The Namesake

Upon an elective assignment, I was introduced to a magnificent filmed titled The Namesake (2007). This movie was based upon a best-selling novel by Jhumpa Lahiri and was directed by Mira Nair. The plot outline of the movie is an “American-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways.” But for me I looked deeper into the story to focus on the mother of Gogol, Ashima Ganguli. Her story relates in a way to the character I am currently studying in school which is called Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee.

First off let me start by stating that The Namesake is an outstanding film. It captured me and held my undivided attention the entire way through. I watch a lot of movies and I haven’t felt so connected to the characters in this film since I watched Pride and Prejudice (2005) directed by Joe Wright based on the novel by Jane Austen.

Without giving away the story, I wanted to note the similarities between Ashima and Jasmine. They are both women born in India and who find themselves through different circumstances in America. Ashima throughout the movie is continually tested against “American” ways. She does not give up her own culture and origin even though her children take on the way of the Americans. Ashima proves to be a very strong, independent woman who in the end finds her way through “following her bliss”.

 For me, it is fascinating to see the different types of strong women there are. Each culture has a different way in which women show how strong they really are and the way they can live in spite of men. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against men. I am glad that I am happily married. I just think it is important that women aren’t defined by the man they are with.