Names In Peter Pan's Humpty

“Must a name mean something?” Alice asked doubtfully. “Of course, it must,” Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh: “My name means the shape I am – and a good handsome shape it is, too. With a name like yours, you might be any shape, almost.” What we call ourselves, what others call us, and what we want to be called. Is it as simplistic as Humpty Dumpty wants it to be? In the Golden Age of children’s literature, calling a character by their iconic name seems to be first nature. In an instant, these names can bring up nostalgia and a pleasant reminder of our childhood. Humpty Dumpty believes names that don’t have an explicit meaning are nonsensical and irrelevant, however characters in children’s literature possess names that signify something

While not overtly descriptive, his name carries two main components: First being the name Peter, being a normal name like any young boy, and the second being Pan, which is also the name of a Greek God. In Peter and Wendy Peter’s name connects to his notoriety and his abilities, this is shown when Mrs. Darling, Wendy, and Wendy’s brothers knew Peter Pan’s name before he even appears in the novel, but Peter has trouble remembering theirs. “Indeed, sometimes when he returned he did not remember them, at least not well. Wendy was sure of it. She saw recognition come into his eyes as he was about to pass them the time of day and go on; once even she had to call him by name.” (Barrie 39). Essentially, this passage begins to characterize Peter Pan as both god-like and boyish, just as his name indicated. Peter is impish for forgetting Wendy’s name repeatedly, despite her reiterating it multiple times. Additionally, Peter is also showing off his god-like abilities within this passage as “He could go so much faster than they that he would suddenly shoot out of sight, to have some adventure in which they had no share.” (Barrie 39). Basically, Peter’s characterization is a relentless mix of things his name had revealed, such as the playful boy, and the otherworldly powers he possesses. R.D.S Jack, a professor of literature and theology agrees with the idea

Not only do we recognize Long John Silver as a genuine pirate’s name, but we recognize it as a frightening one. The first time we hear of him, we are not given much description but his name, “Long John Silver, he is called, and has lost a leg; but that I regarded as a recommendation, since he lost it in his country’s service, under the immortal Hawke. ” (Stevenson 68). What more than Silver’s name do we need to describe what kind of man he is? Throughout the novel, we have characters named simple common names, yet the only time you meet a man with such a name like Silver is when Jim is in grave danger (such as when Black Dog appears). Long John Silver’s name marks him as a villain, someone that Jim should fear. Though I am not the only one to believe such, as the men who work with Silver also agree, one of the shipmates said, “you’re old, and you’re honest, or has the name for it; and you’ve money too, which lots of poor sailors hasn’t; and you’re brave, or I’m mistook.” (Stevenson 131). In other words, the shipmate who was talking to Silver knew him from his name, knew who he was just from his name and says so, so it is not only I,