Tonight please write about how you feel about names--you can talk about your own name, the importance of names in our society, or how names play a vital role in the novel...please talk amongst yourselves.
From the point that the boys become stranded on the island we see the recurring theme of names play a vital role in the book and its impact on the hierarchy that is set up. The first instance that we see the mention of names come up, Ralph and Piggy are first meeting each other. The tough and hotshot Ralph never changes his name at any point while on the island signifying his strong and powerful identity that propels him to lead the distraught group of survivors of the plane crash. Piggy on the other hand will be called anything but the name that Ralph has chosen for him. This shows Piggy’s willingness to leave behind his old life and his low self-esteem that puts him to the bottom of the pecking order in the tribe. Later in the book we see the character of Jack introduced who attempts to change his name to Merridew in order to shed his past life and take control not only of the tribe and of the island. In our society today we will see authors such as Avi change their name or sports stars such as Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) change their names to revolutionize their identity and raise their power to a new level. They find the names that their parents gave them as something controlling them and fencing in their ability to grow in their respective fields.
In life a name holds power and it is those who acceptably gain the right to be called a name that gain the power it possesses. For example if one gains the title of president or pope you gain with it a power over everybody in the world. If the pope was called a curler he would not have the power that he had when he was called the Pope, and would be seen as one who sweeps ice while yelling ‘Rah’, ‘Rah’, ‘Rah’ instead of a civil all knowledgeable bishop. A name cannot shape your identity, but it can gain or lose you a great deal of power. To quote the great Shakespeare novel Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name? … So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d / Retain that dear perfection which he owes/ Without that title” (Romeo and Juliet Act II, scene ii). We see that one can be a polar opposite of what a name suggests. A name is something that only holds the reputation of pre generations of power and by shedding it you can find new powers in another name that can change who you are.
Something that is quite obvious is that Abijohn is not a very common name. I have never met another person named Abijohn, and I don’t think I ever will. The best part of having an unusual name is the reactions you get from people you meet. When I say “Hi, I’m Abijohn.” The response is usually “what? What’s an Abijohn?” or some people will just make a funny face and say my name as if it is in a foreign language. Others think that I am just mispronouncing Abby or Abigail, or that Abby is my first name and John is my last. When I was younger, I hated my name because I didn’t understand why people thought my name was weird; because I had grown up with the name Abijohn it sounded normal to me. As I grew I started to realize that no one else had the same name as me and that it was different from other’s names. Now, I like having a unique name, I know that sometimes it is annoying but it is also a good thing too. But I don’t think that a name reflects the person though. I know multiple people with the same name who are have completely different personalities. Also, a name is only a label, it doesn’t define a person. I am not named Abijohn because I act like an Abijohn or something; it is because Abijohn was the label I was given so that people can identify me as something. I think the only reason we have names is to create order and organization, so that people know who each other are. In Lord of the Flies I think that names take on a much more significant and different role in the boy’s lives. I agree with Ryan, that names are setting up a hierarchy in the boy’s society. Ralph, who has the most power, has kept his real name throughout the story so far. Piggy, who struggles to gain power, but cannot succeed, is given a cruel nickname. Jack tries to be called Merridew, his sophisticated mature name, to gain power, but he doesn’t receive all the power and he remains Jack. The importance of names in reality and in the book are different.
I believe that names play a vital role in our society. A name gives someone an identity and a place within a community. It defines you in a way, and distinguishes you from the people that surround you. I believe that a name is a big part of a person, and that it officially gives you a place in the world that they are born into. That being said I find it ironic that people don’t get to name themselves. They are simply given a name at birth, and expected to keep that name their whole lives. You can change your name if you want to, but usually you keep the name you are given. If a name is so important to your identity, how come you don’t get to choose it for yourself? I don’t honestly know the answer to that, but I suppose the closest answer I have is that when you are born you are not capable of choosing a name for yourself. If you want an identity throughout your life you need to have a name from the point you are born. We see the importance of names in Lord of the Flies. Throughout the story we see how names define different people on the island. This is illustrated with the naming of Piggy, based both on his past and on his appearance to the boys on the island. His name shows his inability to escape from his life before the island, and also lack of respect he receives from the boys. On the other hand we see Jack come to the island and try to change his name and his identity. When he first meets all the boys on the island he attempts to change his name to Merridew, trying to establish his maturity, leadership, and power. These two examples show the power and influence a name can have over society and the people in it.
Names define us as individuals, but also put us in our place. Whether we say miss, misses, mister, or doctor before a name it all connects that name with a position of authority. If you think about it, every culture and every organization establishes this social hierarchy, even between peers. For example, the military, all businesses, and the government all create titles that defines us as having certain powers, but also who has power over us.
Sometimes, as freshmen, we can feel like the “Piggy” of the group that never gets their voices heard, but we need to realize that our time will come if we help ourselves instead of sulking around as Piggy does. Next up in the social hierarchy we have the sophomores or “Simons” and “Rogers”, who pretty much do what they’re told by everyone above them. They often stir up trouble, but they’re still relatively innocent. Now we come to a power struggle between the juniors and the seniors, the “Jacks” and the “Ralphs”. The seniors naturally have more power and are the leaders, but the juniors would like to think of the seniors as their peers and that they have the same power as them. The juniors don’t always do what they’re told, but will soon gain control and have a lot of fun doing it. On the other hand, the seniors are working hard and trying to break into a new environment.
There is one last component to this social hierarchy. There are certain rules that everyone has to follow. These rules are set by the environment and community you live in. For the boys in Lord of the Flies the rules are set by the island and for us at Berwick Academy the rules are set by the school as well as the United States’ government. As people break these rules they must be reminded of their place in society. For Piggy, he has placed himself at the bottom through his physical disabilities and his inability to adapt. The speed at which they can adapt to their new environment will determine their spot in the community.
Names are vestiges of civilization. There is a certain duality in the names of the kids. On one hand you have all the littler kids called the general term littluns and the bigger kids bigguns. This shows how they are becoming more savage due to the general naming scheme. also, each of these kids has an actual name, a leftover from society. Like Roger throwing the stones, there is an invisible barrier between savagery and civilization that is not crossed in one step. This also brings up the idea of names as a formality. Is everyone formally following Ralph, but he holds no real power. All the power rests with Piggy and Jack. Piggy has what they need, Jack what they want. Ralph is just the figurehead trying to keep some unity and civilization. Ralph's power will not last very long, because he is chief in name only, not in any real deeds.
Names are immense elements that help define ones character. Names differ from people to people, showing their individuality and difference; names set people apart from each other. Though people may share the same first name, there are middle and last names as well, so very few names will truly be the same. Names that sound the same may also have different spelling, which is also a big difference. Different name spellings not only reflect on the person, but their parents as well. Parents create names for children that they feel will match the child’s personality, and one large aspect that will influence their decision is their culture. Names vary from culture to culture. Each part of the world has a different language and therefore different names with different meanings. For example, my name was created from my parent’s love of Jenny Lake before I was born. Each name carries a meaning or even a direct translation into something else, such as my Hebrew name. My Hebrew name, pronounced ro-chah, is translated into the meaning “joy.” Again, each name has its own personal characteristic that will reflect on the person the name is given to. In our society today, Names help tell people apart, show the contrasts from companies to companies, and give people a unique aspect to themselves. If everyone was the same name and looked alike, there would be very little individualism in our world.
In Lord of the flies, names play a huge role. One of the most predominant characters that have to do with names is Piggy. Even his name tells you about him. He is fat and obviously un-liked. Everyone call shim piggy or fatty which relates to his appearance, but they don’t take into consideration his personality. Piggy is thoughtful and knows how to survive and what is needed, but none gives him a chance because of his names. Also, the fact that everyone is trying to hunt and kill the pigs on the island shows how piggy is an outcast and is mentally hunted by his fellow peers. The other character im going to talk about is Jack Merridew. In the beginning, he wanted to simply be called Merridew to show his maturity, separation from his innocence and childhood, but also to show his dominance. However, no one does indeed call Jack this name, showing how he has not yet shed his innocence and become leader and in control.
