CLASH OF CUTURES

AMERICAN vs. INDIA

The culture concept

Even though there is no standard definition on culture, throughout time, a large number
of anthropologists have tried to define and to express their views on the concept of culture in
their papers.

Raymond Williams (1983) calls culture “one of the two or three most complicated words
in the English language”. He suggests three broad definitions. First of all he considers that
culture can be used to refer to “a general process of intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic
development. We could, for example, speak about the cultural development of Western Europe
and be referring only to intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic factors – great philosophers, great
artists, great poets. A second use of the word culture might be to suggest “a particular way of life
whether of a people or a group.” So, if we speak of the cultural development of Western Europe

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we would have in mind not just the intellectual and aesthetic factors, but the development of
literacy, holidays, sport, religious festivals etc. Finally, Williams suggests that culture can be
used to refer to “the works and practices of intellectual and especially artistic activity. In other
words, he alludes to those texts and practices whose principal function is to be the occasion for
the producing of meaning.

Mathew Arnold says that in order to define culture one has to” consider people. Then,
their way of life, their habits, their manners, the very tones of their voices” and to “look at them
attentively; observe the literature they read. The things which gives them pleasure, the word
which come forth out of their mouths, the thoughts which make the furniture of their minds.”

Fons Trompenaars considers that “culture pervades the mind, the small group, as well as
the larger society. It is everywhere in a distributed pattern, so that if you observed a single
person, a small group, or an entire organization at work, you could probably tell from what
culture your observations derived.”

Today’s American films tend to embellish when it comes to describe a culture different
from theirs, by pointing out the negative sides of their customs, values, beliefs etc. and glooming
the positive ones. Furthermore, I will discuss about the cultural differences between two worlds
India and America. In order to establish the cultural differences between the two worlds, I
considered the film “The Namesake” the most appropriate and the most accurate when it comes
to describing the Indian world. Moreover, I will analyze the film in terms of counterculture that
is a culture that runs counter to the mainstream culture of a society. In this case, the American
culture is the dominant one while the Indian is the counterculture. This situation applies only to
certain characters from the film. On the other side, the Indian culture becomes the dominant one
when American Indian Gogol (the main character) and his sister fly to India.

Fons Trompenaar’s model

According to Fons Trompenaar, culture is formed of three layers: the outer, the middle
and the inner layer. The outer layer, also known as the explicit layer, is the most obvious and it
concerns the organization of institutions.

Family is considered to be one of the most important institutions in the traditional

Bengali society. The father is considered to be the leader of the family. In a traditional Bengali
family, children maintain a very close relationship with their parents even after they left the nest
and married. Ashima, Gogol’s mother, is a woman who, despite the fact that she lived all her
adult life in America, remained faithful to the customs of her country. She is disappointed to
discover that her son, born and raised in America, has embraced all the American customs,
leaving the house before marriage. Moreover, her son slowly starts to detach himself from the
family and spends most of his time with Americans even on important occasions like his
birthday or Christmas. According to their culture, Bengalis are required to marry another
Bengali. In addition Ashima is disturbed by the fact that his son is dating an American girl. All
these facts give her a sense of perdition.

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“You know, he is willing to leave on vacation with someone else’s parents, but not to see its
own.”
“Forget it. This is America. As soon as the kids turn 16 they’re gone.”
“I lost the company of my parents when I first came to this country. Now, I feel I’m loosing my
family all over again.”
Another example that mirrors the mother’s despair is:
“Everything is fine, mom. Mom, why are you calling me?”
“Because you’re not at your apartment. You are never at your apartment, Gogol. In the middle
of the night I have called and you’re not there.”

Another fact that I notice is that in Calcutta, nowadays, arranged marriages are still
practiced, as opposed to America where everyone is free to choose whomever he/she desires to
marry. It takes place when the parents, particularly the father, decide that a child should be
married. When a parent decides to marry his child, he contacts family friends in order to find an
appropriate partner. When the two families meet, along with their children, each party presents
their son’s and daughter’s qualities, education.

“She loves to cook. She knits very well. And kids are crazy about her. She’s been learning
classical music since childhood.”
“My son has been leaving abroad for the last two years. He lives in New York. He is doing his
PhD in fiber optics.”
“Our daughter’s best subject is English.”

