Homesick

One of the significant people in The Namesake is Ashima Ganguli. Ashima Ganguli is the mother of Gogol and is an immigrant to the United States from Calcutta, India. Just like other immigrants, she is lost in America for this is a vast country and the culture is quite different from Calcutta. When she is pregnant with Gogul and in the hospital to deliver, she is afraid because there is no one other than her husband to be with her when their son is born. All of their extended family still live in India. In Cambridge, she lives alone for the day trying to take care of Gogol, but admits to her husband that she wants to go back to India. From others perspective, people think that she should face her problems head on or question her ability to live in America. However, from Ashima's perspective and from other immigrant mothers, this is quite understandable. In a country where you do not know the people or their culture, you make misconceptions and mistakes which can lead to consequences. As time progresses, you begin to lose your family one by one just like Ashima's father who died when Gogol was only one year old. People must understand from the immigrant's perspective that coming to live in another country, even if it is the United States with the land of oppurtunities, is quite difficult and can take much time to adjust to.