When naming disasters, hurricanes, and the strains of the novel coronavirus, scientists have to consider the broader implications of certain names. Think about it this way: how much difference could naming the virus strain omicron, rather than something like “China-virus” or “Wuhan-virus, make? As we have seen, a lot.
The significance of a name in great literary works doesn’t only need to be its denotative meaning. Names can be purely symbolic or add intertextuality to the characters and the themes. Names can carry history, heritage, culture, and societal biases. In Wuthering Heights, believed by many, including me, to be one of the best writings ever to be put on page, the names ‘Heathcliff’ and ‘Cathy’ have an immense effect on the themes of the novel.
Heathcliff, our misunderstood super-villain
Heathcliff’s name is an amalgamation of two common nouns. The heath part of it is a direct reference to a type of ecosystem found in the British moorlands, the very moorlands that our main characters traversed together in early childhood and reunite on as entangled spirits. It also “Catherine’s internment”, the place where she’s buried. The second part of his name is referenced in Cathy’s infamous speech, in “My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath”. His entire name, then, is inextricable from Cathy – he is nothing without her, and he is the place where she lived and where she died. It all comes back to them and their all-consuming and destructive love for each other. Cathy says it best: “He’s more myself than I am.”
He’s more myself than I am.
Cathy, in her impassioned plea to Nelly.
Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.
The naturalistic aspect of his name cannot be ignored either. The setting is, arguably, as much of a main character than any of them are contributing to their isolation, manifesting their broiling emotions, and becoming a wild refuge from Heathcliff and Cathy’s oppressive reality. The book covers of Wuthering Heights are the perfect emblem of this.
The next generation of the Earnshaw’s and the Lintons are all named after their forefathers (and mothers). To have Catherine’s daughter, referred to as Cathy 2.0 from now on, bear her mother’s name has more functionality than just confusing the reader. The children bear their fathers (and mothers!) sins by bearing their names. Despite this metaphorical chain around their necks, the second part of the novel functions as the second generation’s attempts to break free – to escape the march towards the destruction their parents begot.
The second Cathy, Linton and Hareton get the happy ending their parents wanted but did not deserve. They are the ones to break free of the narrative imposed on them by birth, and by ending it for themselves, they end it for their namesakes as well.
Questions:
1.
- Are there any characters in your favourite media whose names impact the plot or the thematic meaning? If yes, how so?
- What do your names mean? Why did you parents give you that name, and do they have any bearing in your life?
I absolutely loved reading this, Maha! I have never deeply thought about the impact of names of characters on the overall plot and analysis. I think it very cool, that I am now interested in reading the novel!
I’m not sure if this only applies to Arab countries, but it is a widespread belief here that one will carry the burden of his/her name, or have characteristics that relate to it. For instance, while trying to pick a name for my new born cousin, his parents did not like the name “Yousef” because they thought that he will struggle in life, and that every yousef faces many difficulties in life despite being so handsome. I thin it is very interesting how certain cultural beliefs circulate around certain names and I always think about where they originate from.
This is actually a common thing in Pakistan as well! I have seen several parents in my extended family changing their child’s name during their early childhood years due to the belief of negative associations or characteristics with their particular name. I did not know that was common in Arabic countries as well!
A very interesting topic Maha, this was really fun to read!! I have never really thought about reasons behind naming a character a certain way or the significance of it. Its interesting to see how authors, movie directors, and other forms of texts have to pay so much attention to various things like the content, history, cultural and societal factors when determining a characters name, because it can greatly influence the audience’s reaction, even though it seems like a minor thing.
I was actually never a huge fan of my name. However, once I understood the meaning of my name and its importance, I gradually started to like it more, which shows how the significance of a name and its value can only be unveiled after digging its meaning and knowing the context.
Loved reading this, Maha! The topic of names is very fascinating. I actually haven’t paid much attention to fictional names before but I’m reminded of the book ‘The Namesake’ by Jhumpa Lahiri. It follows a second-generation son of Indian immigrants growing up in the USA, and it explores the identity crisis that stems from his name. His parents name him ‘Gogol’ after the Russian author, Nikolai Gogol, and there’s a traumatic backstory behind the father’s connection with the name and his subsequent decision to name his son after the author. Later in the story, we watch the protagonist struggle with his name and change it to a more conventional Indian name as a way of embracing his Indian identity. I’m sure some people think reading too much into names is superstitious, but I do think there’s some element of symbolism, even destiny, to being named one name out of all the infinite names you could have had.
