The Namesake, Ch. 4-5 [Side Thoughts]

I couldn't help but think that it was wrong for Gogol to change his name to Nikhil. I understand that his name was a source of discomfort for him, even if other people didn't really care much about it. Yet, changing one's name is like changing one's identity and history. Gogol basically "erased" his life by changing his name, but that's impossible to do. Furthermore, the whole irony of the situation is that he doesn't know when he change his name that it signifies a sort of rebirth and second chance at life for his father. Gogol is Ashoke's second life, a culmination of his hopes and dreams and persistence in a country that's not his own. So, the way Gogol hated his name made me a little annoyed.