Throughout the four chapters we have read in Lord of the Flies, the theme of names has become very prevalent, posing either as a fact of the past for some people, or simply being their true identity. Names are an excellent source of a first impression, just as Piggy was judged by Ralph when the two first met on the beach. Instantly, as the others learn of the fat boy’s name, he is shifted to the bottom of the totem pole. All the boys first impression of Piggy was laughter because of his judgmental nickname. Piggy’s name says a lot for him because the after the first day of naming, none of the boys respect him or treated him fairly. Opposite of Piggy, Jack wants to change his name upon entering the island, showing that the island has brought out another side of him, which is why this deserves a new name. Each and every persons name is the support and backbone of their identity, so therefore by Jack wanting to change his name, he is stating that he wants to change who he is. Jack no longer wants to live by his old morals and values because the island has brought out this whole other side of him. It is clear that during Jack’s time on the island a transformation of his identity is happening. The process of naming sets up a hierarchy among the boys, and eventually leads to the birth of rules. So in that sense, the naming of the boys is essential to their survival on the island, but maybe not to them getting along. In our society, names play a much more different role than that of names on the island. We also use names for identification, but more importantly, how we name our elders acts as a sign of respect. We call adults by their last name or often use “sir” when speaking to someone of a higher rank. This is simply something in society we have grown accustomed to, which is why we might not think too much of the importance of calling someone Mister of Miss. This parallels the idea on the island of setting up a hierarchy because of the proper and improper names the boys choose to call each other. Calling some a nickname can be degrading, while referring to someone by their last name can show that they deserve respect.
In our society names are not very important. They show your nationality and heritage. But you can achieve anything no matter what name you have. For example- Barrack Obama is running for president a very unusual name- and he’s running for the most powerful job in the world. The name is not important- the way you act, your morals and ethics that you have are. The way you treat other people and the way you conduct yourself are most important and give you a reputation that goes beyond the name.
In other societies, names can be very important. They also show where you came from but also- can show the social class you are in. Like in The Lord of the Flies, the name Piggy shows that he is not very high on the social ladder on the island. The name Piggy accentuates and ridicules him for being fat. Piggy gets hits by Jack and no one cares, even though he gave them the idea and glasses to make fire. He is important to their survival and also gives them ideas for shelter. His name shows how they feel about him, and treat him, not how important he is to their society.
My name is a family name. A combination of my mother’s and father’s families. George is from my grandfather on my mother’s side, and Balzano is from my father’s side. My last name is Italian, indicating that my family members are immigrants. This is true, but my name does not show that I am also a descendant of the first settlers in Jamestown. My mother is a Daughter of the American Revolution. A name is always about the father, and does not tell much about the mother’s side of the family.
A name is a definition of you. Your name does not shape you, you shape its meaning. It is a label of every aspect of your personality. From the very beginning of Lord of the Flies, names play a very important aspect in our characters. In the first couple of pages, our character Piggy is introduced. We never learn his real name, because at hearing his old nickname, Ralph decides to label the fat boy as Piggy. By Ralph choosing what the boy is to be called, and the boy ultimately giving in, we see the first glimpses of their personality. Ralph likes power, he likes decision-making; being in control. Piggy is a social reject because of his appearance, and ultimately gives in to others wishes in hopes of being accepted. The next character whose name opens a door to understanding their personality is Jack. When he is first introduced, he not only wants to be the leader of the boys, but also wishes to be called Merridew. Following this request, Jack tries to kill a pig, but can’t find him within himself to. Later on, he paints his face “and becomes a new person” who is finally capable of killing a pig. Jack trying to change his name represents him trying to be a different person than he was in the human society. When changing his name doesn’t help him let go of his morals, he later changes his face and is able to finally transform. Jack’s name change represents his desire to change, his violent nature, and how the Island has brought out this side of him. The last name, that at a first glance doesn’t seem anything extraordinary, but as Golding sets up the story, you come to see a parallel with is Ralph. While the two boys above struggle in one way or another with their identity, Ralph never strays from his own name. From the beginning he lived in human society as Ralph, was introduced as Ralph, and was never called anything else. As we see Jack transform with him attempted name change, we see Ralph hold onto the attributes of himself that he had back in human society. His efforts, and hopes of being rescued don’t stray, and his outlook is rational and follows the rules of what society teaches us is right, from what is wrong. Ralph’s consistency of his name shows his consistency in his nature, and how he doesn’t change himself for the Island, but simply his ideas. In our society, your name is who you are, and by changing it, you are choosing to change who you are to others. By being called nicknames based on looks, it can degrade your self-esteem, and also shape who you are, by seeing how people look at you. Your name does not make you. Never think it does. Learn to shape your name to be who you want to be known as, and to reflect your emotions, and your morals. People will always identify your characteristics with your name, but you may choose what people observe.
I believe society has made names more important than they actually are. Someone's name doesn't make them what they are, but our culture is so obsessed with titling people that we have all come to believe that through giving people names, we are defining who they are. Names make us feel individual, and sometimes they are the only things that make us feel individual, especially in a society where people often strive to blend in with the crowd. Names also give people power, even if the name itself doesn't have the power to give people authority. Names most often decide who holds power even if that person doesn't have the qualities to be a leader. This situation is apparent in The Lord of the Flies. Although Jack and Ralph don't possess the fairness or selflessness that good leaders should have, they are still the most prominent people because they claimed to hold the title of leader. People are often afraid to make their own opinions known because of the ominous title of leader. It isn't the actual person that intimidates them, it's more the authority that comes with the title. Names, especially names that hold authority, cause society to avoid finding the person's true nature and beliefs. Names cause people to judge others before they know them. Society elevates the importance of names to something much greater than they actually are. Names don't decide who people are, but they have the ability to decide what others think about them. Piggy's nickname influences how others treat him dramatically, and in that way his name is important in deciding his place in the hierarchy of characters. But his nickname doesn't change who he is as a person. Names only supposedly hold power because society uses them to judge others.
I think names are only what are used to identify a person. Names have no major significance, except by what is associated with them. For instance, the name Buddha brings happiness and smiles to mind, where as if a child was named Hitler, you would automatically be a little wary towards them. The name themselves are meaningless, just a couple of letters strewn together. But if asked someone what they thought of Hitler, they would probably say he was one of the most evil men of humanity’s history. So six letters can determine whether someone smiles when you introduce yourself, or if they look shocked. The fact is the only thing your name has is what you make of it.
But that doesn’t mean names aren’t significant. I think the name someone has can give them a sense of identity and even self confidence. I don’t think I would be very inspired with myself if my name was Bob. But that’s just me. I think having a unique name also makes you have more of a sense of pride with yourself. For instance, being named Nico is kind of cool because it’s not like Nico is a common name. I feel more important because of my name. It’s kind of bad, and I realize my name shouldn’t make me feel better about myself but it does anyway.
In Lord of the Flies, names are what give characters their identity completely. Like Piggy being associated with something fat and useless sets him up for failure. It also shows the other boys disdain for him. Even though it is not deserved, Piggy is pushed down because of his name and appearance. When Jack tries to be called Merridew, he is showing that he wants to be associated with the high part of society and class he comes from. But later on he realizes that in order to leave society behind and join the island, he must become a new person. So he changes his name back to Jack.
Names do not make us who we are, but they sometimes do influence us. They make first impressions, and sometimes give a reflection of where you come from. They do not define us, but sometimes they do effect us.
A name is something that is molded into a society. It helps define what something is but it doesn’t describe it. Anything could be called a something and it wouldn’t matter. It would make the world however boring. My name is Rachel. That is what my parents named me the day I am born and that is who I am. My personality however is not Rachel like. My personality isn’t described as being Rachelific or something like that. It is a simple label. Names however are different in many languages. In Spanish it is Raquel and in French my name is Rachelle. I used to find it weird being called names like this but as I grew up going to Canada for countless numbers of weeks during the summers as vacations it became a ritual. I was used to people I met calling me Rachelle. Raquel is something I am used to also. It started in Spanish class in seventh grade when we had to choose Spanish names. Many of the kids chose stuff like Nacho or Salsa. Also when I visited Argentina and lived there for the entire summer it wasn’t hard for me to get used to it. Nearly everyone called me that. A name isn’t only a label. It can be a stereotype. We see in Lord Of The Flies that a name such as Piggy can stereotype someone. We know a name like Piggy can refer to someone who is overweight or eats too much food. We don’t even know what Piggy’s real name is. He was called Piggy because of his appearance. But his personality is nothing like a pig. It is hurtful for him to be called Piggy but that is only what we know him by. Anything could be called a Rachel. It isn’t just me. I could point at an apple and say “Hand me the Rachel.” The name is what I have been called since the day I was born. It doesn’t matter what is called a Rachel. It is because of society I am called a Rachel. We have learned that an apple is called an apple by society. When we were little we were taught it by our parents. When we were learning to read we realized what it was. It just comes naturally to us because it has been taught for so long. The names can hold power over people and it can define them but it doesn’t describe who they are.
