Gogol vs. Nikhil: The Narrator's Take

            I realized after reading chapter ten of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake that the narrator refers to Gogol as Nikhil in the sections focusing on Moushumi and as Gogol in the sections focusing on Gogol. I find this subtle discrepancy very interesting because it highlights a change in narration when the focus of the book changes. In chapter nine, a section primarily about Gogol, the narrator describes how Gogol feels about the people at Donald and Astrid’s party: “Gogol has nothing to say to these people” (237). In contrast, in chapter ten, which focuses exclusively on Moushumi, the narrator states that “[Moushumi] has ignored Nikhil perhaps more than necessary” (246). The narrator appears omniscient as a whole throughout the novel because he/she tells the thoughts of many of the characters but the narrator never reveals the thoughts of more than one character at a time. This, in addition to the different names used for Gogol, leads me to believe that the book contains numerous third-person limited narrators, one for each character whose thoughts are revealed. The narrator who reveals Gogol’s thoughts refers to him by his given name because he feels that deep down, Gogol represents his true self more than Nikhil. This further highlights the utter faultiness of Gogol’s marriage with Moushumi. Moushumi does not truly know Gogol; she only knows his façade Nikhil. The fact that Gogol refuses to open up his true self to his own wife foreshadows their divorce because Moushumi cannot fully understand him. Lahiri’s use of multiple third-person limited narrators highlights the subtle discrepancies between Gogol and Moushumi’s thoughts that will prevent them from having a long and happy marriage.