Another fact that distinguishes very clear the two worlds is, for example, the market. In
America shopping is made from a nice, clean store where you can pay with money or by credit
card. On the other side, the film presents a sad version of Bengali market. The food is placed on
the ground, the client argues with the greengrocer. All these suggest poverty, ignorance.

The norms and values of a certain culture make up the middle layer of that culture. The
norms refer to the social rules of conduct. Throughout the film, I have discovered various
Bengali norms that may seem peculiar to an outsider. Men can shake hands with other men and
women can shake hands with other women; however men are not allowed to touch women in
public, other than his wife or very close relatives. Before introducing his girlfriend Maxine, an
American as a matter of fact, to his parents, Gogol mentions some rules of behavior:

”There are things you should know: no kissing, no holding hands. My parents are not Lydia and
Gerald. I’ve never seem them touch.”

Unfortunately, Maxine doesn’t realize the cultural differences between the two worlds
and kisses both Gogol’s parents on the cheek and holds Gogol’s hand during the lunch causing
several awkward moments. After meeting Gogol’s parents at lunch, Maxine is shocked by the
culture she has just entered.

“I would never have guessed that your parents are so different.”

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 If a member of a Bengali family dies both male female members of the family are not
allowed to cut or wash their heir until the 10th day of death. On the morning of the 10th day of
death, all male members of the family must shaved and get their hair cut, and female members
must wash their hair.1 According to the custom, after his father death, Gogol shaves his hair.

“You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to.”

It was only fair to notice that even if Ashima wasn’t happy to see his son assimilated by
the western culture, she tried to understand the fact that his son would never completely
understand Bengali culture and would never live by their rules and norms because he developed
in the American culture. The same thing happened with her daughter too. She married an
American.

“You don’t know how happy I am that both my children have found their life partners.”
“You don’t mind that Ben’s not Indian?”
“Times have changed. No, I don’t mind. He’s a very good boy, you know and he makes Sonia
very happy.”

Geert Hofstede’s model

Geert Hofstede places at the centre of his cultural model the values. They are
complemented by the practices of any social organization. These practices refer to symbols,
heroes and rituals.

A symbol is simply understood as an expression that stands for or represents something

else. Symbols have a very important role in every social organization; they are defined by the
cultural and social conventions. Furthermore, they characterize a particular group and establish
the differences between two or several cultures (The American culture vs. the Indian culture).
Symbols regard words, gestures, objects, dress, etc. and communicate meaning(s). However,
they are thought to be superficial because they are doomed to change along with the society
they’ve originated from.

In the film, the presence of fire at the wedding ceremony is indisputable. The wedding of
Gogol and Moushumi Mazumdar takes place in a New Yorker hotel and one of the clerks, not-
knowing the meaning and the symbolic value of the fire, disputes this ritual.

“But you must understand that without fire, this ceremony is invalid.”
“I’s sorry, sir. I can’t allow you to light a fire anywhere around the hotel premises.”

The fire represents the god, Agni, that seals the groom and the bride’s wedding.

At the funeral of Gogol’s father Ashoke, the people present there wore white clothing
(white stands for purity) as opposed to black clothing that Americans use to wear on this

1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mourning, last accessed: 20th of August2010, 11 a.m.

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occasions. The closest members of the family wear this color even in the mourning period. This
asserts another difference between the American and Indian culture (white vs. black).

Words are also regarded as symbols and they can mirror specific features of a certain
culture. Gogol, the son of a Bengali family, who was born and lived all his life in America,
assimilated the American culture as if it was his own. His parents, even though they have lived in
America all their adult life, remained faithful to their origins. In addition, Ashima, Gogol’s
mother, considers his son’s language to be disrespectful. In India all relations involve hierarchy.
So, they are very conscious of the social order and their status relative to other people, in this
case, to family. The position of a son towards his parents is very rigid; they are demanded to
speak, at all times, in a polite manner. For example, in America the word guys is an informal
term used to address a group of people of either sex, on the other side, in the oriental culture such
words are considered disrespectful.

“I don’t understand how you guys could name me after someone so strange.”
“Don’t talk to your father like that. And don’t call us guys. Sometimes, when I close my eyes and
I listen to you both I feel like I have given birth to strangers.”

Even though, Gogol has embraced the American culture, he always uses in his speech the
word baba which is a respectful form of address for an older man.

“Baba, is that what you think when you think of me?