I find that names by themselves have no particular significance; what makes names important are the connotations that go along with them. For example, some of you are saying that the term “doctor” automatically gains our respect. It is not the expression, not the random string of odd sounds that we hold in such high esteem, it’s their actions that we admire. People don’t spend over eight years of their lives so they can be called “doctor”. They do it to gain the knowledge and ability that allows them to help others. That’s what we admire about them. Names are merely a representation of something dictated by society, no more than that. I remember asking my mom when I was really little why hamburgers were called hamburgers and not something else, like hot dogs. She told me something along the lines that random sounds were probably made as the first attempts at language. As those were used more consistently over many, many years, they evolved into words such as “hamburger”. There is probably no particular reason that that it was the sound they chose—it could just as well have been called hot dog instead of hamburger. It doesn’t matter what something is called. Different languages use different word than we do to represent the same thing. We say “hello” as a greeting; in French its bonjour, in Spanish its “hola”, and in Italian its “salve”. Does it matter that the name is different? It’s still a greeting no matter what it’s called. It was put quite eloquently by Juliet by saying “would not a rose by any other name still smell as sweet?” (can’t find my book but it was from the part we memorized) Our identities are not defined by our names; rather, it’s the other way around. The meaning of our names is shaped by our actions thoughts and feelings.
Names do not define who someone is or what they stand for. You could hear someone’s name and not know anything about that person. Names do not tell what someone looks like or acts like, they are simply just a title. Although a title may define what a paper is going to be about a name does not give you even the slightest idea of who a person is. Although names don’t give away who a person is they do have importance in some situations. Family names are important to their family and allow names to continue on through generations. Names of presidents have their importance in the fact that everyone knows the presidents name. Some people don’t know what past presidents did but they know them by their name. Although names give people identification they do not prove who they are or anything about them. Names are like a blank piece of paper. They aren’t filled with any depth or information. They are flat and floppy and don’t tell any secrets. My name, Halley, was chosen because of Halley ’s Comet. My mother and father had always liked the name and thought that it suited me. I can’t imagine myself without my name or with any other name. In some ways I believe that not being able to tear myself apart from my name is a bad thing. My name is no definition to who I am or what I am going to be. My name does not tell an interesting story nor does it give you any hint about who I am. When someone says my name I answer. People don’t call me “girl who wants to be a doctor” they call me by the title I was given. Certain names like Lord, President, and Ruler give people authority. Our society has shaped us to think that these names define the person that acquires them. Society has taught us to treat these people with these names differently and with a higher status than most. I believe that with the way society has shaped us everyone looks up to these people and want to be in there position. I believe that just because of their name it shouldn’t give them authority. I believe that the people should be the judge of their own lives. They should strive to improve themselves and their world. The people of higher status that own these names should just direct people in the right direction and make suggestions. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that I believe that we shouldn’t have a president or someone to lead us. I believe that there should be someone to guide us and give us their opinion, but I think that the name they are called by shouldn’t define them. Names are not complicated or have a lot of depth. They are meant to give you a title that you can be called by, but not necessarily tell a story about you or define who you are.
Like most people feel, a name is a label, but people soon say that others start to look like their names. If someone tells you their parents were going to name them something different your first reaction is to go “oh but you don’t look like anyone else.” This is because you are so used to that person being labeled as that certain name that you can’t imagine them being called something else. In Lord of the Flies, we soon realize that the kids are given nicknames in order of their status in their society. Piggy is given his name judged by his appearance. The boys make fun of his appearance and state that being called a "piggy is not as bad as fatty," yet they don’t understand that this can be hurtful to him. Jack wants to change his name because he feels this island has brought out another side of him. He feels necessary to forget all that he has done in the past and reaches out for a new identity. He could just change his actions and feelings towards something, but since having a name is someone’s true identity, he insists on changing his name to Merridew. By doing this he feels he has fully changed his personality and is now able to kill the pig he was once never able to. This shows the great deal of how a name can impact you. In society, we are not judged by our names because they don’t show what our personalities are or who we are. They just show what nationality we are, or if it is a name passed down from generations. In reality, most people out of the respect of others do not nickname people based on a hierarchy. Names are just merely an identity to who you are. We do not use names to ridicule our personalities, but rather as our identity. We are taught to call elders by Mr. or Mrs. and add their last name in order to show respect. Names are an important part of us and even if they are only a label, they help us shape who we are.
I agree with Katie Gill. You can’t judge someone by their name. Names are simply used to identify people. They don’t depict or portray who the person is or what they look or behave like. But sometimes, people are tempted to put names with appearances. More than once I have heard someone say to another, “You don’t really look like a Heather, you look more like an Emily”. Many people have changed their name because of this reason; they believe it is too simple or doesn’t suit them. This doesn’t change how they behave or how people look at them. Names are just labels and if you keep listening to that label and following it, you will never find who you truly are. They put people in groups that don’t really matter. Names aren’t important, but they also aren’t totally worthless.
When reading a book, though, names should be paid attention to, because most of the time, the author helps illustrate the character by their name. For instance, Piggy says he will be called anything as long as it’s not the name that the children gave him in school. When Ralph decides to call him Piggy anyway, Piggy accepts the name and moves on which shows his familiarity with compromising and not being at the top of the social status. Ralph chooses not to alter his name which shows that he is completely comfortable with who he is and how people treated him at home. Jack tries to change his name to sound more sophisticated and proper (like he tries to act), but fails because he can’t completely disown his life before the island.
In one sense names are important. Not to describe or label a person, but to be able to recognize and identify people they’re pretty important. But, I think names benefit society more than the actual person.
a name is an outer shell. it’s a covering, a presentation. it can be a flawless description of what lies inside a person. it can depict a person’s character perfectly, their demeanor, their qualities, their goals and their triumphs. a name can mirror what’s on the inside, but this isn’t always the case. it can be protection that hides the true meaning or significance of one’s inner identity. shallowness and arrogance can be shaded by a name. what we call people can hide the actual person themselves, whether they are deep with emotion or shallow with carelessness. in this protection, names can slash wounds in others by exposing the reality underneath the name. getting past a name is difficult, looking deeper within a person and setting aside that person’s outer shell feels impossible sometimes. it seems as though once a name has been claimed by a level of status, the name of a person is what becomes important. there emerges the specific groups of names that are classified as the members of a certain athletic team or school-related club, or even something as simple as the group of popular kids. from an outsider, it’s only the name that is noted. it’s only the outer shell that people recognize and acknowledge. in reality, these names hold depth and importance that are sometimes never discovered by others who neglect to look further beyond a person’s name. we lose sight of the people inside the shells created by names, and their individuality is taken by the power of their label. because names are our threshold to communication, we must surrender to using them every day of our lives. this enforces their presence and ensures that our names are our identifications. names are obviously needed in our society, but their growing importance has thrown away the possibility of moving on from relying on them. we are not able to discard names because of our dependence on them to identify others’ outer shells and, unfortunately, inner beings.
i know my name has been my identity in the past, and people have judged me from my name as if it were a disguise. without being accepted as a unique person in a world of individuals, i have been hurt by the calling of my name alongside the ignorance of my personality. however, i have heard other people’s names and immediately i have made assumptions without bothering to acknowledge their actual personality or matchless traits as a human. i think we can all disregard names and open our eyes to the criticality of examining a person’s value rather than their outer shell. names are vital in our society, and i’ll admit that their existence is essential in the world. but there’s a difference between calling someone by their name and leaving it at that and seeking someone’s inner distinctiveness as a human. we can still go by our names without making them who we are.
In the society we live in today names are merely a way to identify who we are. Our names are given to us by our parents. They name us what they feel while in the past many names were chosen for a purpose. Also, in the past names often described what a person looked like. For example one man was called Pepin the Short because he was obviously short. Sometimes names indicate family history. They carry on the family name through generations. Our mothers madden name however doesn’t get carried like it used to and is often lost. In Lord of the Flies names play a crucial role in understanding the characters and how they are evolving. For example Jack’s social name that was accepted by society was Merridew. In his time on the island he has lost that name and has become Jack his socially unaccepted name. Before this shift of names he couldn’t kill the pig because his former self, Merridew, was influenced by society not to kill the pig. Once he broke free from this influence he was able to kill the pig because his new self was shaped by the Island which told him to kill the pig. Names also play another crucial role in Lord of the Flies. The names act as a dividing line between groups of kids. For example they call the little kids littluns and the big kids bigguns which creates a clear divider between the two. Also Jack kills pigs and one of the children's names is Piggy. This name choice may foreshadow what Jack will do to piggy considering he has already hit Piggy and broke his glasses. This name also shows how piggy is smarter than Jack and can see more than him because until he painted his face the pigs could see him and got away before he could catch them.
