Diasporic Identity and Cultural Differences in Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesak

Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake offers a nuanced portrayal of cultural negotiation within the Indian-American diaspora by foregrounding the tension between inherited traditions and adopted cultural practices. The present article explores how cultural identity is not a fixed entity but is continuously reshaped through daily choices, relationships, and generational experiences. Focusing on the Ganguli family, the study explores the contrasting modes of negotiation adopted by first-generation immigrants, Ashoke and Ashima, and their American-born son, Gogol. While the first generation seeks to preserve cultural memory through rituals, language, and community, the second generation grapples with hybridity, alienation, and the desire for assimilation. The Namesake represents cultural negotiation as a dynamic and lifelong process rather than a resolved conflict between tradition and modernity.