“Split Selves and Shared Spaces: The Identity Quest in The Namesake”

Abstract

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri tells the moving story of Gogol Ganguli, the son of Bengali immigrants born in America, as he struggles with the intricacies of bicultural identity. Amidst generational strife, cultural estrangement, and diasporic yearning, the book explores the complex development of his identity. This paper examines how Lahiri employs Gogol’s conflicted relationship with his name to symbolise broader diasporic tensions, supported by a critical framework that includes diaspora theory, postcolonial studies, and identity formation.