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Jhumpa Lahiri in her famous book “The Namesake clearly pictured the facts and problems of Bengali migrants in America, their particular culture, laws and traditions of different religious observations and family your life. In her novel Lahiri narrates the storyline of a Bengali family whom immigrated to America and their condition in the exil was a blending of social and emotional disparity together with the Native Americans.

The storyline is centering about the family of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguly, a great immigrant friends and family who are deeply enthusiastic about carrying their particular Bengali traditions.

The story depends on the serious crash in India from which Ashoke fortunately received rescued due to the book of short tales by Nikolai Gogol. Although they believed their kid’s name will be selected by Ashima’s grandma but circumstantially name of their son was handed by Ashoke. He known as his kid Gogol in the name of famous writer Nikolai Gogol.

After moving out of Boston they attempted to admit Gogol in the institution with a good identity Nikhil once again according to the likeness to the first name of Nikolai Gogol but Gogol disagree to acquire that brand and he continued together with his nick term Gogol. Following some days his sister was created and your woman was given the name Sonali. They concurrently celebrated the birth of Christ and the many major celebration of Bengali Hindu’s Durga Puja, the worship of Goddess Durga. Efforts were made from the part of their father and mother to aware them of Bengali tradition and vocabulary. On going to India they visited several famous places in Calcutta, Delhi and Agra and after that came back to America. 1 day listening to the lecture of her educator on the existence of Nikolai Gogol, Gogol was quite definitely upset and started trying to deny his name.

Consequently Gogol changed call him by his name to Nikhil and then again on hearing the incident behind his naming from his father this individual became disappointed. Meanwhile Gogol graduated and Sonia began studying in California. At this point Ashoke perished of a massive heart attack in Ohio and in addition they observed the death of Ashoke in line with the Hindu Custom. Following the disregarding of romantic relationship between Maxine and Gogol her mom expressed her interest in the marriage of Gogol with Moushumi Majumdar, whom he met ahead of in friends and family parties.

That they married each other according to the Indio traditions. After deciding to go back in Calcutta Ashima realized that for 33 years the girl missed India and at this older age group she will miss her job, American Traditions and most importantly her children. In the mean time divorce took place between Gogol and Moushumi. To locate the old ebooks as his mother was willing to donate some books to the library where the lady last performed, Gogol got the publication ‘The short stories of Nikolai Gogol’ given by Ashoke at Gogol’s birth working day in 1982 and he became emotionally shifted reading his father’s statement in his personal handwriting.

In the book several crucial cultural events was pictured in an outstanding way. At the age of six months Gogol went beneath ‘anaprasan’ which is based on his first consumption of food in which Dilip Nandy performing as Ashima’s brother performed the major function by nourishing rice for the child. Lahiri narrates the incident as follows:

Gogol can be dressed since an infant French groom, within a pale discolored pajama-punjabi coming from his grandma in Calcutta. The fragrance of cumin seeds, submitted the bundle along with the shorts, lingers in the weave. A headpiece that Ashima remove of newspaper, decorated with pieces of aluminum foil, can be tied around Gogol’s mind with thread. He wears a thin fourteen-karat gold sequence around his neck. His tiny your forehead has been adorned with considerable struggle with sandalwood paste to create six smaller beige moons floating above his brows. (Lahiri 39)

Such explanation helps the reader to have a right look into the Bengali culture. Moreover about Durga Puja the girl mentioned the custom of worshipping the goddess with marigold padding and ingesting of vegetarian foods. In Ashoke’s fatality Ashima, Gogol and Sonia ate mourner’s diet we. e. food without meats and seafood which is, one other example of French Hindu’s lifestyle. On the 11th day there was a social ceremony known as ‘shradhya’ to get rid of the mourning period. Lahiri described this kind of culture in her personal way:

The rest of it-the calls, the flowers which have been everywhere, the visitors, the hours that they spend sitting down together in the living room unable to say a word, imply nothing. With out articulating that to one another, that they draw convenience from the reality it is the only time in the day that they are alone, isolated, being a family, regardless if there are site visitors lingering in the home, only the three of them participate of this meal. And only due to its duration is definitely their grief slightly abated, the enforced absence of certain foods on their china conjuring his father’s existence somehow. (Lahiri 181)

Once again while describing the marriage of Gogol and Moushumi your woman started through the way in which both of them sat inside the marriage ceremony to the playing of Shenai music including the inevitable presence of a Brahmin as being a priest. While observing these kinds of customs Gogol realized the extent of obedience which can be involved in these kinds of a ceremony. Moreover she also makes mindful her viewers about the custom of addressing “his second set of parents as “Baba and Ma. (222)

If we compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the lifestyle depicted in the book and Judaism, then we will have that the two cultures in their own approach are different from each other. First all of us consider the culture relating to birth of children. The culture portrayed available suggest that after the birth of child the brand is given by her grandparents which represents the place of honor the grandparents keep in the Bengali society, even though it is not uncommon that the brand is given by child’s father and mother.

On the other hand in respect to Judaism rituals, immediately after the birthday of the child father will hope to the changeless for benefits for your child. If the child is kid his name is given on the 8th day following the birth and case of girl child name is given at the time of birth. According to the Judaism concept relationship is very important without which a person remains incomplete. In the past Jewish marriage were arranged by parents though they will seek support from others to find the ideal match. Wedding ceremony ceremony consists of breaking of any plate which in turn symbolizes the destruction of temples in Jerusalem and signifies that Jews are still feeling incredibly bad for that heart breaking incident.

But according to the culture available, Marriage can be done on several specific o days it will be done in the presence of your Brahmin clergyman. Father from the bride give the bride-to-be to the soon-to-be husband and they will request blessings by older people which include their parents. If we seek out similarities then we will see in case of birth both cultures have tradition of praying to God to get the wellness of the child. In case of loss of life both ethnicities several rituals as a sign of grieving and in both equally cultures staying in contact with the dead body triggers ritual dirt and grime. And most importantly both the nationalities have beliefs in remainder which is besides the fact that those who existed an honest life in its strict sense could possibly get another amazing life.

Until now we have talked about different regulations and persuits regarding faith based observances just like birth, relationship and loss of life and most importantly family life of the French immigrants in the usa. Moreover we have tried to research the main culture depicted available and at last we tried to compare the different similarities and differences between culture explained in the book plus the culture of Judaism.

Functions Cited

Lahiri, Jhumpa. The Namesake. India: HarperCollins Web publishers India, 06\

BBc-Religions and Ethics-Jewish Weding Rites: Jewish Weding Rites.

May 5, 2008&lt, http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/rites/weddings_1.shtml&gt,.