Take me to your leader. (Get it? Alien-ation)

          In Juhmpa Lahiri's The Namesake, there are many instances in which the main characters experience a sort of alienation from the rest of the world. Whether it be through the emigration from their home country or leaving their immediate family for the first time for college or work. Lahiri uses these moments of alienation in each of the character's lives to have a chance to let them evolve, grow, or show an aspect of their personality previously unknown to the audience.
     The biggest use of alienation in the novel would be the Ganguli's separation from their homeland. This mostly pertains to Ashoke and Ashima, as they were the only ones to previously live in India; their children, Sonia and Nikhil, visit India often but have no sense of home when there. Ashoke and Ashima have both come to America in order to pursue Ashoke's career as an engineer. Ashima feels the brunt of this alienation from her homeland because she feels as if she has no purpose in America. Afterall, she is only there because of the arranged marriage to Ashoke. At the beginning of the novel, she is often left home alone when Ashoke works at the university or when the kids are at all school. It is shown that often feels homesick for the country that holds her parents, cousins, and other loved ones. On their periodic trips back to India, Ashima and Ashoke are shown as happy and outgoing as opposed to their reserved nature back in America. The alienation from their real home has changer their personalities and forces them to take on new lives.
     Later on in the novel, following the death of Ashoke, Nikhil is sent to his father’s apartment to collect or dispose of his things. He sits there, alone, isolated from the outside world. His girlfriend, Maxine, calls and tells him to not stay in his father’s apartment but to get a hotel room, a request which he ignores. This is the moment that spells the end for their relationship. Nikhil feels alone, as he should, and the one person trying to reach out and help him find his way in the darkness is ignored. The moment in his father’s apartment, offers Nikhil a form of clarity that being with others would not allow. Lahiri uses Nikhil’s isolation from his family and girlfriend to change his character for the better. He seems to regret leaving his family so often, this is a cliche story of how a child seems to have no time for his family but then before they know it, it’s too late.
     When Gogol goes to the courthouse to legally change his name to Nikhil, he is alone. The narrator points out how the event is not ceremonious nor is there anyone there to celebrate with him. He simply tells the judge that he hates his name and he request is accepted. He is completely isolated at this moment. Lahiri again uses alienation here to allow for a large change in one of her character’s. The name that Nikhil abhorred for so long is no longer with him, a huge turning point in his life and yet he is alone. Even after this name change Nikhil sometimes shows symptoms of isolation. He is technically a new person. When he looks at his old schoolwork, it all has the name Gogol written on top, not Nikhil. Nikhil has not yet lived, and now Gogol is dead. He is alone in this new world he has created for himself.
     It seems that Lahiri likes to use alienation or isolation during important events in the character’s lives. Ashima is alone when Ashoke dies, Nikhil is alone in his Father’s apartment, the Ganguli’s are alone in an unfamiliar country that they now live in. Alienation is an important tool used by Lahiri to show that great change has happened in one of the characters, usually through sadness. However, at the end of the novel, Nikhil is found in his childhood room, alone. He is happy because he can finally read the book his father had bought for him so long ago. This is the one time alienation/isolation is used in a positive manner in the novel and yet it still shows a big change in Nikhil’s character. He has finally come to accept his birth name. Previously he had refused to read any of Gogol’s work because for whatever reason he felt that if he did, it would be admitted defeat to the name he so despised. Now here he is, reading Gogol’s work, thinking of his father, happy.