False and Double Consciousness in The Namesake

The Namesake starring Kal Penn, is a perfect example of false and double consciousness. Ashima Ganguli a young bride from India followed her husband to America. Ashima faces loneliness and struggles with language and cultural barriers. Ashima gives birth to a son, Gogol and daughter, Sonia. While he insists on being called Gogol as a child, he starts to reject his name; Gogol desires to change his name to Nikhil, which others then started to call him “Nik.” Gogol at this point has become much assimilated into American society, dating a white-American girl and spending time with her family over his very own. Here he develops a false conscious, instead of spending the holidays with his very own family; he neglects them and loses his true identity. However, the death of his father makes him realize his neglect and remembering his father as a child shaves his head according to their tradition when someone dies. He begins to go back to his traditional roots, participating in an Indian ceremony to honor his father, though still possessing some American ideals creating his double consciousness.