(I apologize in advance for the following entry, this comes after five straight hours of the data sheet)
As we come to the conclusion of our beloved book The Namesake, I tend to find myself asking the same question over and over, "Did I miss something?" Please, allow me to list a few words off the top of my head: money, women, sex, and power. This could either quote the Donald Trump personal slogan, or highlight the majority of Gogol Ganguli's life on earth. Throughout the entire novel our class pours over Gogol's internal conflicts and relationship issues and insecurities and family disputes and troubles in assimilation and blah blah blah. Once again, "Did I miss something?" Gogol Ganguli lives the freaking life! The man partied in high school, found himself at Yale, became an architect, lives in the most vibrant city in the world, and dates beautiful, intelligent women who have commitment issues. I still have yet to see a single problem in his life. Ok, so he divorces his wife before the age of thirty-five and he has slight insecurities due to his name, big deal! Half of America divorces at some point in their lives, and the name change remains his own little idiosyncrasy. I realize he ventures through a rough patch with his family but who doesn't? My class spent two whole days in discussion where we talked about Gogol’s betrayal of his family when he moved in with the Ratliffs. Can we really fault him for his move into an all-inclusive mansion, where people tend to his every need and take him on breath-taking vacations to one of the most remote and beautiful locations in the United States? He dines nightly on “sushi and salads and cold poached salmon” which makes my mouth water, versus his former living conditions where “there is so much street noise that when he is on the phone...people often ask if he is calling from a pay phone” (142, 126). Who would not make that move? Before I conclude, I plead that someone can explain to me where I can find the negatives in Gogol’s life but until then, “Did I miss something?”
John, I could not agree more. I always felt out of place in our discussions as I really never felt any sympathy towards Gogol. I have to admit he has a rough life, but most of it is his own fault. I feel like our class spends all their time trying to protect Gogol when really he needs a little criticism. Though as for a negative his father did die when he was still fairly young so theres a negative event in his life for you.
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