Gogol's Annoying Tendencies

Throughout the course of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri I experienced many frustrations with the main character Gogol. One main example of this develops after his fathers death when "It is the photograph [of his deceased father] more than anything that draws Gogol back to the house again and again" (189). This statement about Gogol annoys me more then most of his other actions throughout the book. I believe it should be his sister and widowed mother who draw Gogol back to the house, not the photograph of his father. How can Gogol consider a picture a stronger attraction then the needs of his mother. This type of situation occurred before when Gogol connected more with Maxine's lifestyle then her:"Quickly, simultaneously, he falls in love with Maxine, the house, and Gerald and Lydia's manner of living" (137). This situation illustrates yet another item that makes me annoyed, not necessarily with Gogol but with the situation in general. This issue revolves around how Lahiri allows the reader to see Gogol's folly while Gogol can not. While I can not fault Gogol for this, it still annoys me that we can see these issues and flaws while he can not However I did not find that as annoying because I did not believe the situation was as sever as it appears now. How foolish can Gogol be to put more of an emphasis on a photograph, or a lifestyle then on his mother or the woman who's lifestyle he connects with. I also feel that this type of foolish placement of his attention also explains some of the problems that developed with Moushumi. This continued folly just makes the situation even more frustrating for me, as it destroyed all the relationships Gogol ever developed.