I feel like in The Lord of the Flies, names are incredibly important to their society, because in order to have their community be not chaotic, they need to be able to call each other and address each other so they can work together. In a normal community, I don’t think names are that important. If you judge someone mainly on their name, you don’t actually get to know them as a person, but in Lord of the Flies, the names of the boys somewhat create their social structure. Ralph decides to change everyone’s names in order for their community to have structure. He changes everyone’s names but his, with the acceptation of the nickname Piggy. Ralph’s need to change everyone’s names besides his own shows his natural or created leadership. When Jack paints his face to go hunting, he sees a different part of himself. He is no longer Meridew, he is now only Jack. His need to be a different person to go hunting is rather disturbing to me on many levels. Meridew could never kill a pig, but when Jack emerges, a different side of him does as well. It’s almost like he has a split personality, when is on the island to before, when he was just a kid. I feel like this emerging side of Jack shows his maturity. He matures from being a bossy choir leader to being a fierce hunter, all just by being on the island. I feel like Jack’s need to be in charge is partially what made his opposite side appear. His need to be mature and in charge is masking his reality of being scared of being on the island. Meridew was once just bossy and kind of mean, but when faced with reality, he becomes a leader, although still rather mean.
I think names don’t play any role in who we are. Our names are not decided by us. Names are simply made up words to make the world less complicated. If someone were to ask why do we call an orange and orange, someone would probably say, because it’s the color orange. This answer just brings up another question, why do we call the color orange, orange anyways? Sure many of the words we use tie back to Latin, but where did they get it from? All words started off, non-existent at some point, and had to have been made up to come into existence. I think that some names, or titles, can control our authority. The members of government, in theory are supposed to have authority over the citizens. Sometimes they don’t, because the citizens don’t agree with the governments choices. But some titles do not control our authority. Whether we are a miss, or a misses, or a mister, those don’t control our authority. Those titles say if we’re married or not. I didn’t think being married or single meant one person has more authority over another. I think a lot of people, give credit to the titles of age to decided who has authority. I think the biggest way of abuse of names, relating to the abuse of authority are the names of species. We as humans think we own the world. We think we are the best. We look at bugs as things that don’t matter, that aren’t smart, that just live and don’t have a reason to live. When really, bugs are much more dignified than the human race. Many types of bugs have found a way to actually create communities that require the citizens to WORK TOGETHER. It is really nasty to see how high humans think of themselves when looking at other species, they seem much smarter in their ways of living. We think we are better because we have ruined the world with out buildings, because we have thought of names for everything, and have created a language. When I think about it, if we have created a language, I’m sure the ants have too.
Names play a crucial role in how society is presented. We see have seen names tear apart people’s lives. In Romeo and Juliet the two families of the Capulets and Montagues fight each other just because of their names, and this fight lasted so long that nobody knew the origins of the fight. Today people can drive hatred out of somebody else’s name. Like for the feud between the Red Sox and the Yankees. If you were to go up to someone in New York and ask if they like David Ortiz the answer would probably be no, and if you were to ask why they would follow with “because he is on the Red Sox,”. Now my name is a very original name that often people try to rhyme with. Almost every single day I end up hearing “How’s it goin Owen?” There are benefits to having a not so common name. It sticks to someone once you mention your name, they won’t forget a great name. But I also believe that a name is only just title. It shouldn’t label people and no one should be excluded. In Lord of the Flies we see names such as Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon, and Roger. Such a name as “Piggy” is only hurting his authority level. He is going to struggle to be heard just because he is a little more “plump” then the others. On the island I sense that much cruelty lies ahead. It seems that everyone that has a normal/common name gets respect. Jack is a tremendously common name and he was the leader for choir. I also noticed that Golding never mentioned Piggy’s original name. To me this is a little suspicious, maybe if Piggy was to tell Ralph his real name at the beginng of the story he might have been in the running for the position on chief.
To tell you the truth, names are only labels(literally speaking)...your name separates you from everyone else, whether or not there is another person with the same name. It is a way to differentiate between people. From my personal view on names, Mike is not extremely common, but often i have several different nicknames, which I get used to and later respond to because i hear it so much. I think that without names, you have people that can't communicate and can't tell people apart. Names are important because in nature, everyone is different with opinions, ideas, stories, entertainment, interests and other very specific things that help other realize who you are. (I think its funny how, the first way you meet and get to know someone, are by knowing their name, and it builds from that point on). Saying that, I think that names are important to separate yourself from others around you, not socially but to know who’s who. Names may label you so people know who you are, which basically implies that names really DON'T HAVE a huge impact on society (in general)
Now in terms of the book, I actually contradict myself on what my opinions are previously…because they were a bunch of random boys that were scattered around the island, they met up by the conch. By this I’m bringing up the point about when Piggy was in charge of names, there were too many to keep track in his mind, so it wasn’t as big deal as they thought, but, really it shows somewhat the ability to remember names. Keeping track of names and knowing names are totally different. I think in regards to the book, once all the characters were mentioned by name, except for PIGGY, I kind of go back to what I said(somewhat) with my nicknames, because some of my friends call me by my nicknames and some don't but I always answer to anything that I'm used to hearing. I think, that the boys are becoming used to calling Piggy, Piggy. The fact that its decribing his appearence is not that respectful, but i think that all the boys have adapted to calling him Piggy and that is why we NEVER know his name. After a while you see that knowing people is more important than knowing their name because their name is normally already known. As I said in the beginning, names are labels but there is ALWAYS some significance in remembering names.
A name is a word written on your birth certificate. It’s what you respond to and what people call you. It has no bearing on who you are as a person and it in no way defines you. You can legally change your name, and your birth certificate will read something else entirely, and you can have people call you anything. It can be altered or changed completely. It’s just a word. I know this through the experiences my family has had with names. When my youngest sister was born, she was Annie Rose. When she was a few weeks old, my mother (for reasons unknown to me) changed it to Martha Elizabeth Gordon, Gordon after my mother’s Scottish heritage. My sister was named after our aunts, and (also for reasons I don’t know) is now having people call her by her middle name, Jane. I was named after great-grandmothers, and my full name is Sophia. However my family and close friends call me Sophie or Soph, and at camp I go by Sophia. My sister is still the same person she would have been if she’d been called Annie, and Katie hasn’t changed at all since people have been calling her Jane. I’m still the same person, regardless of what my name is, similar to the way Jack is still the same afraid, fear-inspiring leader after he decides to go by Jack. It’s very apparent on the island that society forces names upon its members. Piggy is called this because of his appearance. Before Ralph gets to know him remotely, he knows his name is Piggy. Your name is the first thing people know about you and ironically I think it’s the least important, especially in the case of the boys on the island. While they are simply trying to survive, not to mention get rescued, they focus on tiny insignificant titles: “hunter,” “chief,” “littlun,” “biggun.” Simply being called Jack won’t put a meal in front of anyone, simply being chief won’t get anyone rescued, and worrying about age differences will accomplish nothing but dividing the boys. Names do give insight into your heritage- your family and where you come from. It can give a sense of belonging, but what can it really say about you? The name Piggy reveals nothing about the boy himself. It says nothing about his personality or character, only his physical appearance. By his name, no one can see his intelligence, wisdom, or good sense, and no one can gather anything about his nature or about him as a person. I think your name is the last thing to define you; I think it’s your personality, your passions, your actions that people remember as a part of you. Ralph’s nature as a leader and the actions he takes in that position define him. The boys recognize this, and it’s not because his name is Ralph- that says nothing about his nature or personality, or the natural charisma and leadership qualities that prompt the boys to make him chief At the end of the day you might not remember the name of that kid that was rude or nice to you, you’ll remember their actions. That, not a cluster of jumbled letters on a birth certificate, is what defines you.
Names can be a way to seperate people, and distinguish themselves as an individual. Names and nicknames can be a way to make a hierarchy (like walters said)Ralph chooses a name for piggy that si not respectful or give piggy any justice for the ideas that he provides. Ralph is a strong born leader that was called fair ralph at the beginning, distinguishing his character. People create the power that a name give to people, a name is just a couple letters. What do they actually meen? Names can either meen nothing and everything to people. Some people change their names, and this is showing that they don't nmean anything unless you make them worth something. Piggy should'nt let his nickname bring him to the level that it is. He doesn't knwo it but he contains the power to overcome his name and be a true leader.
Nicknames arn't always just fun and for when your hanging out with your friends. Bad nicknames can arise and hurt people severly. In piggys case he was trying to escape being called piggy, but they just call him it anyway. And when they give him a nickname without his consent he is also losing who he is and who he can be. Stereotypes arise from nicknames like Jorge for someone who is Hispanic. These can be hurtful when used in a playful or non-playful manor.
A name is something that is given to you for a reason by someone you love, and you need to cherish a name and realize that you are that for a reason. You can't let anyone else tell who you are, only you cna decide who you want to be.
