Differences And Contrast Of The Namesake By Jhumpa Lahiri

Words: 912
Pages: 4

November 24, 2013
Professor Lyn Megow
English 100.02

Compare and Contrast of the Namesake In The Namesake based on the book and movie by Jhumpa Lahiri, there are several events and scenes that are interpreted differently throughout the film and book. The book is based on Gogol Ganguli, the son of immigrant parents Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli who struggles with his double identity and rebellion towards his family. The movie is quite different with its focus on the parents and their relationship more than Gogol, the main character. The characters in the book that are portrayed by the actors in the film are very important because it subtracts and diverts the focus of Gogol’s struggles who is the heart of the novel. Mira Nair
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Sonia then starts calling him “goggles” as a mockery to his name. This proves how comfortable Sonia is with her name and how easy her life is compared to Gogol. Their relationship never seemed to be close enough either. In the movie there was a scene where the family arrives in India and she complains to Gogol how bad she wants to leave and go back to the United States. Gogol then makes fun of her and then she retaliates as siblings often do. The movie makes it seem like there is tension between the siblings. The lack of detail in the movie also contributes to the misinterpretation that their relationship is not that strong in the movie as compared to the novel. The Namesake is a novel that teaches many values that makes one appreciate family and enhance relationships. The movie and novel both paint and fascinating pictures of what a perfect bond and relationships between family and friends should resemble. Identity is also depicted in a way in the novel and the movie that proves that it’s vital for one to accept and constantly learn as much as they can about their background and culture. If I was to choose which method to learn about Gogol and this entire story, I would choose the book. This is because, the novel never failed in given the detail I was searching for to fully grasp the