Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, Namesake, are similar in their ability to evoke remembrance within a reader but the way in which they do it is quite different. Foer relies on tangible objects and events to remind the reader of similar situations. Lahiri, on the other hand, incorporates the idea of roots and origins into Namesake. These themes help illuminate the past and, consequently, the future for the main characters in both novels.
In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Oskar clings to objects to remember his father and his journey. Oskar’s obsession with the key he found in his father’s vase drives him to explore, by himself or accompanied by old Mr. Black, the urban jungle that is New York City. As Oskar continues his journey he catalogs his memories in photographs that he adds to his scrapbook. This scrapbook serves as his link to the adventures he had and the people he met. The idea of physical remembrance is not only expressed through Oskar but by a few other characters as well. Mr. Black’s apartment is a collection of his travels and adventures with the most important piece being his catalog of names with one-word descriptions. Oskar’s grandfather remembers his pain for the loss of his first true love with his “yes” and “no” tattoos and by marrying Oskar’s grandmother because of the physical similarities she shares with her sister (the first true love). These tokens of the past are the character’s want to hold on to something lost whether it be youth, love, adventures, or even a father.
In Namesake, a major theme arises that centers on the idea of a person’s cultural roots: their family, their culture, and their home country. Gogol is mentally torn between India, the country where his family is from and the heritage they attempt to raise him with, and the United States, where he was born and raised. He feels different and chooses his girlfriend and her American family over his own, Indian family. He eventually realizes that he must embrace both the Indian and American aspect of himself, which sends the message of self-understanding. Gogol is also ashamed of his name once he learns that he was named after Nicolai Gogal, a well-known Russian poet who lost his mind. Remembrance does not always have to be a memory, but can also be a reawakening through understanding who you are and where you came from.
Both Jhuma Lahiri and Jonathan Safran Foer evoke remembrance within the reader but in two different ways. Foer writes about loss and sadness, which everyone can relate to in a specific way. In this sense he is bringing up specific memories with general circumstances in the book. Lahiri evokes remembrance through self-understanding and tracing one’s roots and heritage to different countries and cultures. Although they use different themes, Foer and Lahiri both emphasize the affects that the past can have on a person and their actions in the present.
