Author(s): Dr. Meenu Kumari

Abstract: This paper examines the theme of cultural struggle in Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake (2003), focusing on the identity conflicts experienced by Indian immigrants and their American-born children. Through the lens of Gogol Ganguli’s personal journey, the novel presents the complexity of negotiating between inherited Bengali traditions and contemporary American life. The analysis highlights major themes such as naming, belonging, generational conflict, and diasporic dislocation. Drawing upon both textual analysis and scholarly criticism, this study argues that Lahiri uses Gogol’s name and life choices to symbolize the broader immigrant dilemma of cultural hybridity. Ultimately, the novel suggests that integration of cultural identities is possible, but only through self-awareness and reconciliation with one's heritage.

Keywords: The Namesake, Cultural Identity, Immigration, Assimilation, Diaspora, Generational Conflict, Naming, Indian-American Literature, Hybridity.

Article Info: Received: 25 Jan 2025; Received in revised form: 16 Feb 2025; Accepted: 22 Feb 2025; Available online: 28 Feb 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.101.39