24 comments:
From the point that the boys become stranded on the island we see the recurring theme of names play a vital role in the book and its impact on the hierarchy that is set up. The first instance that we see the mention of names come up, Ralph and Piggy are first meeting each other. The tough and hotshot Ralph never changes his name at any point while on the island signifying his strong and powerful identity that propels him to lead the distraught group of survivors of the plane crash. Piggy on the other hand will be called anything but the name that Ralph has chosen for him. This shows Piggy’s willingness to leave behind his old life and his low self-esteem that puts him to the bottom of the pecking order in the tribe. Later in the book we see the character of Jack introduced who attempts to change his name to Merridew in order to shed his past life and take control not only of the tribe and of the island. In our society today we will see authors such as Avi change their name or sports stars such as Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) change their names to revolutionize their identity and raise their power to a new level. They find the names that their parents gave them as something controlling them and fencing in their ability to grow in their respective fields.
In life a name holds power and it is those who acceptably gain the right to be called a name that gain the power it possesses. For example if one gains the title of president or pope you gain with it a power over everybody in the world. If the pope was called a curler he would not have the power that he had when he was called the Pope, and would be seen as one who sweeps ice while yelling ‘Rah’, ‘Rah’, ‘Rah’ instead of a civil all knowledgeable bishop. A name cannot shape your identity, but it can gain or lose you a great deal of power. To quote the great Shakespeare novel Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name? … So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d / Retain that dear perfection which he owes/ Without that title” (Romeo and Juliet Act II, scene ii). We see that one can be a polar opposite of what a name suggests. A name is something that only holds the reputation of pre generations of power and by shedding it you can find new powers in another name that can change who you are.
Something that is quite obvious is that Abijohn is not a very common name. I have never met another person named Abijohn, and I don’t think I ever will. The best part of having an unusual name is the reactions you get from people you meet. When I say “Hi, I’m Abijohn.” The response is usually “what? What’s an Abijohn?” or some people will just make a funny face and say my name as if it is in a foreign language. Others think that I am just mispronouncing Abby or Abigail, or that Abby is my first name and John is my last. When I was younger, I hated my name because I didn’t understand why people thought my name was weird; because I had grown up with the name Abijohn it sounded normal to me. As I grew I started to realize that no one else had the same name as me and that it was different from other’s names. Now, I like having a unique name, I know that sometimes it is annoying but it is also a good thing too. But I don’t think that a name reflects the person though. I know multiple people with the same name who are have completely different personalities. Also, a name is only a label, it doesn’t define a person. I am not named Abijohn because I act like an Abijohn or something; it is because Abijohn was the label I was given so that people can identify me as something. I think the only reason we have names is to create order and organization, so that people know who each other are. In Lord of the Flies I think that names take on a much more significant and different role in the boy’s lives. I agree with Ryan, that names are setting up a hierarchy in the boy’s society. Ralph, who has the most power, has kept his real name throughout the story so far. Piggy, who struggles to gain power, but cannot succeed, is given a cruel nickname. Jack tries to be called Merridew, his sophisticated mature name, to gain power, but he doesn’t receive all the power and he remains Jack. The importance of names in reality and in the book are different.
I believe that names play a vital role in our society. A name gives someone an identity and a place within a community. It defines you in a way, and distinguishes you from the people that surround you. I believe that a name is a big part of a person, and that it officially gives you a place in the world that they are born into. That being said I find it ironic that people don’t get to name themselves. They are simply given a name at birth, and expected to keep that name their whole lives. You can change your name if you want to, but usually you keep the name you are given. If a name is so important to your identity, how come you don’t get to choose it for yourself? I don’t honestly know the answer to that, but I suppose the closest answer I have is that when you are born you are not capable of choosing a name for yourself. If you want an identity throughout your life you need to have a name from the point you are born. We see the importance of names in Lord of the Flies. Throughout the story we see how names define different people on the island. This is illustrated with the naming of Piggy, based both on his past and on his appearance to the boys on the island. His name shows his inability to escape from his life before the island, and also lack of respect he receives from the boys. On the other hand we see Jack come to the island and try to change his name and his identity. When he first meets all the boys on the island he attempts to change his name to Merridew, trying to establish his maturity, leadership, and power. These two examples show the power and influence a name can have over society and the people in it.
Names define us as individuals, but also put us in our place. Whether we say miss, misses, mister, or doctor before a name it all connects that name with a position of authority. If you think about it, every culture and every organization establishes this social hierarchy, even between peers. For example, the military, all businesses, and the government all create titles that defines us as having certain powers, but also who has power over us.
Sometimes, as freshmen, we can feel like the “Piggy” of the group that never gets their voices heard, but we need to realize that our time will come if we help ourselves instead of sulking around as Piggy does. Next up in the social hierarchy we have the sophomores or “Simons” and “Rogers”, who pretty much do what they’re told by everyone above them. They often stir up trouble, but they’re still relatively innocent. Now we come to a power struggle between the juniors and the seniors, the “Jacks” and the “Ralphs”. The seniors naturally have more power and are the leaders, but the juniors would like to think of the seniors as their peers and that they have the same power as them. The juniors don’t always do what they’re told, but will soon gain control and have a lot of fun doing it. On the other hand, the seniors are working hard and trying to break into a new environment.
There is one last component to this social hierarchy. There are certain rules that everyone has to follow. These rules are set by the environment and community you live in. For the boys in Lord of the Flies the rules are set by the island and for us at Berwick Academy the rules are set by the school as well as the United States’ government. As people break these rules they must be reminded of their place in society. For Piggy, he has placed himself at the bottom through his physical disabilities and his inability to adapt. The speed at which they can adapt to their new environment will determine their spot in the community.
Names are vestiges of civilization. There is a certain duality in the names of the kids. On one hand you have all the littler kids called the general term littluns and the bigger kids bigguns. This shows how they are becoming more savage due to the general naming scheme.
also, each of these kids has an actual name, a leftover from society. Like Roger throwing the stones, there is an invisible barrier between savagery and civilization that is not crossed in one step. This also brings up the idea of names as a formality. Is everyone formally following Ralph, but he holds no real power. All the power rests with Piggy and Jack. Piggy has what they need, Jack what they want. Ralph is just the figurehead trying to keep some unity and civilization. Ralph's power will not last very long, because he is chief in name only, not in any real deeds.
Names are immense elements that help define ones character. Names differ from people to people, showing their individuality and difference; names set people apart from each other. Though people may share the same first name, there are middle and last names as well, so very few names will truly be the same. Names that sound the same may also have different spelling, which is also a big difference. Different name spellings not only reflect on the person, but their parents as well. Parents create names for children that they feel will match the child’s personality, and one large aspect that will influence their decision is their culture. Names vary from culture to culture. Each part of the world has a different language and therefore different names with different meanings. For example, my name was created from my parent’s love of Jenny Lake before I was born. Each name carries a meaning or even a direct translation into something else, such as my Hebrew name. My Hebrew name, pronounced ro-chah, is translated into the meaning “joy.” Again, each name has its own personal characteristic that will reflect on the person the name is given to. In our society today, Names help tell people apart, show the contrasts from companies to companies, and give people a unique aspect to themselves. If everyone was the same name and looked alike, there would be very little individualism in our world.
In Lord of the flies, names play a huge role. One of the most predominant characters that have to do with names is Piggy. Even his name tells you about him. He is fat and obviously un-liked. Everyone call shim piggy or fatty which relates to his appearance, but they don’t take into consideration his personality. Piggy is thoughtful and knows how to survive and what is needed, but none gives him a chance because of his names. Also, the fact that everyone is trying to hunt and kill the pigs on the island shows how piggy is an outcast and is mentally hunted by his fellow peers. The other character im going to talk about is Jack Merridew. In the beginning, he wanted to simply be called Merridew to show his maturity, separation from his innocence and childhood, but also to show his dominance. However, no one does indeed call Jack this name, showing how he has not yet shed his innocence and become leader and in control.
Throughout the four chapters we have read in Lord of the Flies, the theme of names has become very prevalent, posing either as a fact of the past for some people, or simply being their true identity. Names are an excellent source of a first impression, just as Piggy was judged by Ralph when the two first met on the beach. Instantly, as the others learn of the fat boy’s name, he is shifted to the bottom of the totem pole. All the boys first impression of Piggy was laughter because of his judgmental nickname. Piggy’s name says a lot for him because the after the first day of naming, none of the boys respect him or treated him fairly. Opposite of Piggy, Jack wants to change his name upon entering the island, showing that the island has brought out another side of him, which is why this deserves a new name. Each and every persons name is the support and backbone of their identity, so therefore by Jack wanting to change his name, he is stating that he wants to change who he is. Jack no longer wants to live by his old morals and values because the island has brought out this whole other side of him. It is clear that during Jack’s time on the island a transformation of his identity is happening. The process of naming sets up a hierarchy among the boys, and eventually leads to the birth of rules. So in that sense, the naming of the boys is essential to their survival on the island, but maybe not to them getting along.