The term is also used to name a child, especially a male one as an affectionate form of address.
After Ashoke’s death, Gogol’s mother calls him baba.

“And baba, everything is ok between Moushumi and you?

Another difference between Americans and Bengali is the way in which they express
their love. While the Americans use the expression “I love you” no matter to whom it is said
(mother, father, husband, brother etc), the Bengali have different expressions for different
relatives. When Bengalis speak of love that kinsmen have for each other they speak of “the pull
of the blood”, brothers and sister will say that they come from “the same womb, and they will
speak of their love for their mother as the “pull of the umbilical cord.” In the film, Ashoke,
Gogol’s father, who was more open to the western culture that his wife, asks her to express her
feelings as the Americans do it.

“There is something that I always wanted to ask you but I never had the courage. All those years
ago, why did you say yes to me?
“You were the best of the lot. (…) I also liked your shoes.”
“Oh, ok.”
“You want me to say…I love you? Like the Americans?
“Yes. Yes.”

Another way to communicate meaning is through objects. In this film, they are
represented by two different cities: New York and Kolkata (Calcutta). In real life, both cities

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have positive and negative aspects. New York is the core, the heart of the American country. It is
the city where music, film, literature, theater, visual arts, architecture, dance etc have developed
at its full capacity. Through time, many films have shown the various sides of New York City:
urbane, sophisticated, full of chaos and violence, glamorous and interesting. Even though
Kolkata, known as the cultural capital of India, isn’t as developed both economical and cultural
as New York City, their people are much more connected and sympathetic with each other. The
beauty of the city is given by the atmosphere surrounding the streets, the live performances and
their cuisine. Even though they do not approve of the Western culture, Bengali people consider
America as a means to achieve a much better life.

“I want to go home. I don’t want to bring up Gogol alone over here.”

“Think of Gogol’s future. This is the land of opportunity Ashima, he can become whatever he
wants, study whatever he desires. His options are limiteless.”

Another object that is used to communicate meaning is The Taj Mahal. Apart from its
iniquity and stunning architectural beauty, The Taj Mahal symbolizes the power of love between
Ashoke and Ashima.

“I’ve always wanted to come here with you. Just imagine how much Shah Jahan must have
loved Mumtaz Maha, to make this for her.”
“Other husbands also love their wives, Ashima; only that they don’t afford to build Taj Mahal
for her.”

At the same time, Taj Mahal is a source of inspiration, a place of self communion.

“Hey, guess what. I think I’m gonna major in architecture.”

“What about engineering?’
“”Come on, baba, architecture has everything. It’s got everything: engineering, drawing,
aesthetics.”
Clothes are also a way to communicate meanings. There is a very clear distinction
between American and Bengali clothes. Bengali women wear a traditional cloth named punjabi
pyjama. The married women generally wear a sari and unmarried young girls wear a salwar
camise. A variety of rings, bangles, and other ornaments are worn by women of all classes. The
men usually wear a lungi, even though, in the cities they tend to wear western-style business
suits. Women also wear a red dot applied in the center of the forehead close to the eyebrows
called bindi. The area between the eyebrows it is considered to be the place where the wisdom is
concealed.2

During the film, there are several times when the statue of the goddess Durga is
presented. This goddess is the mother of the universe and believed to be the power behind the
work of creation, preservation, and destruction of the world. Since ancient times, she has been
worshipped as the supreme power and has been mentioned in many scriptures. She is believed to
protect her devotees from the evils of the world and at the same time she is considered to be able
to remove their miseries. Her three eyes represent desire, action and knowledge and the lion next

2
http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Afghanistan-to-Bosnia-Herzegovina/Bengalis, last accessed: 20th of August 2010,
5 p.m.

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to her represents power, will and determination. The American equivalent for the goddess Durga,
is Mother Mary.

The film presents the three most important Bengali rituals namely: the birth ceremony,
the wedding ceremony and the funeral. At the hospital, Ashoke and Ashima came across with
another cultural difference. They confront the problem of what to do about their newborn son’s
name. According to Bengali tradition a child must have two names and one of them is given by
an older family member.

“He wants to know the baby’s name.”

“We are waiting for my wife’s grandmother to choose”

“Will she be here soon?

“She is in India. She is more than 85 years old. But there is no hurry. Some of my cousin, you
know, they were not named until they were 6 years old. Until then, they were all called by their
daknam’s only.”

