Background of the Study

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

This chapter is divided into six sections. The first section is Background of the Study. This section explains what triggers this study. It also explains why the novel was chosen as the primary data of this study. The second section is Problem Formulation that contains questions to be answered as the focus of this study. The third section is the Problem Limitation. This section explains the limitation of the problem formulation as the focus of this study. The fourth section is Objectives of the Study. This section mentions the main purpose of this study. The fifth section is Benefits of the Study that contains the advantages of this study. The sixth section is Definition of terms. It explains the terms used in this study to make a better understanding for the readers about this study.

A. Background of the Study

Graham states that people from the most stages of society to the most advanced learn literature is because the literature of a people is the principal elements of its culture. It contains the record of people’s values, thoughts, problems and conflicts, in short, their whole way of life 1. One way in enjoying literary works is through reading a novel. A novel is a work of literature that draws a reflection of life. Readers can see the reality that gives them an understanding about life and its problems Milligan, 4. Therefore by reading novel, it can broaden people’s point of view of life and its problem together with the solutions. Holman and Harmon state that “all novels are representations in fictional narrative of life or experience but the form are itself as a protean as life and experience themselves” 336. By that statement we can say that, novel is like a mirror in which we can see our own life in novel. That’s why, when we read a novel we can find one of the characters or more is just like ourselves. The Namesake which is written by Jhumpa Lahiri, also contains the whole way of life of the characters being performed. Jhumpa Lahiri is the winner of Pulitzer Prize for her work The Interpreter of Maladies. By becoming the winner of Pulitzer Prize, I am sure that her work is great that her work is really appreciated. Therefore, I wonder about her work, The Namesake. Her work on The Namesake is inspirated by her ambivalence of her pet name, that is Jhumpa. Besides, her writing is usually characterized by her “plain” language and the characters. The characters are often Indian immigrant to America who must navigate the cultural values of their birthplace and their adopted home. Her fiction is autobiographical frequently draws upon her own experiences as well as those of her parents, friends, acquaintances and others in the Bengali communities with which she is familiar. She examines her characters’ struggles, anxieties, and biases to chronicle the nuances and details of immigrant psychology and behavior. Besides, this novel moves quietly, eloquently across its central arc from the birth of the son until the death of the father. Because of the background stated previously, this novel is chosen as the primary source. This novel tells about a Bengali family from Calcutta who settles in Boston. Ashoke Ganguli and his wife, Ashima Ganguli, go to America to study, reaching Ashoke’s doctoral in electrical engineering at MIT. They settle and raise family there. Then, their first child is born. They will not name their son, but Ashima’s grandmother will give the name. They have decided to let Ashima’s grandmother to name their son, so they will wait until the letter from Ashima’s grandmother arrives. Besides, India parents think that name can wait, so they do not need to name their baby born as soon as the baby is born. They usually give name when the child is six or seven years old. Unfortunately, they have to name their son in order to bring their son home. That’s the rule in America, a baby born must have a name before checking out from the hospital because the hospital will make their son’s certificate. Because of the hospital officer’s coercion to name their son, Ashoke and Ashima force themselves to name their son. They can not wait the letter from Ashima’s grandmother. The hospital officer suggests Ashoke to name their son with someone’s name Ashoke greatly admired. Ultimately, he chooses Gogol as the name of his son. Gogol is part of someone’s name he greatly admires, Nikolai Gogol. Nikolai Gogol is an author from Rusia. Ashoke loves his work very much. From that moment, this little baby has a name Gogol. However, Ashoke and Ashima will replace this name until Gogol is registered to school. They make the name “Gogol” as a pet name, not to be taken seriously, simply something to put on the certificate for now to release them from hospital. There’s no problem until before Gogol is registered to kindergarten. When Gogol is registered to kindergarten, Gogol refuses to be called as Nikhil, a name that his father has chosen, which sounds similar with the first name of Nikolai Gogol. Nikhil is a Bengali name which means “he who is entire, encompassing all”. Then, from the kindergarten he is still called as Gogol. Briefly, this novel tells about Gogol’s struggle in identifying his unusual name. He is an Indian, he lives in America, but then why his name is neither India name nor America name. Besides telling about Gogol’s struggle in identifying his unusual name, it also tells about Ganguli’s culturally displaced especially for Gogol and his sister Sonia. In this thesis, the identity crisis that Gogol experiences will be discussed. This topic also happens in our social life. Some people experience as what Gogol experience. Therefore, the writer thinks that The Namesake is interesting to analyze. Besides, it shows how Ganguli family especially for Gogol fights and struggle living in America which is totally different from their culture.

B. Problem Formulation