The Namesake - Relationships

Throughout The Namesake, Gogol had a few different girlfriends. What was Gogol looking for in each of these women? What attracted Gogol to them? Analyze all three of Gogol’s relationships. Why was each woman right for Gogol at the time, and why didn’t these relationships last? Hint: Think about his evolution as a character.

Ok so here's what I'm going to do: I'm just gonna have three separate sections for each of his girlfriends (and in one case, wife).

Ruth:
Ruth was his first serious girlfriend. I think what attracted Gogol to Ruth (and Maxine for that matter) is that they weren't anything like his parents. Ruth was white, independent, bookish, and everything his parents wouldn't have wanted in a partner (some other traits shared with Maxine). I think, at this stage in Gogol's life, he was rebellious, and though he might not have really thought about it, he knew that his relationship with Ruth was a bit of rebellion against his Indian heritage. I honestly can't say what Gogol was thinking about when he started dating Ruth, but I don't think it was anything serious or long term. I guess you could say he was "putting his toe in the water" with this one. I think it didn't work out because England changed Ruth. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and also say that the distance between them reminded him of his parents and the distance between them and their Indian family. Ultimately, I think Ruth was good for Gogol because he finally got the chance to see what kind of woman could work for him.

Maxine:
Like Ruth, Maxine was a departure from normal. She also marks a huge transition in Gogol's character development. In the beginning of their relationship, he's attracted to her for the sex (and the booze, obviously). However, he slowly falls in love with her way of life. The carelessness and ease she goes about doing things. Every decision, whether whimsical or personal, is made with a sense of self-realization that Gogol does not possess. It think this also is what makes Maxine attractive for Gogol. In this relationship, Gogol was definitely looking for something: a way out. Whether from his Indian roots or something else, Maxine and her closely-knit family represented an familiarity with their place in the world that Gogol hoped would rub off on him. Unlike Ruth, Maxine stayed in New York, where he was, and did not depart to a foreign country to ultimately change. Ultimately, I actually think Maxine was bad for him. I think she was just fine, but I think their relationship confused Gogol even more, especially after his fathers death. He realized that his time with Maxine meant less time with his own family. I mean he literally spent his birthday with them, and didn't even call his mother. That's cold, man. 

Moushumi:
I think Moushumi's a bitch. There, I said it. However, Gogol did marry her, so I guess she can't be completely bad. I just still think about the ease at which she revealed Gogol's secret to her college friends while drunk, and the apparent absence of any remorse or how they would affect Gogol, and it pisses me off. Anyway, I think Gogol was looking, at this point in his life, to become closer with his family and his heritage. His father's death really fucked him up in that way. I think what attracted Gogol to her mainly, though, was her seeming indifference toward Indian tradition. As she said in the book, she wasn't a "good Indian housewife." Though she is Indian, this fact appealed to Gogol and, like his previous relationships, was what ultimately drew them apart. Though he was beginning to embrace the heritage of his family, she was not having any of that bullshit. I think it's pretty obvious why this one didn't last: she was fuckin on the side. But seriously, this one was all on Moushumi. She was the one going through the identity crisis. She was the one who was too tied to the roots she had sewn in France. 

In conclusion, Gogol's fucked. His relationships all end in shit, and I think he's going to die alone. 

Just kidding. But seriously I think these failed relationships are all signs that he:
a) needs to get out more
b) needs to date a traditional Bengali girl