In our society, names play a much more different role than that of names on the island. We also use names for identification, but more importantly, how we name our elders acts as a sign of respect. We call adults by their last name or often use “sir” when speaking to someone of a higher rank. This is simply something in society we have grown accustomed to, which is why we might not think too much of the importance of calling someone Mister of Miss. This parallels the idea on the island of setting up a hierarchy because of the proper and improper names the boys choose to call each other. Calling some a nickname can be degrading, while referring to someone by their last name can show that they deserve respect.
In our society names are not very important. They show your nationality and heritage. But you can achieve anything no matter what name you have. For example- Barrack Obama is running for president a very unusual name- and he’s running for the most powerful job in the world. The name is not important- the way you act, your morals and ethics that you have are. The way you treat other people and the way you conduct yourself are most important and give you a reputation that goes beyond the name.
In other societies, names can be very important. They also show where you came from but also- can show the social class you are in. Like in The Lord of the Flies, the name Piggy shows that he is not very high on the social ladder on the island. The name Piggy accentuates and ridicules him for being fat. Piggy gets hits by Jack and no one cares, even though he gave them the idea and glasses to make fire. He is important to their survival and also gives them ideas for shelter. His name shows how they feel about him, and treat him, not how important he is to their society.
My name is a family name. A combination of my mother’s and father’s families. George is from my grandfather on my mother’s side, and Balzano is from my father’s side. My last name is Italian, indicating that my family members are immigrants. This is true, but my name does not show that I am also a descendant of the first settlers in Jamestown. My mother is a Daughter of the American Revolution. A name is always about the father, and does not tell much about the mother’s side of the family.
A name is a definition of you. Your name does not shape you, you shape its meaning. It is a label of every aspect of your personality. From the very beginning of Lord of the Flies, names play a very important aspect in our characters. In the first couple of pages, our character Piggy is introduced. We never learn his real name, because at hearing his old nickname, Ralph decides to label the fat boy as Piggy. By Ralph choosing what the boy is to be called, and the boy ultimately giving in, we see the first glimpses of their personality. Ralph likes power, he likes decision-making; being in control. Piggy is a social reject because of his appearance, and ultimately gives in to others wishes in hopes of being accepted.
The next character whose name opens a door to understanding their personality is Jack. When he is first introduced, he not only wants to be the leader of the boys, but also wishes to be called Merridew. Following this request, Jack tries to kill a pig, but can’t find him within himself to. Later on, he paints his face “and becomes a new person” who is finally capable of killing a pig. Jack trying to change his name represents him trying to be a different person than he was in the human society. When changing his name doesn’t help him let go of his morals, he later changes his face and is able to finally transform. Jack’s name change represents his desire to change, his violent nature, and how the Island has brought out this side of him.
The last name, that at a first glance doesn’t seem anything extraordinary, but as Golding sets up the story, you come to see a parallel with is Ralph. While the two boys above struggle in one way or another with their identity, Ralph never strays from his own name. From the beginning he lived in human society as Ralph, was introduced as Ralph, and was never called anything else. As we see Jack transform with him attempted name change, we see Ralph hold onto the attributes of himself that he had back in human society. His efforts, and hopes of being rescued don’t stray, and his outlook is rational and follows the rules of what society teaches us is right, from what is wrong. Ralph’s consistency of his name shows his consistency in his nature, and how he doesn’t change himself for the Island, but simply his ideas.
In our society, your name is who you are, and by changing it, you are choosing to change who you are to others. By being called nicknames based on looks, it can degrade your self-esteem, and also shape who you are, by seeing how people look at you. Your name does not make you. Never think it does. Learn to shape your name to be who you want to be known as, and to reflect your emotions, and your morals. People will always identify your characteristics with your name, but you may choose what people observe.
I believe society has made names more important than they actually are. Someone's name doesn't make them what they are, but our culture is so obsessed with titling people that we have all come to believe that through giving people names, we are defining who they are. Names make us feel individual, and sometimes they are the only things that make us feel individual, especially in a society where people often strive to blend in with the crowd. Names also give people power, even if the name itself doesn't have the power to give people authority. Names most often decide who holds power even if that person doesn't have the qualities to be a leader. This situation is apparent in The Lord of the Flies. Although Jack and Ralph don't possess the fairness or selflessness that good leaders should have, they are still the most prominent people because they claimed to hold the title of leader. People are often afraid to make their own opinions known because of the ominous title of leader. It isn't the actual person that intimidates them, it's more the authority that comes with the title. Names, especially names that hold authority, cause society to avoid finding the person's true nature and beliefs. Names cause people to judge others before they know them. Society elevates the importance of names to something much greater than they actually are. Names don't decide who people are, but they have the ability to decide what others think about them. Piggy's nickname influences how others treat him dramatically, and in that way his name is important in deciding his place in the hierarchy of characters. But his nickname doesn't change who he is as a person. Names only supposedly hold power because society uses them to judge others.
I think names are only what are used to identify a person. Names have no major significance, except by what is associated with them. For instance, the name Buddha brings happiness and smiles to mind, where as if a child was named Hitler, you would automatically be a little wary towards them. The name themselves are meaningless, just a couple of letters strewn together. But if asked someone what they thought of Hitler, they would probably say he was one of the most evil men of humanity’s history. So six letters can determine whether someone smiles when you introduce yourself, or if they look shocked. The fact is the only thing your name has is what you make of it.
But that doesn’t mean names aren’t significant. I think the name someone has can give them a sense of identity and even self confidence. I don’t think I would be very inspired with myself if my name was Bob. But that’s just me. I think having a unique name also makes you have more of a sense of pride with yourself. For instance, being named Nico is kind of cool because it’s not like Nico is a common name. I feel more important because of my name. It’s kind of bad, and I realize my name shouldn’t make me feel better about myself but it does anyway.
In Lord of the Flies, names are what give characters their identity completely. Like Piggy being associated with something fat and useless sets him up for failure. It also shows the other boys disdain for him. Even though it is not deserved, Piggy is pushed down because of his name and appearance. When Jack tries to be called Merridew, he is showing that he wants to be associated with the high part of society and class he comes from. But later on he realizes that in order to leave society behind and join the island, he must become a new person. So he changes his name back to Jack.
Names do not make us who we are, but they sometimes do influence us. They make first impressions, and sometimes give a reflection of where you come from. They do not define us, but sometimes they do effect us.
A name is something that is molded into a society. It helps define what something is but it doesn’t describe it. Anything could be called a something and it wouldn’t matter. It would make the world however boring. My name is Rachel. That is what my parents named me the day I am born and that is who I am. My personality however is not Rachel like. My personality isn’t described as being Rachelific or something like that. It is a simple label. Names however are different in many languages. In Spanish it is Raquel and in French my name is Rachelle. I used to find it weird being called names like this but as I grew up going to Canada for countless numbers of weeks during the summers as vacations it became a ritual. I was used to people I met calling me Rachelle. Raquel is something I am used to also. It started in Spanish class in seventh grade when we had to choose Spanish names. Many of the kids chose stuff like Nacho or Salsa. Also when I visited Argentina and lived there for the entire summer it wasn’t hard for me to get used to it. Nearly everyone called me that.
A name isn’t only a label. It can be a stereotype. We see in Lord Of The Flies that a name such as Piggy can stereotype someone. We know a name like Piggy can refer to someone who is overweight or eats too much food. We don’t even know what Piggy’s real name is. He was called Piggy because of his appearance. But his personality is nothing like a pig. It is hurtful for him to be called Piggy but that is only what we know him by.
Anything could be called a Rachel. It isn’t just me. I could point at an apple and say “Hand me the Rachel.” The name is what I have been called since the day I was born. It doesn’t matter what is called a Rachel. It is because of society I am called a Rachel. We have learned that an apple is called an apple by society. When we were little we were taught it by our parents. When we were learning to read we realized what it was. It just comes naturally to us because it has been taught for so long. The names can hold power over people and it can define them but it doesn’t describe who they are.
I find that names by themselves have no particular significance; what makes names important are the connotations that go along with them. For example, some of you are saying that the term “doctor” automatically gains our respect. It is not the expression, not the random string of odd sounds that we hold in such high esteem, it’s their actions that we admire. People don’t spend over eight years of their lives so they can be called “doctor”. They do it to gain the knowledge and ability that allows them to help others. That’s what we admire about them. Names are merely a representation of something dictated by society, no more than that.
