Literary notes about name (AI summary)
In literature, the word name functions not merely as a label but as a carrier of identity, reputation, and deeper cultural meaning. It can serve as a stand‐in for personal identity—as when the pronoun “I” encapsulates the speaker’s essence [1]—or be imbued with honor and legacy, linking one’s very being to ideals of truth and modesty [2]. Sometimes names shroud mystery, as when a character withholds her own for reasons tied up in societal expectations [3], while in other instances they mark places and institutions or even the transformation of self, such as when a master adopts a title granted by royalty [4] or when a tavern’s moniker captures its spirit [5]. Names are also potent in religious, epic, and symbolic terms—from invoking divine authority [6] to sustaining an individual’s singular identity within the narrative’s social structure [7]. Overall, the word “name” in literature is a versatile device, rich with implications that span personal introspection, communal heritage, and mythic resonance.
- In “ I am ready,” the pronoun I is a convenient substitute for the speaker’s name.
— from An Advanced English Grammar with Exercises by Frank Edgar Farley and George Lyman Kittredge - "For this,"—said Dronacharjya,—"Fame Shall sound thy praise from sea to sea, And men shall ever link thy name With Self-help, Truth, and Modesty."
— from Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan by Toru Dutt - “For her name,” replied the damsel, “as yet I may not tell it; but she is a lady of worship and great lands.
— from The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by Sir James Knowles and Sir Thomas Malory - The master was called “The Butter King,” and always wrote himself down so; the name had been given to him by Louis XV.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - A year later it had migrated to Broadway under the name of the Gentlemens' coffee house and tavern.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - That appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty: and my name ADONAI I did not shew them.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - When Mortimer told me your name he could not deny your identity.
— from The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle