Ashima and Ashoke both have good things going and appear to be a well functioning family. To be such a good family already then getting the addition of a child, it honestly hurts to have a series of bad events come. With Ashima’s grandmother being ill, then later her father dying, a big impact is felt. I know it because Ashima and Ashoke care dearly about their family and friends in Calcutta. Ashima wanted to leave it to her grandmother to name the baby, but could not because it was taking to long for her grandmother to get the message and respond back. Leaving the duty to let someone else besides the husband and wife give the child a name is a big deal in my eyes and represents the connection to her family. The name Gogol has a special meaning to Ashoke because that is his “literary idol” from when he read books in the past. So he named his son Gogol in which Ashima agrees would be a good name. Something interesting said in the book in which I did not know about, and was interesting was the “pet name” and “good name” meaning a pet name would be what you are called at home by family and friends, and the good name in which you are to put your official name for papers and documents of sort. Ashima’s pet name is Monu and Ashoke’s is Mithu they’re most likely only called this in Calcutta or whenever family and friends come around. The main thing that stood out to me during the chapters was the negative impact on Ashima and Ashoke’s family together, at the beginning, everything was going so well with Ashima performing her routine concoction, and her husband studying for electrical engineering, then the baby being born. Eventually though things are better because of the job opportunity that Ashoke has as an assistant professor and the family moving to the suburbs. With all the troubles coming toward the family they are able to still progress forward in life overcoming each obstacle.
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