The Name Game

This semester, I am also taking a 17th Century British Poetry class. Through our discussions, we have learned the importance of knowing and understanding name origins. As readers of that time period were overly familiar with the meanings behind given names, authors often used specific names to give extra meaning to their work. Therefore, as a bit of an experiment, I decided to look up the meanings of the names behind the characters in Grapes of Wrath, and I've found (what I believe to be) some interesting connections.

The name "James" (which Jim is short for) means "supplanter" (see various baby name sites). In the novel, Jim Casy offers alternative perspectives to religion, sex and the true meaning of humanity. His final days are spent bringing the migrant workers together in an attempt to reestablish a sense of control (and hope) in their dire situation. Therefore, his role is to supplant or displace/alter the norms.

Sharon means "flat clearing" or the "plains." Throughout the novel, Rose of Sharon is often seen as fragile due to her pregnancy and the precarious circumstances that she and her family are continuously subjected to. Yet at the end of the novel, Rose of Sharon becomes the ultimate symbol of hope. Therefore, it is interesting to consider the imagery of her name. Rose (which simply means rose) of the plains; a single, solitary flower amid an expanse of grass and dirt. For weary travelers, such a sight would be a beacon of hope, or at least, a kind of temporary relief. This is what Rose of Sharon gives to the dying man.

Interestingly, two of the novel's central characters are never truly associated with names at all but are simply called Ma and Pa. This, I believe, is because Steinbeck wanted his readers to rely on conventional associations. Ma: mother, feminine, loving, soft, comforting. Pa: father, masculine, driven, tough, reliable. This makes the breakdown of these gender roles much more poignant; as the novel evolves, so do its characters and eventually the traditional ideas of what makes a "Ma" and "Pa" are abandoned altogether.

The last, and in my opinion, most interesting name-text association I'd like to point out is Tom, whose name means "twin." In light of the conversation where Ma calls the rest of the family strangers, I find this name association to be very compelling. The hardships faced by the family have robbed each character (in his or her own way) of little bits of their humanity. Therefore, by the end of the novel, everyone has ultimately been stripped down to dealing with life rather than living it. This makes Ma's disassociation with the rest of the family easier to understand; it is through their coping methods (or the way they deal with their situation) that Ma and Tom are able to relate. With little else left to define their humanity (or their family, as the traditional roles have begun to break down), Ma and Tom essentially become twins.