The Importance of One's Name

The name or nickname of a character in a novel is important because it provides the author an opportunity to assign attributes to the individual. The name can also identify pieces of personal history and experiences.

When Tilo first becomes acquainted with Raven, she knows him only as the lonely American. When she asks his name, he becomes angry. Tilo does not immediately understand his anger. He then asks, “What name shall I tell you? I have had so many” (161). Tilo counters that she has also had multiple names, “But only one of them is my true-name. For Tilo, this true-name is Tilo – a name she chose rather than her first name.

Tilo chose her name while she was living o the island as a young woman studying to be a mistress of spices. Tilo's parents named her Nayan Tara, which has...