EXPLORATION OF INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA IN JHUMPA LAHIRI'S THE NAMESAKE

Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake portrays the story of a Ganguli family,who immigrate to the United States in the late 20th century. It revolves around three main characters–Ashoke, Ashima and their son Gogol, whose name is unusual as it is named after a Russian author,whose book Ashoke was reading when he met with a near-death train accident in Kolkata. The novel opens with Ashoke's train accident,and he claims he was saved because he was reading a book by a Russian author,Nikolai Gogol.Subsequently,he decides to immigrate to the United States,where the story of their diasporic life unfolds in ways beyond the imagination of the readers of this novel.Closely reading the novel reveals these characters' collective and individual struggles, where they negotiate between Bengali and American culture. All these characters have their predicaments in the United States and show signs of emotional and psychological issues.This novel explores the trauma of the characters and how it shapes their relations,well-being,and relationships through the psychoanalytical framework. This critical analysis is mainly based on Marianne Hirsch's concept of postmemory and its role in intergenerational trauma.