I remember asking my mom when I was really little why hamburgers were called hamburgers and not something else, like hot dogs. She told me something along the lines that random sounds were probably made as the first attempts at language. As those were used more consistently over many, many years, they evolved into words such as “hamburger”. There is probably no particular reason that that it was the sound they chose—it could just as well have been called hot dog instead of hamburger.
It doesn’t matter what something is called. Different languages use different word than we do to represent the same thing. We say “hello” as a greeting; in French its bonjour, in Spanish its “hola”, and in Italian its “salve”. Does it matter that the name is different? It’s still a greeting no matter what it’s called. It was put quite eloquently by Juliet by saying “would not a rose by any other name still smell as sweet?” (can’t find my book but it was from the part we memorized)
Our identities are not defined by our names; rather, it’s the other way around. The meaning of our names is shaped by our actions thoughts and feelings.
Names do not define who someone is or what they stand for. You could hear someone’s name and not know anything about that person. Names do not tell what someone looks like or acts like, they are simply just a title. Although a title may define what a paper is going to be about a name does not give you even the slightest idea of who a person is. Although names don’t give away who a person is they do have importance in some situations. Family names are important to their family and allow names to continue on through generations. Names of presidents have their importance in the fact that everyone knows the presidents name. Some people don’t know what past presidents did but they know them by their name. Although names give people identification they do not prove who they are or anything about them. Names are like a blank piece of paper. They aren’t filled with any depth or information. They are flat and floppy and don’t tell any secrets.
My name, Halley, was chosen because of Halley ’s Comet. My mother and father had always liked the name and thought that it suited me. I can’t imagine myself without my name or with any other name. In some ways I believe that not being able to tear myself apart from my name is a bad thing. My name is no definition to who I am or what I am going to be. My name does not tell an interesting story nor does it give you any hint about who I am. When someone says my name I answer. People don’t call me “girl who wants to be a doctor” they call me by the title I was given.
Certain names like Lord, President, and Ruler give people authority. Our society has shaped us to think that these names define the person that acquires them. Society has taught us to treat these people with these names differently and with a higher status than most. I believe that with the way society has shaped us everyone looks up to these people and want to be in there position. I believe that just because of their name it shouldn’t give them authority. I believe that the people should be the judge of their own lives. They should strive to improve themselves and their world. The people of higher status that own these names should just direct people in the right direction and make suggestions. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that I believe that we shouldn’t have a president or someone to lead us. I believe that there should be someone to guide us and give us their opinion, but I think that the name they are called by shouldn’t define them. Names are not complicated or have a lot of depth. They are meant to give you a title that you can be called by, but not necessarily tell a story about you or define who you are.
Like most people feel, a name is a label, but people soon say that others start to look like their names. If someone tells you their parents were going to name them something different your first reaction is to go “oh but you don’t look like anyone else.” This is because you are so used to that person being labeled as that certain name that you can’t imagine them being called something else.
In Lord of the Flies, we soon realize that the kids are given nicknames in order of their status in their society. Piggy is given his name judged by his appearance. The boys make fun of his appearance and state that being called a "piggy is not as bad as fatty," yet they don’t understand that this can be hurtful to him. Jack wants to change his name because he feels this island has brought out another side of him. He feels necessary to forget all that he has done in the past and reaches out for a new identity. He could just change his actions and feelings towards something, but since having a name is someone’s true identity, he insists on changing his name to Merridew. By doing this he feels he has fully changed his personality and is now able to kill the pig he was once never able to. This shows the great deal of how a name can impact you.
In society, we are not judged by our names because they don’t show what our personalities are or who we are. They just show what nationality we are, or if it is a name passed down from generations. In reality, most people out of the respect of others do not nickname people based on a hierarchy. Names are just merely an identity to who you are. We do not use names to ridicule our personalities, but rather as our identity. We are taught to call elders by Mr. or Mrs. and add their last name in order to show respect. Names are an important part of us and even if they are only a label, they help us shape who we are.
I agree with Katie Gill. You can’t judge someone by their name. Names are simply used to identify people. They don’t depict or portray who the person is or what they look or behave like. But sometimes, people are tempted to put names with appearances. More than once I have heard someone say to another, “You don’t really look like a
Heather, you look more like an Emily”. Many people have changed their name because of this reason; they believe it is too simple or doesn’t suit them. This doesn’t change how they behave or how people look at them. Names are just labels and if you keep listening to that label and following it, you will never find who you truly are. They put people in groups that don’t really matter. Names aren’t important, but they also aren’t totally worthless.
When reading a book, though, names should be paid attention to, because most of the time, the author helps illustrate the character by their name. For instance, Piggy says he will be called anything as long as it’s not the name that the children gave him in school. When Ralph decides to call him Piggy anyway, Piggy accepts the name and moves on which shows his familiarity with compromising and not being at the top of the social status. Ralph chooses not to alter his name which shows that he is completely comfortable with who he is and how people treated him at home. Jack tries to change his name to sound more sophisticated and proper (like he tries to act), but fails because he can’t completely disown his life before the island.
In one sense names are important. Not to describe or label a person, but to be able to recognize and identify people they’re pretty important. But, I think names benefit society more than the actual person.
a name is an outer shell. it’s a covering, a presentation. it can be a flawless description of what lies inside a person. it can depict a person’s character perfectly, their demeanor, their qualities, their goals and their triumphs. a name can mirror what’s on the inside, but this isn’t always the case. it can be protection that hides the true meaning or significance of one’s inner identity. shallowness and arrogance can be shaded by a name. what we call people can hide the actual person themselves, whether they are deep with emotion or shallow with carelessness. in this protection, names can slash wounds in others by exposing the reality underneath the name. getting past a name is difficult, looking deeper within a person and setting aside that person’s outer shell feels impossible sometimes. it seems as though once a name has been claimed by a level of status, the name of a person is what becomes important. there emerges the specific groups of names that are classified as the members of a certain athletic team or school-related club, or even something as simple as the group of popular kids. from an outsider, it’s only the name that is noted. it’s only the outer shell that people recognize and acknowledge. in reality, these names hold depth and importance that are sometimes never discovered by others who neglect to look further beyond a person’s name. we lose sight of the people inside the shells created by names, and their individuality is taken by the power of their label. because names are our threshold to communication, we must surrender to using them every day of our lives. this enforces their presence and ensures that our names are our identifications. names are obviously needed in our society, but their growing importance has thrown away the possibility of moving on from relying on them. we are not able to discard names because of our dependence on them to identify others’ outer shells and, unfortunately, inner beings.
i know my name has been my identity in the past, and people have judged me from my name as if it were a disguise. without being accepted as a unique person in a world of individuals, i have been hurt by the calling of my name alongside the ignorance of my personality. however, i have heard other people’s names and immediately i have made assumptions without bothering to acknowledge their actual personality or matchless traits as a human. i think we can all disregard names and open our eyes to the criticality of examining a person’s value rather than their outer shell. names are vital in our society, and i’ll admit that their existence is essential in the world. but there’s a difference between calling someone by their name and leaving it at that and seeking someone’s inner distinctiveness as a human. we can still go by our names without making them who we are.
In the society we live in today names are merely a way to identify who we are. Our names are given to us by our parents. They name us what they feel while in the past many names were chosen for a purpose. Also, in the past names often described what a person looked like. For example one man was called Pepin the Short because he was obviously short. Sometimes names indicate family history. They carry on the family name through generations. Our mothers madden name however doesn’t get carried like it used to and is often lost.
In Lord of the Flies names play a crucial role in understanding the characters and how they are evolving. For example Jack’s social name that was accepted by society was Merridew. In his time on the island he has lost that name and has become Jack his socially unaccepted name. Before this shift of names he couldn’t kill the pig because his former self, Merridew, was influenced by society not to kill the pig. Once he broke free from this influence he was able to kill the pig because his new self was shaped by the Island which told him to kill the pig.
Names also play another crucial role in Lord of the Flies. The names act as a dividing line between groups of kids. For example they call the little kids littluns and the big kids bigguns which creates a clear divider between the two. Also Jack kills pigs and one of the children's names is Piggy. This name choice may foreshadow what Jack will do to piggy considering he has already hit Piggy and broke his glasses. This name also shows how piggy is smarter than Jack and can see more than him because until he painted his face the pigs could see him and got away before he could catch them.
I feel like in The Lord of the Flies, names are incredibly important to their society, because in order to have their community be not chaotic, they need to be able to call each other and address each other so they can work together.
