As I sat in class today during the Translations discussion, a quote stood out to me. Owen states, "It's only a name. It's the same me, isn't it? Well, isn't it?" (37). In the context of the play, Owen is referring to the fact that the officers call him Roland, but his name is Owen. Owen shrugs it off as if it is no big deal. He says it is still him, meaning it is still him in the physical sense. However, Manus replies, "Indeed it is. It's the same Owen" (37). This statement refers to Owen's character. Manus is trying to show that Owen has not changed from the person he was six years ago.
Even though Owen states, "It's only a name," when I think of my name, I cannot imagine having another one. I know when my mom told me that 'Michelle' meant 'Godly woman,' I thought "yeah right, what does that have to do with me?" However, now that I look back on my life, I consider my name to be a large part of who i am. I believe that the meaning of my name suits me very well. Therefore, I disagree with Owen that a name is just a name.
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3 comments:
I agree a name is not just a name. For the most part it was given to each person for a certain reason. I think in Act 2 Owen starts to realize more that his name is important.
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is also based around the question of the importance of a name. They, like Owen, argue that a name is just a name and that "a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet."
I thought this part was interesting too because if a name is "just a name", then why bother taking the time and effort to rename all the cities of that part of Ireland?
A name is not just a name. It represents who we are and as we grow up we define that name to the people around us.
If I was to change my name today, my friends and family would not feel comfortable calling me something else. I would feel that I wasn't me if my name was no longer Caroline. Names are important, without them we loose our history and culture.
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