Blog #8: Compare/ Contrast Summer Essay

 In The Namesake, Gogol Ganguli faces an on-going internal battle regarding his culture, his family and his identity due to the insecurities he feels towards his name. This internal battle leads him to change his name, becoming Nikhil Ganguli rather than Gogol. Throughout The Namesake, Gogol often appears to be satisfied with his name change, showing little to no guilt for having done so. While at a dinner party with his wife Moushumi, however, Gogol’s true emotions emerge thus illustrating that, in reality, changing his name has inflicted much more remorse than he tends to lead on.

Although there are numerous differences between the novel version, written by Jhumpa Lahiri, and the film version, directed by Mira Nair, there are also numerous similarities in that in both versions, Gogol faces a major turning point in not only his relationship with Moushumi but also his general outlook on the importance of identity. By acknowledging his feelings of guilt and shame, Gogol is able to conquer his internal battle and appreciate the significance in his name thus strengthening underlying themes of sense of self and identity throughout the story.

In both versions, Gogol reluctantly arrives at a party hosted by Moushumi’s friends, Astrid and Donald, where he evidently feels unwelcomed, distancing himself from the others and keeping quiet throughout the night. The party takes place in a New York City apartment, which, in the film, takes on a very modern and elegant atmosphere. In the novel, however, the apartment is described as being "under renovation" with "plastic sheets [hanging] from rafters" (234). By this description, the apartment appears to be extremely battered and weathered whereas in the film, the apartment is beautifully decorated, filled with pieces of artwork and sculptures. Taylor 9

This contrast between the two settings is significant in that in the novel, Lahiri is able to easily demonstrate that Gogol doesn’t "fit in" with Moushumi’s friends simply by incorporating his inner dialogue. In the film, though, Nair must adapt and find another way to emphasize the fact that Gogol stands out amongst the crowd. In order to do this, Nair changed the setting from a beaten-up apartment to a much more sophisticated apartment which is very different than any home Gogol has ever lived in, with an exception to the home he lived in with Maxine. Through her attention to the importance of setting as well as costumes and makeup of characters, Nair is able to convey the fact that Gogol does not fit in with Moushumi’s friends and views them as nothing more than strangers.

Gogol’s view of Moushumi’s friends as strangers becomes significant as the party progresses and guests begin to converse about possible baby names, as the host of the party, Astrid, is expecting. In both the novel and the film, Lahiri and Nair make little to no changes in this conversation as far as dialogue and character interaction in that it serves as the focal turning point in the story as it is where Moushumi betrays Gogol, changing their relationship forever.

The conversation begins in a very casual manner: guests exchanging opinions, laughing about names, having a great time. As the topic of changing one’s name emerges, however, it quickly picks up speed. As one of the guests mentions that they "would never change [their] name" (243), Moushumi "blurts out" (243) the fact that Gogol had changed his. At the utterance of these words the "room goes completely quiet" (243) for the first time all evening, changing the entire pace of the scene. While Lahiri uses abrupt diction, short sentences, and detailed imagery to emphasize the shock of both Gogol and the guests, Nair does so by mimicking the exact dialogue from the text and utilizing specific camera angles such as close-up shot and over the shoulder shot to express emotion. Taylor 10

When Moushumi first exploits Gogol, the camera focuses on Moushumi from over the shoulder of one of the guests. This is the first time during this scene that an over the shoulder shot is used which elaborates the significance of this moment. This perspective allows the audience to focus in on Moushumi and recognize the change in pace of the scene. The camera then turns to Gogol, who the audience sees through a close-up perspective. By doing this, the audience is able to connect to Gogol and experience the same emotions of shock and disbelief that he feels in this moment. By using distinctive camera angles as well as mirroring the dialogue of characters from the text, Nair is able to not only emphasize the shock of both the guests and Gogol but also accurately portray this conversation as the turning point in Gogol’s journey.

The next part of the scene is where the methods of Lahiri and Nair change drastically. In the novel, once Moushumi has exploited Gogol, he experiences a flashback where he recalls memories of his father and his traumatic train wreck. Lahiri uses vivid imagery writing about the "capsized train" (244) and the "crumpled page of a book clutched in his fist" (244) in order to illustrate just how clear the moment is in Gogol’s mind which emphasizes the importance of this story to Gogol.

Gogol then thinks back to the night he told Moushumi the story behind his name. Lahiri uses careful diction to further reflect the importance of this story to Gogol while also heighten the feelings of disappointment Gogol has towards his wife and her lack of awareness towards the damage she’s done. In describing the night he told Moushumi, he says that he "confessed" (244) to feeling "guilty…more so now that his father was dead" (244). This confession is a key moment for Gogol especially because up until his father had died, he had expressed no remorse or regret for having changed his name. He simply played it off as if it was the best decision he had ever made when in reality, parts of him have always felt some guilt for having done it. Taylor 11

Lahiri’s use of the word "confessed" conveys not only that these feelings of guilt are emotions that Gogol has been suppressing for years but also that he had placed his trust in Moushumi by telling her his secret and by abandoning him and sharing his secret, she creates a pivotal moment in their relationship as Gogol reevaluates everything he once believed.

In the film, however, Nair conveys Gogol’s emotions not through a flashback but rather a verbal argument between Gogol and Moushumi following the dinner party. Nair cuts the scene short and instead adds in a "bonus" scene where Gogol and Moushumi are seen in the backseat of a taxi at what appears to be very late at night. Through strategic placement of characters, attention to direct lighting, and use of close up camera angles, Nair is able to express Gogol’s anger towards his wife thus emphasizing both the disappointment he feels as well as the importance of his name to him.

As the "bonus" scene opens, the couple is seen in the back seat of a taxi at opposing ends of the car. Immediately, this separation of the characters signifies that there is a presence of tension between the two. As the ride progresses, Gogol aggressively snaps at Moushumi, addressing her betrayal for the first time that night. In this moment, the camera focuses in on Gogol and Moushumi from a close up angle which allows the audience to relate to the emotions felt by the characters in depth. While the setting around them is dark, their faces illuminate due to Nair’s use of direct lighting, further emphasizing their emotions. By utilizing these elements of Mise En Scene, Nair is able to achieve the same emotional effects in the film that Lahiri achieves through the use of flashback in the novel.

While the overall components of the scene may differ between the two versions, both Lahiri and Nair’s general approach remain similar in that the elements in the movie, such as Taylor 12

strategic character placement, attention to lighting, and varying camera angles, as well as the elements in the novel, such as flashback, detailed imagery, and purposeful diction, work together to serve the purpose of strengthening themes of sense of self and identity through Gogol’s realization in the importance of his name thus creating a pivotal turning point in the story both in Gogol and Moushumi’s relationship as well as Gogol’s overall outlook on identity.

While there are distinct similarities and differences between the novel and the film, both versions are equally as strong in that they are able to convey the same general message and themes of sense of self and identity through Gogol’s realization of the importance behind his name. By comparing and contrasting them, I was able to recognize what aspects of the scene are most important to the overall message in that the significant moments appeared in both the novel and the film. Although I personally felt that Nair’s choice to replace the flashback with the "bonus scene" added an element to the story, strengthening the emotions of anger and disappointment between Gogol and Moushumi, I still feel that each version brought different elements to the story making them both effective and unique in their own ways. If Lahiri were to have incorporated the fight scene as Nair did, the novel could have been slightly more effective in that the scene truly emphasized Gogol’s feelings towards Moushumi for having betrayed him. In general, however, both versions of the story, The Namesake, were successful pieces in effectively communicating both the struggles with finding one’s identity as well as the importance in learning how to be proud of yourself, your family, and your culture.