

The Namesake Reflection

            At first while reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, I found that Gogol’s love life was unfortunate. In my blog post “It’s a Love Story,” I reflected on how I was so happy for Gogol and his new love Moushumi. But it terns out everything is not what it seems, and in the end I was rooting for Gogol all the way when they split up. However, that is the point though, how throughout the novel the events and characters most of the time become the polar opposite of what you originally had thought.

            I loved Gogol in the beginning of the novel, because he was a kid. He conformed to everything including what his parents wanted and somewhat of what the world wanted of him being a good American Indian son. I liked how Ashima, “She misses the free end of her sari as they walk together.” (Lahiri 50) Gogol is so sweet, innocent, and most importantly willing to follow his mother or in a subtle way willing to follow the Indian tradition, hence the sari. As I said before, by the end of the novel Gogol becomes the polar opposite of what he was destined to become as a child. “And then he remembers that his parents can’t possibly reach him: he has not given them the number, and the Ratliffs are unlisted. That here at Maxine’s side, in his cloistered wilderness, he is free.” (Lahiri 158) He hates his name, the culture, the rules, the differences, and that he is not given the opportunity to choose what he wants to go in life. He doesn’t want to marry an Indian girl or become a doctor. Instead he wants to be the All-American, and marry the rich white girl whose parents are easygoing, like Maxine.

Gogol makes extreme rash decisions in his life to get as far away as he possibly can from his problems. One being his name and another being his Indian heritage Maxine is complete opposite of what he was in the beginning, a reserved Indian boy afraid to talk and would rather read. Lahiri wants to show us that it is inevitable for us to agree to everything that is put in front of our faces, and like Gogol we want to rebel and search for who we are in actively searching for an identity that we want, or think we know we are.

In my blog post, I thought that I knew who Mouchumi was. And I assumed that she was the perfect fit for Gogol, because she was Indian, a book worm, lover of the arts, intelligent, and could relate to Gogol because she had many other similarities with him. “ I just love how even though both of them from early on in their lives decided to break away from whatever their parents wanted, such as who their parents picked for them to marry. But since they knew each other from before in their lives there is a sense of their own past within the other, a different perspective of what they could have been like, how they were seen, etc. She is only known as a book reader to him from before, but as he sees her, "He had not expected to enjoy himself, to be attracted to her in the least." (Lahiri 199) He is so unexpectedly pleased by her company and ability to relate to him, and he loves how she is natural, how he can get to know her for what she ism her story her struggle, and love every detail about her. "He wonders what is might be like to kiss her on the mouth." (Lahiri 205) He wants her, to love her, and it doesn't matter that their mom's set them up or that she is of course Indian.” (“It’s a Love Story”) In the blog post I was so quick to judge the hopeful good intentions of their love, and forgot how Lahiri makes everything about Gogol and his decisions overcomplicated and ending up being suck sticky situations biting him later.

I have learned from Lahiri, well first to never trust characters in their choices and think that they know what their doing. Anyway, but seriously, I have learned that people are irrational and stubborn about what they think they already know about themselves, therefore making them work harder to find who they are, what they want, and also who they will love. In the end of the novel Gogol finally sits down to read, listen, and learn. He lets go of his concept of what he needs to be, what he thinks he wants, and just allows himself to be immersed in the mystery of life instead of constantly beating at the gates of hell, demanding the life’s secrets, regrets, or knowledge. I don’t want to not accept what life throws at me. I want to be open to all possibilities and never close any doors purely because of my emotions. To be free I don’t want to act out and think happiness will be the opposite of what I have, but instead think it though, pay attention to my surrounding, and most importantly stop and smile.

Poem Reflection: "We Shall Bring Forth New Life"

After Sydney’s peer lesson on the poem, “We Shall Bring Forth New Life,” by Sadako Kurihara, I thought that it demonstrated courage, service, and sacrifice. Kurihara says that an individual even at their lowest point in life is still obligated to not think of their own poor death but instead think about the life that can’t protect themselves. I learned that acting selfless in the most crucial moments of our lives is rewarding not only to us but appreciated by anyone who values life.

            In the poem the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima has just hit, and the people are feeling the deathly aftermath. But, through all this “candle less darkness,” (3) and “the stench of death,” (5) there is still “a wondrous voice” (6) saying that the baby is coming. I think that is just beautiful. In this frenzy of anger, death, blood, hate, tears, and basically the worst day of these people’s lives Kurihara describes the cry of life as wondrous. As if it is the saving grace to their problems, and this proclamation of life is to an extent is hope fighting to be conceived and nurtured. I have learned we cannot give up in life, and that there will always be hope in the next day we see and in the next breathe just as long as we see it as “wondrous”.  

            As the poem progresses from the announcement of the women going into labor the people begin to forget about their problems to help the woman and the birth of her child, because that is what is most important. All the Japanese are emotionally and physically suffering and yet they all forget their pain to help, “The others forgot their own pain in their concern: What could they do for her having not even match to bring light to the darkness?” (11-12) Every person in the poem was not thinking selfishly about themselves, but they wanted to do anything to help this woman and her baby. This really just proves how humanity is worth fighting and dying for. I have conceptions all the time that people are just selfish and only motivated to do things for their own benefit, but after reading this poem it really proves to me that we shouldn’t give up on our morals yet. I should not judge others before they prove who they really are, because in the poem you are tempted to only think about the people melting in the streets and all you hear is suffering. But this poem doesn’t embody the suffering, it wants to focus on the courage of the people to forget about their lost brothers and the sacrifice they are all willing to give in exchange for one innocent other to live the next day.

            At the end of the poem, the midwife steps in and helps the woman deliver her baby. “And so life was born in the darkness of that living hell.” (17-18) And so the baby is born and the midwife dies. As Sydney said in her presentation, “It’s death vs. life, and life is born and conquers.” The midwife gave the ultimate sacrifice for a baby she doesn’t know, and she proves in the mist of all this chaos and destruction life still triumphs death and will prevail. This poem showed me that there always will be hope for a new and better life.