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Post by Alyssa Eilerts on Aug 1, 2016 21:02:21 GMT
The Author Harper Lee has given her characters specific names to correspond with how/why they have been placed in the story. When looking many had odd names or nicknames given. If you look at Jean Louise a.k.a "scout" her nickname describes her as how she acts. With the name Scout you can understand that she would be courageous, brave and analytical. Such as how she questions her teacher to why she is angry about her knowing how to read; she had a brave and inquisitive mind set to even have question her teacher. Next, Atticus, with research you can find that Atticus is a Roman name that means "man of Attica", then looking at what Attica meant as a name, is a person with a thirst to inspire peoples in a higher cause; also they are strong-headed with their own views. This is shown with how he helps protect Tom Robinson (a colored man) with his case were he had a back hand because of the racial inequality. With these couple of names you can see how the author Harper Lee had given characters names,thought and meaning behind them.
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Post by paigestan on Aug 1, 2016 21:35:41 GMT
Going along with your names Scouts brother Jeremy a.k.a Jem puts the role of bravery in the novel. First seen when he touches the Radley House because of a dare. His name Jem reminds me of gemstones. Which are not brave in the way they act but in the way they look. They are just pretty rocks in which are hard to brake the outer shell. Just like Jem was when he got mad at Mrs. Dubose but decided what he did was wrong and that she is old and sick. He was brave and tough and didn't let anyone break his outer shell.
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Post by Ravyn_Bergeman on Aug 2, 2016 19:20:10 GMT
To add to your thoughts on how the names have their meaning, almost every name and nickname has their role to the story itself.
Let's start with Scouts, and Jem's last name, "Finch" when you first look at that word, you might think of a small bird. The finch symbolizes a phase in life that brings happiness, and though most of the book is sad, I believe that near the end of the book, that Scout and Jem are going to experience a happier part of their life with their new found wisdom.
Next we go to Scout's real name, Jean Louise Finch. Jean means gift from god, but jean could also be referencing to the denim pants, that were made to be sturdy and hard to tear or even break, which I believe is more accurate. Throughout the entire book we learn that Scout is a tough girl and isn't shaken up easily. Her middle name Louis means famous in war which would explain a lot. Her father Atticus, was sort of in a war with himself and the most of Maycomb when he decided to defend Tom Robinson, therefore unwillingly dragging his two children with him, making Jean a celebrity.
Then there is Jeremy "Jem" Atticus Finch, since we already know what Atticus and Finch mean lets just look at Jem's first name, Jeremy. Jeremy is the Middle English form and the name Jeramiah, who was a prophet in the bible. Now this explains why Jem was smart and was one of the people Scout went to when she was curious about something, you could say he kind of knew what was going to happen or even why certain things happened, he was one of the people in the book who foreshadowed a lot of things that happened in Maycomb.
Finally there is Arthur "Boo" Radley. It is safe to assume that Arthur's nickname, Boo was given to him because the people where scared of him, and he was even explained as a phantom, or ghost near the beginning of the book. Arthur originates from a welsh word meaning bear, and this explains a lot about his character. Bear's tend to hibernate during winter and nit come out much, they are solitary creatures, like boo who never came out of his house. Also female bears are over protective of their young, like how Boo came out of his house to protect Jem and Scout when they were being attacked.
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beau
New Member
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Post by beau on Aug 8, 2016 23:06:55 GMT
I think this is very cool and interesting how when we dig deeper into novels, things as simple as names can mean something. Scout's name is for sure the biggest that correlates to her actions. She is very outgoing and makes her own path in the world.
