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Compare and Contrast Essay

The Acceptance of an Identity

I have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason High
School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I
am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this
assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this
paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the
paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course.
Signed: Andrew Zhan
Andrew Zhan

1997 Prompt: Novels and plays often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties, and other
social occasions. Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters and the society in which
they live. Select a novel or play that includes such a scene and, in a focused essay, discuss the
contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole

Ms. Nicole Wilson

AP Literature and Composition A
23 September 2015

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Andrew Zhan
Ms. Nichole Wilson
AP Literature and Composition A
23 September 2015
Compare/Contrast Essay: The Acceptance of an Identity
Named after an eccentric, suicidal, friendless, unmarried Russian novelist, Gogol Ganguli
lives with a sense of bitter resentfulness as he struggles to accept his name. Born as a secondgeneration Indian-American, Gogols identity crisis is escalated by a cultural dissonance between
his Indian ancestry and his upbringing in America. Desperate to find his place in society, Gogol
lives through a rebellious stage through his child and early adulthood, eager to escape the culture
of his parents in order to find comfort in the Western lifestyle around him. However, he soon
discovers that he is not fully able to adhere to either world. In both the film and novel of The
Namesake, Gogols struggle for self acceptance with his name and heritage ends during his
mothers farewell party. It is only after the departure of those closest to him and the rediscovery
of an abandoned gift does Gogol find solace in his identity and culture. Filmed with close up and
over the shoulder camera angles laced with a tranquil diegetic track and written in an omniscient
third person point of view featuring a pivotal tone shift, Nair and Lahiri capture the emotional
shift from Gogols value of social conformity to self discovery and ultimately acceptance.
After twenty five years, Ashima decides she is going to move back to her hometown in
India. In the farewell party at his childhood home, Gogol stumbles upon an old gift from his
father, The Short Stories of Nikolai Gogol. Lahiri uses the third person perspective to examine
the thoughts of Gogol at this moment. With a deceased father, and departing mother, Gogol

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realizes that his name, Gogol Ganguli will, once and for all, vanish from the lips of loved
ones Yet the thought of this eventual demise provides no sense of victory (289).
Establishing a solemn tone, Lahiri depicts this realization with a sense of melancholy within
Gogol whose name will become all but lost (290). For Gogol, the name itself was
accompanied by cultural practices and expectations that he had resented growing up.
Throughout his life, Gogol had run from his identity, ridding himself of his name and distancing
himself from his family in order to fit in with his peers.Gogol, neither Indian nor American,
served as a painful reminder of his cultural dissonance. After changing his name to Nikhil, a
more standard and less peculiar name, Gogol suddenly feels the weight of his childhood names
disappearance. As Gogol shuts his door, muffling the noise of the party (289), Lahiri uses this
descriptive imagery of the setting to capture the solitude of the moment thus reflecting the
emptiness Gogol feels. With this somber ending, Lahiri emphasizes the result of his endeavor; he
is alone, finding no solace at all (290). However, not long after his discovery, Gogols mother
calls him back down to the party. Only now Gogol is anxious to return to his room, to be alone,
to read the book he had once forsaken, has abandoned until now (290). In this pivotal moment
Lahiri stresses the shift from the hollowness felt by Gogol to his eagerness to salvage what was
destined to be abandoned, in order to for the first time, read and come to terms with his
namesake. No longer is Gogol concerned about the questioning and critical remarks about his
name that he had previously received. It is only then, after the rediscovery of his fathers gift,
does Gogol find the willingness to reevaluate the origin of his name and through it, find self
acceptance.
In the film adaptation, director Mira Nair also depicts the discovery of The Overcoat, but
with a more pleasant tone. When Gogol stumbles upon The Overcoat, it is not long before his

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mother interrupts the scene. As Ashima enters the room, questioning about his relationship with
Moushumi, Nair uses this scene to focuses on Gogols maturation in his concept of self, as
Gogol states, we are different people we wanted different things. Nair uses this line to
explicitly show Gogols understanding of who he is and wants. Through his attempt to console
his mother he tells her that even though he should be devastated by the betrayal of Moushumi,
the death of his father, and the departure of his mother, Gogol feels, for the first time in his life,
free. This freedom stems from the maturation in Gogols values away from the fulfillment of
social expectations. Unconcerned with the personal or societal repercussions of his marriage,
Gogol eagerly refocuses his mothers attention onto his fathers gift. Nair utilizes an over the
shoulder camera angle to focus in on the emotions of Gogol. In this moment, Gogol smiles at the
book indicating a warm connection with the gift that was grudgingly accepted during his
graduation. Through that contrast in reaction and this scene, Nair is able to illustrate not only
Gogols content with his name, but also of his identity in society. Unlike the novel, the film
adaptation goes one step further to address Gogols cultural struggle. As the scene cuts to
Ashimas reminiscent speech of her past experiences in America, the camera pans to Gogols
smiling expression amongst his immediate family and Bengali neighbors who have become his
extended family. In an apparent contrast from the novel, Nair omits Gogols anxious attempts to
escape the party and be alone. Instead Nair inserts a scene in which she utilizes a close up
camera shot to show Gogols cheery expression in order to emphasize his comfort amongst his
Bengali peers. With a past filled with reluctant attendance to Bengali house parties, he finds
himself in a state of content amongst those he had tried to avoid growing up. The burden of the
need to break loose from his heritage is lifted. Nair establishes a light, vibrant atmosphere in
order to capture the cultural value of familial and communal support that Ashima had depended

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upon and Gogols acceptance toward this network of friends and family that is unseen in Lahiris
novel. In another distinct difference between the novel and the film, Nair decides that Gogol
read the book not in his room, but in a train. With a non-diegetic instrumental of a soft and
traditional Indian track, Gogol fondly remembers the words of his father see the world, you will
never forget it, Nair establishes a tranquil scene further emphasizing the freedom that Gogol
feels. By having Gogol remember this quote from his father from the day in which his name was
based upon, Nair is able to highlight Gogols full appreciation of his name.
After a lifelong struggle of self discovery, Gogol is now at peace with not only his name,
but his heritage and social identity. With two distinct approaches toward the same scene, both
Nair and Lahiri examine the crucial impact that the rediscovery of The Overcoat and farewell
party had on Gogol. Establishing a heavy atmosphere, Lahiris ability to capture the internal
thoughts of Gogol allows the audience to see the progression of Gogols thoughts into a state of
self acceptance with his name and place in society. Opposed to Lahiris somber tone, Nair
depicts the scene in a more amiable manner. While Nair is unable to capture any internal
thoughts, though the facial expressions and setting, she is able to reveal Gogols reconciliation
with his name, society, and culture.

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Andrew Zhan
Ms. Nichole Wilson
AP Literature and Composition A
23 September 2015
Work Cited

Lahiri, Jhumpa. The Namesake. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. 289-291 Print.
The Namesake. Dir. Mira Nair. Prod. Mira Nair and Lydia Dean Pilcher. By Sooni Taraporevala.
Perf. Kal Penn, Tabu , and Irrfan Khan. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2007.Web