Naming the Self in Diaspora: Cultural Memory and Renaming in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake and Ariel Sabar’s My Father’s Paradise

Abstract

This article explores the thematic and symbolic meaning of naming in two literary works that explore the intricacies of cultural identity, intergenerational conflict, and diaspora: Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake and Ariel Sabar's My Father's Paradise.  In both works, names function not merely as identifiers, but as dynamic sites of conflict, compromise and transformation, reflecting the tensions between the personal identity and cultural memory in diasporic contexts. Sabar's narrative explores the ways in which names represent linguistic legacy and ancestral memory, especially in a Kurdish-Jewish environment, where their Aramaic heritage and linguistic identity face the threat of displacement and assimilation.  On the other hand, in Lahiri’s novel, the American-born protagonist’s discomfort with his pet name, “Gogol”, reflects broader tensions surrounding hybridity, belonging and the burden of cultural legacy.  This analysis examines how name represents both resistance to and concentration within dominant cultural frameworks, drawing on postcolonial theory and diaspora studies. The paper argues that names in these writings delineate the shattered boundaries between the past and present, the homeland and the host land, and the self and the other. This article explores how linguistic, historical, and familial factors shape diasporic identity by analyzing the emotional and symbolic weight of names, drawing on Homi K. Bhabha’s postcolonial theory and Stuart Hall’s essays on culture and identity. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that name functions as a powerful metaphor for identity formation in multicultural and migrant narratives.