The dominant theme of the book is about the clash of two cultures and the protagonist’s discomfort with his own identity and background. The theme runs through the book right from naming the child “Gogol” to his rejecting the name and then finally accepting the same as an affirmation of his Indian identity. The theme of the book is about how “Nikhil/Gogol Ganguli” adulthood’s in a “rite of passage” way culminating in his realization that he is not that much different from his parents and shares almost the same values as them.
The initial struggles of Gogol are due to his trying to adapt to the American milieus, and he is largely successful to the extent that he is “welcomed” into a very liberal and wealthy family due to his relationship with Maxine. However, he breaks up with her after his father’s death because of his need to “discover himself and reclaim his identity.” The act of shaving off his hair after his father’s death, a typical Indian ritual, is his act of affirmation of his Indian identity. However, his attempt at amalgamation by his marriage with Moushimi ends in failure after they separate because she has an affair with another man.
In the end, he realizes that he has to be his own person and feels a sense of freedom by understanding the rationale behind his name and his disparate selves of that of a second-generation immigrant living in the US.
The undercurrent is that of synthesis and the difficulties of an Indian family adjusting to life in the United States. This is reflected in the dual lives that each of the Ganguli family lives and acts out their separate selves. The other facet is the naming of the son as Gogol, not as the father’s favorite novelist but as someone who played a role in saving Ashoke from death.