The Name Game// Raygan Boster

     I have noticed throughout this book that Dickens tends to give characters name that directly correlates with their personality or their role in the story. For example, "Summerson" reminds me of the summer season and warmth, which is definitely how Esther behaves towards others. Ada Clare is not hiding her feelings for Richard and is very CLEAR about them from the beginning. Then talking about names from past chapters of many people involved in the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case that are so weird and honestly stupid, which reflects the kind of work they are doing for the case. It helps the readers get an idea of who this person really is before we ever really see any action directly from them. 

     "Dead, your Majesty. Dead, my lords and gentlemen.... Dead, men and women, born with Heavenly compassion in your hearts. And dying thus around us every day." 

    We know the narrator doesn't mean this literally because Jo died with no one to care for him. Not only that, during his life, no one treated him with any form of kindness except Krook's lodger. However, he passed away. Sickness overtook Jo when he was taken from the stable at Bleak House in the middle of the night. That being said, if we were born with compassion, no child would die alone on the street. The narrator brings the reader into this moment by using the word "us" in the final sentence. It is something we should definitely notice and take upon ourselves to think about on our own. Do we show we have no empathy or compassion, though we say we are full of those things? the Bible says in 1 Peter 3:8, "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble."

I commented on Braylan Stringfellow and "the young and bleak house"

Comments

  1. Taylor ViceNovember 8, 2021 at 7:41 PM

    I had never thought of the names given to the characters corresponding with a personality trait they posses. It does make sense though. For example, Mr. Skimpole is such a silly name, and his character is silly and childish so that could apply to his name. Also, Richard craves to be rich. The more I think about it, the more this theory makes sense to me. // Taylor Vice

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