Ellie Lieberman's Blog: Dusty Shelves - Posts Tagged "sampson"
What's In A Name?
What’s in a name, Juliet asks. Would a rose by any other name still smell as sweet? It depends on who you ask. Here’s what is in a name: identity, how they view themselves and how others view them.
Sometimes characters come with a name. It’s like transcribing a play. They walk in and they are introduced to me, as the writer, as they are to you, the reader. An example of this is Nicole Brennerman. Often times, we think of people as their whole name when they are something or someone “bigger” than ourselves. Do you refer to Jane Austen as simply Jane or simply Austen? How about John Green? They are both their first and last name. Regardless of what we think of them, that is how we see them. As a celebrity, or something almost untouchable, someone we put on a pedestal, we associate their individual identity as both first name and surname.
This is in comparison to Ms. Emerson, for example, who has a different level of separation and distance. Math’s teacher is simply Ms. Emerson. Her identity provides enough individuality for Math’s character, but offers more individuality than Sampson’s unnamed film instructor. Why? Ms. Emerson has an individual active and important role in the influence on Math, where Sampson’s unnamed instructor becomes the embodiment of every other person who has held a similar position. The unnamed college instructor is also simply yet another voice in the crowd telling Sampson a similar sentiment, while Ms. Emerson gives a name to the very way Math feels.
Remaining unnamed also allows a person or character to be reduced to a role, such as Math and Sampson’s father or mother. The importance they hold in the story is in the expectation of what a father should be in comparison to who he truly was, and in how important the mother was to both boys and the positive influence she had on them. This contrasts with the shooter in the park who is neither named nor actually seen. He is but a ghost and you can make of that what you will.
How does a full name or lack of name create distance? Consider how the four main characters identify each other, such as Clem or Math. Clem and Math are both shortened nicknames. Clements Walker and Matheus Thomas are their names, yet the only time you hear their actual names are for emphasis or used in anger and frustration. Consider also, the way in which Nicole Brennerman goes from calling Samspon, Thomas to Sampson. There’s intimacy, closeness, and a level of equality when being addressed in such an informal and comfortable way. The same way Carver calls Sampson “Sammy” in a moment of attempted comfort.
Sometimes other factors are an influence, such as another literary source. An example of this is Ophelia Cortez. In writing the introduction to this character, it was also an introduction to her name and who she was as a person. I discovered it while writing as new eyes would when reading. “… A name tied to a tragedy she would never let herself experience…” Boom! We’ve got a name; Ophelia, which is a reference to Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Clem’s name also has a small tie to a literary source. When I first started writing Society's Foundlings I was revisiting some of Andrew Clements work. As with most things in my life, basset hounds were also a big influence. At the time, I also had a conversation with my brother and we were discussing what we would name basset hounds we would get in the future. The names he gave me were Clemson and something similar to Matheus. Math’s name was also influenced by a Welsh God, Math. Personally, I think he would be thrilled with this aspect of his name.
Sampson’s name is also influenced by a pet. It was the name of my cat growing up. We gave the little kitten a big name to grow into and he had. The name itself perhaps had some influence on me, but it just seemed to fit the character as well.
Where did Carver’s name come from? Your guess is as good as mine. It is perhaps the only thing he and Nicole Brennerman has in common. I can tell you this, though. At the very start of writing it his name was Carson. Turns out he preferred Carver. Would he have been different had his name been Carson? Would the reader have seen him differently? Would I have written him differently? What is in a name?
You decide.
Sometimes characters come with a name. It’s like transcribing a play. They walk in and they are introduced to me, as the writer, as they are to you, the reader. An example of this is Nicole Brennerman. Often times, we think of people as their whole name when they are something or someone “bigger” than ourselves. Do you refer to Jane Austen as simply Jane or simply Austen? How about John Green? They are both their first and last name. Regardless of what we think of them, that is how we see them. As a celebrity, or something almost untouchable, someone we put on a pedestal, we associate their individual identity as both first name and surname.
This is in comparison to Ms. Emerson, for example, who has a different level of separation and distance. Math’s teacher is simply Ms. Emerson. Her identity provides enough individuality for Math’s character, but offers more individuality than Sampson’s unnamed film instructor. Why? Ms. Emerson has an individual active and important role in the influence on Math, where Sampson’s unnamed instructor becomes the embodiment of every other person who has held a similar position. The unnamed college instructor is also simply yet another voice in the crowd telling Sampson a similar sentiment, while Ms. Emerson gives a name to the very way Math feels.
Remaining unnamed also allows a person or character to be reduced to a role, such as Math and Sampson’s father or mother. The importance they hold in the story is in the expectation of what a father should be in comparison to who he truly was, and in how important the mother was to both boys and the positive influence she had on them. This contrasts with the shooter in the park who is neither named nor actually seen. He is but a ghost and you can make of that what you will.
How does a full name or lack of name create distance? Consider how the four main characters identify each other, such as Clem or Math. Clem and Math are both shortened nicknames. Clements Walker and Matheus Thomas are their names, yet the only time you hear their actual names are for emphasis or used in anger and frustration. Consider also, the way in which Nicole Brennerman goes from calling Samspon, Thomas to Sampson. There’s intimacy, closeness, and a level of equality when being addressed in such an informal and comfortable way. The same way Carver calls Sampson “Sammy” in a moment of attempted comfort.
Sometimes other factors are an influence, such as another literary source. An example of this is Ophelia Cortez. In writing the introduction to this character, it was also an introduction to her name and who she was as a person. I discovered it while writing as new eyes would when reading. “… A name tied to a tragedy she would never let herself experience…” Boom! We’ve got a name; Ophelia, which is a reference to Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Clem’s name also has a small tie to a literary source. When I first started writing Society's Foundlings I was revisiting some of Andrew Clements work. As with most things in my life, basset hounds were also a big influence. At the time, I also had a conversation with my brother and we were discussing what we would name basset hounds we would get in the future. The names he gave me were Clemson and something similar to Matheus. Math’s name was also influenced by a Welsh God, Math. Personally, I think he would be thrilled with this aspect of his name.
Sampson’s name is also influenced by a pet. It was the name of my cat growing up. We gave the little kitten a big name to grow into and he had. The name itself perhaps had some influence on me, but it just seemed to fit the character as well.
Where did Carver’s name come from? Your guess is as good as mine. It is perhaps the only thing he and Nicole Brennerman has in common. I can tell you this, though. At the very start of writing it his name was Carson. Turns out he preferred Carver. Would he have been different had his name been Carson? Would the reader have seen him differently? Would I have written him differently? What is in a name?
You decide.
