What's In A Name?

Use this forum to discuss the January 2020 Book of the month, "Man Mission: 4 men, 15 years, 1 epic journey", by Eytan Uliel.
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tjportugal
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Re: What's In A Name?

Post by tjportugal »

Sinclairess wrote: 25 Jan 2020, 12:06
And if you agree that there is no name, what do you think the larger purpose of this is, if any?
Back in the old days, names or not just mere tags. They identified something about the person. The most common forms of surnames is to say that a person is someone's son or daughter or to say the profession of that person. For example:
O'Neil - son of Niel
MacDonald - son of Donald

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Baker

Not having a name can be quite meaningful: not have an identity, either present (like a profession) or past (like being son of someone)
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Post by Samisah »

Most of us think its the author and that's why no name was assigned to the protagonist. But the book isn't a none fiction. Unless I am missing something, it's not possible to do a work and call it "other fiction" when it's really a true event.
Having said that, the character of the narrator is an interesting one. And like some of us said, it relates to a lot of people. We can easily picture ourselves in it. Giving it a name would have made that a lot harder to to.
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Post by Liz Alice »

It's open to our imagination and it a lot easier for readers to put themselves in the shoes of an unnamed character. You'd find the same thing in other popular books like The Alchemist, where the protagonist's name is only mentioned once, at the beginning of the book and you're likely to forget it before you even finish the chapter.
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Post by steve2gold »

The thought that a character does not have a name spells something ominous...something mysterious,and in the case of a book;well,something full of suspense.

Perhaps the writer intended that its audience think beyond or further for themselves.
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Post by Jajachris »

I think the main protagonist was intentionally not named or described because he is the author himself. Naming would have caused some kind of distraction to the readers in my opinion
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Post by Arite Seki »

Tobewankenobe wrote: 26 Jan 2020, 00:36 I think that's a good point. Also, if a character has a name then we'll make assumptions about that character. For instance, you can pretty well picture a Heather or a Chad right off the bat. I name a character Baldomir and what do you think? I think you're right. I don't recall a name, either.
I actually hadn't considered this. It really is true, we can't help but try and fill in the gaps in our minds of a person's identity, and a name could be a factor that could be used to draw conclusions. :eusa-think:
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Post by daphne_asir »

Maybe the protagonist felt it wouldn't matter whether the name appeared in the book or not. It certainly doesn't change the story. I got to admit this is what intrigued me the most in the book.
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Post by gelli_baranda »

I think that is one of the mysteries of the book. Not naming the character is, like in sales, is a good marketing strategy to create a buzz. Remember the pretty girl from "My Sassy Girl" movie? She was not given a name as well, but boy, it is one of the most loved movies of all time in S. Korea.
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Post by Bigwig1973 »

I actually didn't notice that he didn't have a name. It appears that the writer kind of avoids writing even things like, So, I said, "Hey Sam!" or "Hey Alec!". Maybe it just didn't fit in with the tone of the book. His friends all have somewhat normal names to Americans and his first name is not and, now that I think about it, keeping the biblical passages in mind, it kind of rhymes with Satan, maybe? Which is really weird. Actually, the "E" and the "S", at least on my keyboard are very close, he might have been worried that an editor or something would accidentally hit the wrong letter and then his name would be "Sytan." He's traumatized, maybe?
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Post by Magnify3 »

I think the author is the main protagonist except that the book is meant to be and is a work of fiction.
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Post by Chinazo Anozie »

Sinclairess wrote: 25 Jan 2020, 12:06 Hello, all! I have recently finished the book and am excited. After mulling the story over in my head... I... well...

I don't think the main protagonist has a name? Or does he? Did I miss something? Just trying to make sure I'm not crazy. I know my memory isn't stellar, but I don't think I missed such an important thing. I also don't think there was any physical description of him (besides the weight observations and eventual graying hair).

And if you agree that there is no name, what do you think the larger purpose of this is, if any? I think maybe he's supposed to be a vague shell that any type of man can insert his mind and experiences into. I also think that's why he identified with so many men around the world, even though they were strangers.
Don't worry, you're not crazy, he wasn't actually named by the author. I felt it was an issue when I realised this but when I finished reading, I think I liked that the author didn't name the protagonist. I felt that it added a bit of mystery for the readers to guess who the protagonist was, whether it was the author himself or a random fictional character.
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Post by jimmy02 »

The name of the author has been mentioned, but just once in the book. There's only a single instance of it.

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Post by jimmy02 »

Sinclairess wrote: 27 Jan 2020, 12:06
Leyla Ann wrote: 26 Jan 2020, 16:52 Funny thing is that I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't notice the main character doesn't have a name until I had to write the review lol.
Lol I have the same problem! I was trying to make a reference to him, since I liked how he wasn't afraid to make wayward decisions that the Mission group didn't agree with. I was like OK what do I call him? :? :lol:
I don't remember the exact location, but I think the name has been mentioned once and is "Charlie Brown".

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Post by jimmy02 »

Jajachris wrote: 11 May 2020, 09:40 I think the main protagonist was intentionally not named or described because he is the author himself. Naming would have caused some kind of distraction to the readers in my opinion
Although he was named (albeit, only once), I like your thought on this issue. Human beings are inherently judgy, and by minimising the usage of his name, the author has shielded the narrator from pre-conceptions.

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Post by Manas Ranjan Mishra »

That is a peculiar thing I noticed too. Although I knew that the author is the protagonist, it didn't feel like that. And his name didn't pop up often as well.
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