Confidence in Children With Parents From Different Countries

Throughout The Namesake, I've contemplated how much a parent's choices affects their child, and how much they can prevent their child from dissatisfaction in their life.  I believe that both Gogol's and Moushimi's parents' decisions positively affected each of them, yet their unwillingness, or inability, to see this caused most of the problems in their lives.  They each neglected the Indian part of themselves solely to spite their parents and did not learn to cherish what made them different from other American children.  When I was shopping the other day, I saw two women in burkas, talking rapidly in a different language.  They seemed to be happy, and did not care that they looked like no one else in the store, but they were shopping with their daughter and she acted very differently.  She wore average American clothing and kept her eyes downcast, never making eye contact with anyone.  I wondered what her life was like, and if it beared any resemblance to Gogol's.  She seemed to feel left out of the American culture, as she did not shop freely like the American children, yet she did not belong to the culture of the women with whom she was shopping either.  I felt that this was a very confusing state in which to remain as a child and, watching this girl, I felt a lot of sympathy for Gogol, and even Moushimi, even though I strongly dislike her at this point in the book.  I feel that I have seen a realistic version of Gogol's situation and can sympathize with him much more easily now.