Name interpretations can help you understand the extra layers of a character's personality.Whether an author means to use name interpretations or not within their writing, avid readers may well find essential meanings that can be derived from in-depth interest in a piece of writing. Click for Free Writer's Block Help E-Zine and Free E-Book Choosing monikers or other titles of address is vastly important in the realm of many authors' writings. The significance of names and the name interpretations that can be pulled out and discussed can be of utmost interest. Take some examples from some well-known works: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey Cheswick is a character in the story who can be symbolically linked to the wick of a candle. He is easily inflamed or easily burned out. He can be truly happy one minute and down in the dumps the next. Nurse Ratched is another character from this esteemed story whose name can be likened to another word which it sounds like: wretched. She is a wretched woman who deliberately tries to make life hard for some of the patients in the ward. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Daisy is the main woman in the text, and is a beautiful one at that. She has had many suitors, most notably Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, who vie for her attention throughout the novel. She is like a flower that everyone wants. She is lovely and beautiful. Nick Carraway is Daisy's cousin, and Gatsby's next-door neighbor. He is the narrator of the novel, and whenever he is around the other protagonists and antagonists, his cares tend to melt away, and he is transported into a world of luxury and leisure, at least until conflict strikes later in the novel. So far, these name interpretations are based off of reading the names in certain ways that elicit my own understandings of the characters. I rely on my reading of the text to make assumptions about how characters act, react, and interact with others. Another set of novels that lends itself in some ways to name interpretations and meanings of names that others may miss is the Harry Potter series. The Weasley family is adept at weasling their way into situations and finding their own means of helping out and saving the day. They are always there for Harry, Hermione, and the rest of the Hogwarts family. Just because the word "weasel" has a negative connotation does not mean that it cannot be cast in a positive light in a case such as this. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (also known as Lord Voldemort) has a name interpretation that is unique. The French word for death is "mort," and the last four letters of his "lordly" name are the same as these. Thinking back on all the suffering, death, and heinous situations he has caused in his day, using those letters may have been a sly move on J.K. Rowling's part to shed some light on the symbolism he represents. By learning to seek out name interpretations for great books you've read, movies you've seen, TV shows you've watched, or people you've talked to, you may just find that character mapping and book writing become easier tasks. Considering that the authors may not have truly been motivated to lend any significance to their chosen character names, keep in mind that the significances may still be there. Even if you are the only one who sees them, you can make your own mind up about how different parts of names reflect on a character's personality, motivation, or some other trait. Write your own character names, and after you have thought of them, see if you truly meant anything deeper. Think about spelling bees. Contestants use different languages to help them make sense of how they should spell the word. Thinking of where words derive from can be profoundly helpful in considering name interpretations for your characters or locations. Remember that characters are not the only items in a story that can have name meanings. The name of a school, a library, a zoo, a coffee shop, or any other place may carry weight with it in terms of its significance. Be creative. Be unique. Interpret what you can to consider all the ways your writing can go.
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