In our class discussion on Chapter 9 and 10 of The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, many people in our class said that they were angry with Gogol because of his passiveness in his relationship with Moushumi. However, I feel differently. Gogol has to deal with the fact that Moushumi constantly mopes around, dwelling on her past relationship with Graham. The reason Moushumi wants Astrid and Donald's approval is because they symbolizes her past relationship with Graham, and what her life could have been if they ended up married. When Lahiri writes, "Gogol doesn't like to think about the fact that Moushumi's connection to Graham persists through Astrid and Donald" she explains this concept (238). Personally, I feel extremely bad for him at this moment, because he's trying to move on and start a new life with Moushumi, but she's stuck in her past relationships. I also think the reason Gogol is so called "passive" in their relationship is because he afraid that she will have a mental break down because she starts crying spontaneously. Even though Lahiri explains why Moushumi is upset in Chapter 10 (she had the opportunity to go to France, but she passed it up) Gogol doesn't understand why. He most likely thinks that she is fragile, and so he should not pressure her into opening up about things she doesn't want to talk about. Overall, Gogol's passiveness in his relationship with Moushumi has made me feel sympathy for him, not anger towards him. He just wants to make her happy, and he most likely believes the best way to do that is not to pressure her, and to give her her independence.
Cat, I liked how you cited that Moushumi still finds herself trapped by her past (France and Graham). Moushumi simply needs to have a man in her life and that explains why she married Gogol without before making sure that he was right for her. I also felt much sympathy for Gogol and i think he needs to part ways with his disinterested wife.
ReplyDeleteCashy, I agree with what you stated about Gogol's passive role in the relationship. I talked in my post about the extent to which Moushumi reflects on past relationships and it makes me feel sympathy towards Gogol as well. With her desire for independence and his passive nature, Gogol does not see many options but to bottle up his emotions and accept the way she acts.
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