This has to be one of my favorite blog posts! I can not help but think of the impact of the meaning of certain names around me. I am also very intrigued by Wuthering Heights, and I will definitely be reading it after this semester is over. To answer your question, “What do your names mean? Why did your parents give you that name, and do they have any bearing in your life?” my name means good news or omen, and I was given this name by my father because he believed that plenty of good things happened in his life after my parents found out they were having me.
This was such an insightful read! Amazing work, Maha! I had never thought about the fact that the names of characters could have much, if any, significance on the plot. But now that I think of it, it actually makes a lot of sense. Just recently, I watched the new John Wick movie and, having been a fan of the previous three films, I absolutely had a blast. In the movie, they refer to Keanu Reeves’ character, John Wick, as the “Baba Yaga,” which is nothing but Russian for the Boogeyman. The way that simple detail held so much significance in creating this almost invincible character is truly amazing. I am not going to spoil the plot for any of you who haven’t watched the movies but when you do, you will understand why the entire franchise revolves around that moniker.
As for your second question, my name “Ausaaf” means “qualities”. My full name translates to “qualities of an exceptional human” in Arabic. I have always held pride in the name my parents gave me because I feel like we all have qualities within us. But what we choose to hone is very much dependent on the person, and having borne this name for 20 years of my life, I want to hone qualities that make me a decent human being while helping me achieve things I can only dream off.
Amazing read.. I am named after my late grandfather and the prophet.. i take pride in it
This was a lovely read – I love your writing style! I read the first couple of chapters of Wuthering Heights a few months ago, but after reading this, I might have to go back and finish it! You presented a very interesting idea, one that most of us do not pay attention to. Names are identifiers, and thus, as you showed with Heathcliff, they can reveal a lot about one’s identity. But I think it is not only the name given to a person at birth that reveals a lot about them, but also their nicknames and what others call them. If a child calls his father “sir”, you would get the impression that the father is strict and does not have a necessarily close relationship to their child. Whereas if he is called “dad”, he seems more friendly. Overall, this was an eye-opening post, I’ll make sure to pay more attention to characters’ names from now on!
I enjoyed reading this blog post so much!! Thank you, Maha!! I’ve recently been wanting to read more classics, so I’m even more eager to start reading Weathering Heights. The most current example that comes to mind is Floch Forster, whose last name, which is German for “one who works in the forest”. Forest is a theme of Attack on Titan and plays a part in his character arc which I talked about in my blog post. Another example comes from Inazuma Eleven, one of my favorite video games! Nearly every character has a last name that represents who they are or what their “superpower” is, which reminds me of how many cultures think that people take after their names. Regarding your second question, when I was younger, I knew that my name is Turkish. The first half is from the word Nur which means light and the second half from the word Hanim which means lady so the name is overall radiant lady or lady of light. There are other meanings like the light of the sun too. My parents considered several names for me before settling on Mennatullah, but they changed their minds at the last minute and decided on Nourhan (the second choice), because it felt more fitting. In Egypt, if a person is unsure of the name they wish to choose, they can light several candles and give each one a name; the candle that lasts the longest is then picked.
Names in books and stories are something I pay extremely close attention to, especially those of my own. I write books and stories, that is no secret. Every single character, plant, object, animal, and race in my books has a meaningful name. The symbolism that a name holds may not affect the story itself, but, if the reader is able to understand them, it will give them an entirely new dimension to the story.
For me, my name means Knight in Arabic. If you translate my full name, it will read as the Head Knight who carries himself with honor. However, perhaps a decade back now, I was reading a Persian book in which a character was named Fares as well. Surprisingly, the name meant one-eyed reaper. I have not been able to find another book that has the same meaning in Persian (or any other language for that matter). As to how I acquired said name, I am fairly certain my parents started going through random names till they settled on this one (although, it may have been my grandmother who named me).
When I was younger I really loved the Percy Jackson books, and within the book, you find out that Percy is named after the ancient Greek hero Persues. His mum chose that name because people like Percy (demigods) rarely get a happy ending, but Perseus was one of the few and she wanted her son to have that life.