Hanah Sophia Henrique Sales Nonato
Salina Tesfamicael
Gogol changing his name is an example of assimilation because he is trying to fit into the
standards of being a normal man. Instead of embracing his authentic self, he allows people to call him
Nick as a common name. He wants to be the model minority because he goes to Ivy League schools and
dates white women. He had his culture when he parents took care of him as a child, but when he goes to
the Ivy League school, he begins to smoke and do bad things.
“He had no idea that Molière had been born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin and that Leon Trotsky was
born Lev Davidovich Bronstein...They had all renamed themselves, the article said, adding that it
was a right belonging to every American citizen” (Lahiri 99)
He considers himself to be an American citizen and although he is one, he doesn’t embrace his
Bengali heritage. His nonchalance is the reason why he doesn’t speak up for himself. Like when
he changes his name to Nikhil (his father commonly called him Gogol) he is torn between both worlds.
He doesn’t complain when people call him Nick yet his first name is Nikhil, an authentic Bengali name.
While it’s not a bad thing, Gogol only dates white women and doesn’t listen to his parents when they
want to meet her and their family. Ashima doesn’t like Maxine at first but she is willing to accept her if
she has the chance to get to know her.
Ashoke is an example of cultural appreciation because his wife, Ashima cooks him traditional
Bengali meals to take to work and he is very grateful. He is similar to his son, Gogol because he goes to
Ivy League schools. Also, he teaches his students and children to love and embrace their culture. But he
also is different from Gogol because he hides his culture from his friends and new lover, Maxine.
He is just a supportive husband to his wife. He takes his children to India to always visit his family and to
be deeper into their culture and home. He does not shy away from having Bengali friends because he
partakes in it a lot. He partakes in the Rice Ritual when Gogol was six months old and can eat solid foods.