In The Namesake, how does Gogol's relationship to his family influence the development of his identity?

Gogol's identity is enhanced by the fluid relationship he
holds with his family.  At first, Gogol's identity is enhanced with distancing himself
from his family.  This is seen in the choices he makes and the overall demeanor he
possesses:

This change in name and
Gogol's going to Yale, rather than following his father’s footsteps to MIT, sets up the
barriers between Gogol and his family. The distance, both geographically and
emotionally, between Gogol and his parents continues to increase. He wants to be
American not Bengalese. He goes home less frequently, dates American girls, and becomes
angry when anyone calls him Gogol... He is rather stiff personality-wise, perpetually
angry or else always on the lookout for someone to make a stereotypical comment about
his background.

In this light, Gogol
defines his identity against that of his family.  It is within this frame of reference
that Gogol constructs who he is in the world.  His relationship with Maxine is an
extension of this.  With the death of his father and the reevaluation of his behavior,
his family plays a role in his identity as he spends more time with them, even
entertaining the idea of marrying the Bengalese girls, Moushumi.  When this relationship
sours, Gogol's embrace of his name with the reading of a collection of the writer's work
helps to establish that Gogol is more of a centered human being as he has made peace
with who he is in the world, something that includes embracing his own familial
background.  He has merged his identity with
theirs.