A Disastrous Dinner

       This past week I traveled to Florida with my family for Thanksgiving. All of my first cousins, aunts, uncles, and my grandparents went down there also, to celebrate Thanksgiving, Greek style. One night, all eighteen of us decided to go out to dinner at an outdoor restaurant by the ocean. It was chaos. My aunt was screaming at her eight year old daughter who refused to eat her dinner, my grandma was nagging my aunt tell her she shouldn't wear her sunglasses in the sun because she's getting ugly tan lines on her face, my sister dumped her water on me (by accident of course), and my little cousins were squealing while poking each other with their forks. I was really able to relate to Gogol in the novel The Namesake in this situation, because I wanted nothing more than to disappear under the table and hide from all the judgmental glares from strangers trying to enjoy their dinner. I would never completely shut myself away from them, as Gogol did to Ashoke and Ashima, but everyone needs a break from their families once in a while. When I first read the sections of The Namesake when Gogol was a teenager and felt embarrassed by his parents, I completely criticized him and thought that he was overreacting. However, I now realize how hypocritical I was. I do think that Gogol's reaction of ignoring his parents and shutting them out of his life was extreme, but I am now able to relate to his feelings of embarrassment. I love my family, but even too much of a good thing can lead to a disaster.