The author describes the feelings of Gogol before an eight-month trip to Calcutta: “He dreads the thought of eight months without a room of his own, without his records and his stereo, without friends” (p. In high school and college, he feels uncomfortable in Indian culture, does not like the absence of personal space, and does not understand Indian music. Nevertheless, he feels that he does not belong to it entirely. Gogol, in contrast, refers himself to American culture, since in the USA, he spent all his childhood. Ashoke lives with this grateful feeling his whole life by accepting the need for assimilation and keeping his Indian origin. You remind me of everything that followed” (p. When Gogol asks the father if his name reminds him of tragedy, Ashoke answers: “Not at all.

At the same time, Ashoke learned to accept himself and see his past and present as a whole. For this reason, Ashoke lives all his life in attempts to combine American and Indian culture however, he does not want and cannot be an American, even after years. However, Ashoke feels alive when he comes to India, and he tries to inspire a love for this culture in his children, although he understands that they cannot completely belong to it.

After a terrible incident years ago, he decided to radically change his life by realizing that for him and his family, the United States is an opportunity for a better future. Ashoke feels like a stranger in the United States and misses India, although he knows that he has to assimilate into society. Gogol and Ashoke are from the same family but different cultures.

The book namesake