Right Back to Tradition

        Ashoke's death in chapter 7 of The Namesake has played a bigger role in Gogol's life (I will refer to the character as Gogol even though I prefer Nikhil) than he knows. His father's death was unexpected, to be honest, but Gogol's reaction was unexpected to me as well. Usually, I'd imagine someone sort of breaking down at the death of a family member as close as a father, but Gogol just seemed a little shocked and in slight dismay. Maybe it's because of that trip to the cemetery when he was little.
It didn't seem to achange him much at the time, but his father's death greatly affected outer-family relationships, such as Maxine.
          It is clear Ashoke's death has brought Gogol closer to his family and roots to say the least. That's really why he and Maxine ended it. Maxine was refreshing for Gogol; he felt less obliged (not sure if that's the right word) to his Indian culture and tradition. And when they broke up, unlike Gogol, I was not surprised to see that she was engaged with another guy after less than a year of ending it with Gogol. It seems like kind of the American thing to do.
        This sudden loneliness brought Gogol a lot closer to his family, and Ashima was repeatedly pushing for him to meet with this girl, Moushumi. Gogol has, in the past, been sort of rebellious towards his roots. At first, "...as much as he [wanted] to make his mother happy, he [refused] to let her set him up with someone." But finally, he gives in out of spite, and he finds himself hitting it off with Moushumi, the nerdy girl at the party from his child hood.
         And as much as Gogol seems to unconsciously detest arranged marriage, here he is, falling in an arranged love with Moushumi. It feels Ironic. He dates Maxine, surprised that she gets engaged with someone else so quickly. And now he's moving into this girl's house, only months into the relationship mind you, all because of an arrangement from his mom. He's taking a step back from being a 'rebellious American'.