What is an arranged marriage, you ask? Great question, Reader! According to OxfordDictionaires.com, an arranged marriage is defined as, "a marriage planned and agreed to by the families or guardians of the bride and groom, who have little or no say in the matter themselves." Basically, the parents agree on the marriage, not the the bride and groom themselves.
Now you ask, "How does an arranged marriage fit into the Indian culture?" Again, what a great question, Reader! Arranged marriages in India are very common. They originally came to be when the Hinduism replaced the Vedic religion around 500 B.C.E.
You then ask about how arranged marriages relate to The Namesake. OMG, Reader, you are on fire! Where do you come up with these questions?! In The Namesake, Ashima and Ashoke have an arranged marriage and proves to affect Gogol's life.
Great! All your questions are answered!!
As for Gogol, the arranged marriage could have had bigger effect on him then previously discovered. Brace yourself, this is going to be hard to explain through a computer screen.
Anyways....
A regular marriage is based on love right? Yes, of course. (Well, sometimes... but that's a whole other barrel of monkeys) So, what is an arranged marriage based off of? I believe that an arranged marriage is based on culture. Or in other words, the common ground of marriage is the shared culture.
For Ashima and Ashoke that statement is generally correct.
Now what happens when the marriage that is based on Indian culture moves to a totally different culture, American culture?
From critically reading, it can be seen that the result of the change comes adversity and identity crisis.
For Ashima, especially, the change is really hard. At the beginning of the novel, she feels like she doesn't belong and "nothing feels right". The unfamiliarity and how uncomfortable Ashima is in the new culture has an effect on her marriage and later Gogol. The name 'Gogol' is seen as an example of how the change in culture has been an ordeal.
Despite all that, I feel like Ashima and Ashoke, throughout the book, become more of a caring couple and less of the couple they were at the beginning of the novel, an arranged one.
WOWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a truly FANTASTIC post!!!!! PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I laughed, I cried, I contemplated life.... Well done. Anyways, I like that you went the extra mile by explaining arranged marriages and their history in India. I definitely think that the progression of Ashima and Ashoke's relationship is very interesting. Like you said, they've definitely become a more caring and loving couple than they were at the beginning of the book. Again, FABULOUS post. Truly inspiring. You are phenomenal blogger and a beautiful human being. Never let anyone dull your sparkle.
ReplyDelete-Eliana
Hey Rachel,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I really liked your voice though out the entire post. I loved the way you introduced your passage with all those questions and how you go even further to answer them. Also, I found your passage quite interesting. I agree with you that most arranged marriages deal with culture and heritage. I think that the Indian culture is a huge part in Ashima and Ashoke's marriage and I know that it must have defiantly affected Gogol. I think that by now Gogol should realize that his parents really love each other and genuinely care for one another. Although this was an arranged marriage I believe that Ashima and Ashoke have worked hard to make it a positive relationship and make the most of living in a foreign land. Overall, I loved this post. Great job!!
Kimya
Hi Rachael!
ReplyDeleteWow you already have a lot of comments! I considered taking my comment business elsewhere but then I was intrigued by your fancy blog introduction. How in the world did you so accurately guess all of my questions? And that brief history lesson brought me out of the shadows of ignorance and into the light of extensive knowledge on the topic of arranged marriages in Indian culture and how they relate to The Namesake. That said, you maintained great voice and personal style throughout the entire blog -- I could really hear you saying it, which is very admirable. As for your ideas, I especially loved the end where you said, "I feel like Ashima and Ashoke, throughout the book, become more of a caring couple and less of the couple they were at the beginning of the novel, an arranged one." I think that although Lahiri doesn't specifically address this fact, Ashima and Ashoke definitely love each other toward the end of his life, and the proof is in his weekly visits to Ashima and his care for her safety and well-being. Also, I completely agree that "the name 'Gogol' is seen as an example of how the change in culture has been an ordeal." Gogol's name definitely, in my opinion, reflects the hardship of moving to a new country and adapting to an entirely different culture. Thanks for the thoughts!
Kristin
Hi Rachael,
ReplyDeleteYou made some awesome points about the Indian tradition of arranged marriage. Although you are right about the fact that the parents play a majority role in the process, I don’t think you understood that the bride and groom do make the final decisions. Additionally, Ashoke and Ashima never criticize Gogol’s relationships harshly. I think that the issue is not caused by the pressure of arranged marriage, but by the disgust that Gogol had for his Bengali culture
Dave