In a normal community, I don’t think names are that important. If you judge someone mainly on their name, you don’t actually get to know them as a person, but in Lord of the Flies, the names of the boys somewhat create their social structure.
Ralph decides to change everyone’s names in order for their community to have structure. He changes everyone’s names but his, with the acceptation of the nickname Piggy. Ralph’s need to change everyone’s names besides his own shows his natural or created leadership.
When Jack paints his face to go hunting, he sees a different part of himself. He is no longer Meridew, he is now only Jack. His need to be a different person to go hunting is rather disturbing to me on many levels. Meridew could never kill a pig, but when Jack emerges, a different side of him does as well. It’s almost like he has a split personality, when is on the island to before, when he was just a kid.
I feel like this emerging side of Jack shows his maturity. He matures from being a bossy choir leader to being a fierce hunter, all just by being on the island. I feel like Jack’s need to be in charge is partially what made his opposite side appear. His need to be mature and in charge is masking his reality of being scared of being on the island. Meridew was once just bossy and kind of mean, but when faced with reality, he becomes a leader, although still rather mean.
I think names don’t play any role in who we are. Our names are not decided by us. Names are simply made up words to make the world less complicated. If someone were to ask why do we call an orange and orange, someone would probably say, because it’s the color orange. This answer just brings up another question, why do we call the color orange, orange anyways? Sure many of the words we use tie back to Latin, but where did they get it from? All words started off, non-existent at some point, and had to have been made up to come into existence. I think that some names, or titles, can control our authority. The members of government, in theory are supposed to have authority over the citizens. Sometimes they don’t, because the citizens don’t agree with the governments choices. But some titles do not control our authority. Whether we are a miss, or a misses, or a mister, those don’t control our authority. Those titles say if we’re married or not. I didn’t think being married or single meant one person has more authority over another. I think a lot of people, give credit to the titles of age to decided who has authority. I think the biggest way of abuse of names, relating to the abuse of authority are the names of species. We as humans think we own the world. We think we are the best. We look at bugs as things that don’t matter, that aren’t smart, that just live and don’t have a reason to live. When really, bugs are much more dignified than the human race. Many types of bugs have found a way to actually create communities that require the citizens to WORK TOGETHER. It is really nasty to see how high humans think of themselves when looking at other species, they seem much smarter in their ways of living. We think we are better because we have ruined the world with out buildings, because we have thought of names for everything, and have created a language. When I think about it, if we have created a language, I’m sure the ants have too.
Names play a crucial role in how society is presented. We see have seen names tear apart people’s lives. In Romeo and Juliet the two families of the Capulets and Montagues fight each other just because of their names, and this fight lasted so long that nobody knew the origins of the fight. Today people can drive hatred out of somebody else’s name. Like for the feud between the Red Sox and the Yankees. If you were to go up to someone in New York and ask if they like David Ortiz the answer would probably be no, and if you were to ask why they would follow with “because he is on the Red Sox,”.
Now my name is a very original name that often people try to rhyme with. Almost every single day I end up hearing “How’s it goin Owen?” There are benefits to having a not so common name. It sticks to someone once you mention your name, they won’t forget a great name. But I also believe that a name is only just title. It shouldn’t label people and no one should be excluded.
In Lord of the Flies we see names such as Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon, and Roger. Such a name as “Piggy” is only hurting his authority level. He is going to struggle to be heard just because he is a little more “plump” then the others. On the island I sense that much cruelty lies ahead. It seems that everyone that has a normal/common name gets respect. Jack is a tremendously common name and he was the leader for choir. I also noticed that Golding never mentioned Piggy’s original name. To me this is a little suspicious, maybe if Piggy was to tell Ralph his real name at the beginng of the story he might have been in the running for the position on chief.
To tell you the truth, names are only labels(literally speaking)...your name separates you from everyone else, whether or not there is another person with the same name. It is a way to differentiate between people. From my personal view on names, Mike is not extremely common, but often i have several different nicknames, which I get used to and later respond to because i hear it so much. I think that without names, you have people that can't communicate and can't tell people apart. Names are important because in nature, everyone is different with opinions, ideas, stories, entertainment, interests and other very specific things that help other realize who you are. (I think its funny how, the first way you meet and get to know someone, are by knowing their name, and it builds from that point on). Saying that, I think that names are important to separate yourself from others around you, not socially but to know who’s who. Names may label you so people know who you are, which basically implies that names really DON'T HAVE a huge impact on society (in general)
Now in terms of the book, I actually contradict myself on what my opinions are previously…because they were a bunch of random boys that were scattered around the island, they met up by the conch. By this I’m bringing up the point about when Piggy was in charge of names, there were too many to keep track in his mind, so it wasn’t as big deal as they thought, but, really it shows somewhat the ability to remember names. Keeping track of names and knowing names are totally different. I think in regards to the book, once all the characters were mentioned by name, except for PIGGY, I kind of go back to what I said(somewhat) with my nicknames, because some of my friends call me by my nicknames and some don't but I always answer to anything that I'm used to hearing. I think, that the boys are becoming used to calling Piggy, Piggy. The fact that its decribing his appearence is not that respectful, but i think that all the boys have adapted to calling him Piggy and that is why we NEVER know his name. After a while you see that knowing people is more important than knowing their name because their name is normally already known. As I said in the beginning, names are labels but there is ALWAYS some significance in remembering names.
A name is a word written on your birth certificate. It’s what you respond to and what people call you. It has no bearing on who you are as a person and it in no way defines you. You can legally change your name, and your birth certificate will read something else entirely, and you can have people call you anything. It can be altered or changed completely. It’s just a word.
I know this through the experiences my family has had with names. When my youngest sister was born, she was Annie Rose. When she was a few weeks old, my mother (for reasons unknown to me) changed it to Martha Elizabeth Gordon, Gordon after my mother’s Scottish heritage. My sister was named after our aunts, and (also for reasons I don’t know) is now having people call her by her middle name, Jane. I was named after great-grandmothers, and my full name is Sophia. However my family and close friends call me Sophie or Soph, and at camp I go by Sophia. My sister is still the same person she would have been if she’d been called Annie, and Katie hasn’t changed at all since people have been calling her Jane. I’m still the same person, regardless of what my name is, similar to the way Jack is still the same afraid, fear-inspiring leader after he decides to go by Jack.
It’s very apparent on the island that society forces names upon its members. Piggy is called this because of his appearance. Before Ralph gets to know him remotely, he knows his name is Piggy. Your name is the first thing people know about you and ironically I think it’s the least important, especially in the case of the boys on the island. While they are simply trying to survive, not to mention get rescued, they focus on tiny insignificant titles: “hunter,” “chief,” “littlun,” “biggun.” Simply being called Jack won’t put a meal in front of anyone, simply being chief won’t get anyone rescued, and worrying about age differences will accomplish nothing but dividing the boys. Names do give insight into your heritage- your family and where you come from. It can give a sense of belonging, but what can it really say about you?
The name Piggy reveals nothing about the boy himself. It says nothing about his personality or character, only his physical appearance. By his name, no one can see his intelligence, wisdom, or good sense, and no one can gather anything about his nature or about him as a person. I think your name is the last thing to define you; I think it’s your personality, your passions, your actions that people remember as a part of you. Ralph’s nature as a leader and the actions he takes in that position define him. The boys recognize this, and it’s not because his name is Ralph- that says nothing about his nature or personality, or the natural charisma and leadership qualities that prompt the boys to make him chief At the end of the day you might not remember the name of that kid that was rude or nice to you, you’ll remember their actions. That, not a cluster of jumbled letters on a birth certificate, is what defines you.
Names can be a way to seperate people, and distinguish themselves as an individual. Names and nicknames can be a way to make a hierarchy (like walters said)Ralph chooses a name for piggy that si not respectful or give piggy any justice for the ideas that he provides. Ralph is a strong born leader that was called fair ralph at the beginning, distinguishing his character. People create the power that a name give to people, a name is just a couple letters. What do they actually meen? Names can either meen nothing and everything to people. Some people change their names, and this is showing that they don't nmean anything unless you make them worth something. Piggy should'nt let his nickname bring him to the level that it is. He doesn't knwo it but he contains the power to overcome his name and be a true leader.
Nicknames arn't always just fun and for when your hanging out with your friends. Bad nicknames can arise and hurt people severly. In piggys case he was trying to escape being called piggy, but they just call him it anyway. And when they give him a nickname without his consent he is also losing who he is and who he can be. Stereotypes arise from nicknames like Jorge for someone who is Hispanic. These can be hurtful when used in a playful or non-playful manor.
A name is something that is given to you for a reason by someone you love, and you need to cherish a name and realize that you are that for a reason. You can't let anyone else tell who you are, only you cna decide who you want to be.
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