“Daknam’s?”

“Pet names. We all have two names: one pet name- daknam, one good name- bhalonam.”

“Unfortunately, in this country a baby can be released from the hospital without a birth
certificate. And a birth certificate requires a name.”

Another ritual specific to Bengalis people takes place at the birth ceremony. The baby,
formally dressed as a bride or a groom, sits on the mother's lap. He/she is offered a tray which
contains certain ritual objects: a lump of earth, a sacred book, a pen and a silver coin. If the baby
first picks up the pen it means that he/she will be fond of studies; the earth signifies fertility and
prosperity, the money wealth and the sacred book religion. It is said that the object the baby
chooses will show his destiny.

I also found differences between the two cultures concerning the wedding dress. For
example, unlike the Bengali bride who receives her (red/orange) gown as a gift from the groom’s
parents, the American bride has the liberty to choose her (white) wedding dress. At the
ceremony, the Bengali bride is seated on a chair and her closest friends draw her body with
abstract designs, with a turmeric paste. The groom, his friends and family, arrive later than the
bride's family. As they arrive, the younger members of the bride’s family block the entrance to
the venue, demanding money from the groom in return for allowing him to enter.

Edward T. Hall’s model

Edward T. Hall considers that culture operates on three levels: technical, formal and
informal. Technical learning is scientific and it is usually taught by a teacher to a student.
Technical culture refers to music, arts, food and drinks etc. The formal culture deals with rituals

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of a certain culture, whereas the informal one presupposes no rules; it can not be educated or
learned.

Even from the beginning of the film, the spectator is invited into the magic world of the
Indian culture through the traditional Indian music, the crowded streets, and the traditional
buildings. Even though the streets of Calcutta may seem fascinating due to their iniquity and due
to the atmosphere created by the people, music colors; at the same time, it’s hard not to notice
the poverty surrounding people’s lives; the men slipping on the floor, in the cars, or their dirty
clothes. When Ashoke brings Ashima to America he shows her, first of all the facilities of the
American life:

“Here, we have 24 hour gas. See? You just turn this and…gas. Hot and cold water, too. There
are two taps, red one and blue one. Don’t confuse between the two, you would get burned. And
you can drink water straight from the tap, no need to boil it. The washing machine is just down
the street. I will show you when I come home.”

Unlike Americans who have a wide range of flatware to use at the table, the Indians are
used to eat with their fingers, and always with the right hand. The technical level also includes
clothing and dressing elements. Indian culture is so different from the western one even when it
comes to dress code. Ashima, a true follower of her culture, finds herself in an awkward
situation. She is ashamed at the maternity hospital because her gown is too short and it’s
showing her legs. By contrast, the nurse, an American, doesn’t understand Ashima’s culture. She
can’t grasp the fact that a woman can be ashamed of her legs.

“Do you have a longer frock?”

“What’s that?”
“I mean, till here.” (Ashima points at her ankle.)
“And hide those gorgeous legs?”

The film shows how difficult it is for Bengalis to adapt in the cold American society. At
the same time, it reveals the willingness of the Bengali people to adapt to a new set of rules so
different from theirs. It is also interesting to notice how Bengali people who were borne and
lived in America, despite the family’s efforts, couldn’t stick to their origin and preserve their
culture. They rebelled against their own culture, either on a conscious level or on an unconscious
one, and embraced the culture of the county they lived in. Sonia marries an American man.
Moushumi Mazumdar leaves Gogol because she couldn’t stand to follow her mother’s path:

“Are you having an affair? Are you? Who is he?”

“Someone I’ve known a long time”
“Why?”
“I saw myself becoming my mother. I saw myself stuck.”

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 Bibliography

1. Storey , John, (2006) Cultural theory and popular culture: an introduction, Volume 2006,
Part 2,  Pearson Prentice Hall

2. Arnold, Matthew, (2004) Culture and Anarchy, Kessinger Publishing

3. Trompenaars, Fons; Hampden-Turner, Charles, (2010) Riding the Waves of Innovation:

Harness the Power of Global Culture to Drive Creativity and Growth, Published by The
Graw-Hill Companies

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4. Inden B. Ronald; Nicholas W. Ralph, (1977) Kinship in Bengali Culture, Published by 
the University of Chicago Press

Corpus

The Namesake (2006) - Film

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