The Importance of Traditions

     During our class discussion, we touched on the importance of a woman taking her husband's last name. In chapter nine of The Namesake, Moushumi does not take Gogol's last name: "But the thought of changing her last name to Ganguli has never crossed Moushumi's mind" (227). Every student that spoke said they did not feel bothered by Moushumi's decision in the least. Yet, I felt extremely bothered by this. Especially despite the fact that Moushumi did not give a valid reason for her decision in my opinion. In my family, every woman has taken their husband's last name. Today, I feel society accepts woman who choose to keep their maiden name because of business circumstances or personal reasons. Yet, in my personal life, I strive to maintain family traditions. I would feel I offended or disrespected my husband if I refused to change my name. If I love the man enough to marry him, why would I not take his name? I definitely stereotype woman who keep their maiden names as not fully committed to their relationship, like Moushumi. For instance, I babysit for a family on my street whose mom and dad have different last names. I feel awkward addressing them differently. Sometimes I accidently call the mom by her husband's last name. She does not correct me, but I always feel bad for my mistake. I feel it is much more convenient and comfortable to address a married couple by a single last name. However, this tradition may seem outdated to many in our modern day society, so I will strive to act less judgmental towards these woman like Moushumi.