Ashoke didn't have to look very far to find the name, it was chosen based on a single moment in his life that completely changed everything, the train accident. “We all stepped out of Gogol's overcoat” (Lahiri 78). This quote symbolizes the unique idea that Gogol and his father have the same origins and are both interconnected in a similar way. Although it may seem that at some point in his life, Gogol may be able to detach himself from his family and his name, but only to the point of realizing that he cannot completely escape what he has and who he is. A crucial transition in Gogol's life came when he made the decision to completely change his name from Gogol to Nikhil, as a way to free himself from his family and Indian roots. “Many people change their names: actors, writers, revolutionaries, transvestites” (Lahiri 97). Gogol justified the act of changing his name over people in history who did the same. Gogol states that “slaves renamed themselves once they were slaves