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Post by joshseth on Aug 11, 2016 19:58:45 GMT
It is interesting to me, when going back and rereading a chapter to get a better grasp of what the author is saying, to notice how something as simple as a name can symbolize the character itself. My favorite example would have to be Scout. Her adventurous and curious ways are what earned her a nickname so different then her actual name. Even though the reader is not given a backstory of the name they can figure it out through the assortment of context clues Harper Lee gives them
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Post by hayleycurrin on Aug 12, 2016 15:51:18 GMT
It's interesting to hear the symbolism of the names themselves and to know why these characters were named the way they were. Another side of the symbolism to these names is their relation to one another. In this time period of the early 1900s names were very important. Atticus once mentions that when it comes to the Cunninghams or the Ewells they are born to be just like their ancestors which is further built upon when Aunt Alexandra comes to live with them and likes to determine who the good people are because some have a drinking streak and others are illiterate. The names are not only important because of what they mean but because of the ancestors. The novel starts out by describing the family tree of the Finches and this is no accident because as the story progresses, the history behind their name becomes more and more important. Where the Ewells and the Cunninghams and many people like them haven't changed much through the generations, the Finches have changed drastically and that is one of the reasons that they are almost outcast during the Tom Robinson case. Finch's Landing was a cotton field run by slaves which were invariably African or African American men and were treated badly as all slaves were but now only a few generations later Atticus Finch is defending a Black man. The Finch name then takes on a new meaning because of its history.
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Post by judithmills on Aug 13, 2016 20:39:25 GMT
Names most definitely make an impact on the book, and all main and most side characters are there for a reason. The author writes a name to help the reader form a different view on the character(s). For example, Calpurnia's name is a Latin origin meaning "a woman of power." This is because she is the mother figure for Scout and Jem and shows power over the two, like a mother would to her children.
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Post by keelinreder on Aug 14, 2016 22:10:11 GMT
Lee really did an amazing job linking the characters names with their personalities. The little things you look for in books usually make a big difference and help you understand the novel better.
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Post by armaster2323 on Aug 15, 2016 4:26:51 GMT
Oh that's such a small detail that affected the meaning of the book greatly, I would never thought Harper Lee put that much thought in her characters.
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Post by Jaiden Twining on Aug 15, 2016 4:42:52 GMT
Like his nickname, Dill is short, sweet, and to the point. However, like his given name, he is much more complicated, as he is also confident, extremely imaginative, and is a symbol of innocence throughout the novel.
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Post by anikahagen on Aug 15, 2016 5:03:37 GMT
That is a really interesting detail that the author included, and I totally agree with your post. I hadn't really thought about the character’s names before, but it shows you how much detail an author like Lee includes in their books. Scout’s name fits her perfectly, she seeks adventure in the world. I also agree what Jaiden added to this post. Dill is a very simple and sweet person, just as he pointed out. I also believe that the name Dill has a humorous ring to it, so the nickname that was given to him suits him.
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Post by michaelamiles on Aug 15, 2016 5:24:02 GMT
I love learning about all the little things that Harper Lee put into "To KIll a Mockingbird" it absolutely fasanates me . I quickly picked up scout but honesty my favorite symbolic name would have to be Jem. (Jeremy Finch)
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Post by bronson on Aug 15, 2016 5:50:47 GMT
I remember being taught to think about character names, and the meaning of those names. I completly agree with what has been said, Scout is a very adventurous name, and Dill is short and to the point.
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Post by marliegroshans on Aug 16, 2016 19:46:33 GMT
I agree that certain names were placed to describe the characters behavior. Scout is a very adventurous and brave, Jem is hard-shelled, but has soft personality to an extent, and Dill is this stout, funny boy with lots of stories.
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Post by lenadunz on Aug 20, 2016 23:08:36 GMT
I always find it interesting when an author puts meanings behind their characters' names. It means they put thought and effort into who they wanted their characters to be to a T. (Not to say that authors who don't have meanings behind names don't have good characters, but rather the ones that do, I personally find more intriguing and I can relate more to said characters.)
As everyone has said before, Scout's name is the most obvious.
She's good at spotting things, especially the good in people, she's independent and strong.
Atticus is another, where, as Alyssa stated "Atticus is a Roman name that means "man of Attica", then looking at what Attica meant as a name, is a person with a thirst to inspire peoples in a higher cause; also they are strong-headed with their own views. This is shown with how he helps protect Tom Robinson (a colored man) with his case were he had a back hand because of the racial inequality."
If you dig deep enough, Jeremy is a name that means independent, resourceful, patient and practical. All of which Jem is.
Character names in this story are very important in this book because the tell you exactly what kind of person you're dealing with.
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