The Namesake

“Ashima never thinks of her husband’s name when she thinks of her husband, even though she knows perfectly well what it is. She has adopted his surname but refuses, for propriety’s sake, to utter his first. It’s not the type of thing Bengali wives do. Like a kiss or caress in a Hindi movie, a husband’s name is something intimate and therefore unspoken, cleverly patched over.”

Lahiri utilizes the Bengali tradition of women not uttering their husbands’ full name to emphasize the significance of Bengali traditions in the Ganguli family and introduce the thematic importance of names. Even though the couple immigrated to America, and their life necessarily changes its daily rhythm in comparison to their home country, Ashima still firmly believes in the power of tradition and is not prepared to sacrifice it on order to assimilate. The comparison of the custom to scenes of gentleness in Hindi movies is significant because such movies recognize Indian cultural language, as does Ashima.

“Ashima, unable to resist a sudden and overwhelming urge, stepped into the shoes at her feet. Lingering sweat from the owner’s feet mingled with hers, causing her heart to race; it was the closest thing she had ever experienced to the touch of a man. The leather was creased, heavy, and still warm. On the left shoe she had noticed that one of the crisscrossing laces had missed a hole, and this oversight set her at ease.”

Ashima’s first encounter with her future husband takes on a symbolic turn as she steps inside his shoe, foreshadowing her lifelong understanding and support for the man. The mingling of their sweat becomes a metaphor for the physical contact that will only come after they marry, and the slight oversight gives Ashima a valuable indication of Ashoke’s character. The scene is realistic in depiction yet metaphorical in describing their whole future relationship.