In Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namsake and Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, many of the characters have experiences that shape how they are today. Both novels are told in the point of view of multiple people, showing us how each of the experiences they have not only shape their own lives, but the lives of the people around them.
In The Namesake, we have the Gangulis, a couple who entered this new world carrying many burdens: a new romance and traumatic pasts. The newlyweds are to learn things about each other after marriage when traditionally, people date before they wed. In turn, us as the readers also learn about these two individuals and see the lives they started not only for themselves, but for their children also. The event that ties this whole story together seems to be Ashoke’s train accident. The train accident that defines Ashoke life also happens to define Gogol’s life too, turning anger into compassion and pity. Gogol’s name means so much to Ashoke; it reminds him of the accident, how the book saved his life, and how he was given the chance to create life. Yet Gogol is oblivious to all this and secretly despises his parents for giving him that name. Gogol lives for 18 years, wishing to be someone else, wishing to have another name. When he learns of his father’s accident and the meaning behind his name, he gains a new level of respect for his father and learns to accept himself.
Foer’s novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, also draws attention to one’s experience and how it affects the people around oneself. The “renter”, or Oskar’s grandpa, lived a life of regret and sadness. From his first love leaving him to chosing to abandon his family, he’s done things he wished he didn’t do. After letting down Oskar’s grandmother many times, he wants to try to be there for his grandson, to make up for all the lost time. In playing the part as the “renter”, he is able to cure his own loneliness while curing Osker’s loneliness too. By realizing his past mistakes, he’s able to not make history repeat itself and be there for a loved one when he is needed. Oskar doesn’t know how to deal with the loss of his father and speaking to the “renter” allowed him to finally open up and get rid of his “heavy boots”. Oskar has someone to finally play the voice messages for and someone to speak his feelings to.
When we look back on our past, the bad memories seems to stick out more than the good memories. We then push ourselves to fix those bad memories and make up for the past by affecting loved ones in the present. In doing so, both Ashoke Ganguli and Oskar’s grandfather both changed the lives of the people around them.
