Love in The Namesake Madison Williams College

Throughout Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, themes of marriage, love, and intimacy are carefully woven into the lives of the Ganguli family; namely Gogol and his parents. The novel begins with Ashima and Ashoke, Gogol’s parents, and the beginnings of their arranged marriage, and follows for a brief few chapters the development of their intimacy and relationship. Shortly after their move to America, Ashima gives birth to Gogol and the perspective shifts to him. Gogol struggles with his identity as he progresses through public school, and has several brief affairs with girls, until he manages to enter serious relationships with Ruth, Maxine, and finally Moushumi. The anthology of his relationships in comparison to his parent’s relationship deeply signifies how love comes differently to the various people in this story. While there are several central themes in the novel, love is one of the most defining and characterizing of them all. The major theme of love in The Namesake is shown through his more prominent relationships with women, such as Ruth, Maxine, and Moushumi.

Gogol’s first major relationship in the story is the relationship he shares with Ruth. While this relationship doesn’t last long, it is one of the most significant...