Then at a later point you reference back to that and make a new and insignificant background character come to life by relationally tying them to the original nameless character. Their deed then matters to the reader on an emotional level.
Q: What sorts of nameless characters to you find interesting in fiction? Scott Appleton is the author of the novels The Sword of the Dragon series, and The Neverqueen Saga, which are widely read by adults and younger readers. Besides these, Scott has also published a collection of short speculative fiction By Sword By Right which runs the gamut of science-fiction, fantasy, allegory, romance, poetry, and biblical.
Driven by a love of storytelling and an appreciation for the craft, Scott has spoken extensively at events across the United States. His specialization in fiction editing and writing has garnered praise from some prominent writers.
Scott was born in Connecticut and grew up there. He actively pursued astronomy through his teen years, built ships-in-bottles and, throughout his life, read and wrote extensively. Besides his writing he works in sales. His activities of choice are reading with his kids, watching fantasy and science-fiction movies, reading, and playing the occasional Star Wars video game. You can find him at AuthorAppleton. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Hi Scott, Enjoyed your article here. One example might be when they pitch a fit because they have to share their afterschool snack with a younger sibling. Hi Judith, I am glad you enjoyed the article. However, it is not necessary for the child to follow a nameless character in order to understand and learn the lessons that character learns in the story journey.
We learn best by following the examples of those who are doing morally better than ourselves, not if they put us down. I want to be like him, not like those he had to overcome.
His argument, to which I somewhat agree, is that :. With this in mind, one can spot a contradictory trend that runs parallel to the recent spate of namelessness: novels whose mission is to belatedly grant identities to past figures who have been unjustly unknown.
But I would add that nameless protagonists not only reveal the genius of their creators, but also the paradoxical solidarity between the characters and their readers. As we all know, names are very important. In Sanskrit, its translation is naman which denotes the signature sign or mark.
Generally speaking, humans have a least two names, a given name and a surname. In certain cultures, such as Spanish, a person retains both patrilineal and matrilineal surnames.
Overall, what we can deduce from all of these influences is that a name has a sort of power. It binds a person to the past, keeps him grounded in the present, and accompanies him well into the future. When we try to remember characters, we name them first before getting into what makes them unique.
Think about it: If I asked you to tell me about To Kill A Mockingbird , you would need to use specific names or else I would get confused. Your email address will not be published. Submit Comment.
I am looking forward to working with the team on getting my new novel out into the world. Day s. Hour s. Minute s. Second s. Deadline: Friday, December 31st. Here are a few well-known stories with nameless characters: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.
A young, college-educated African-American man travels from the South to New York in the s—and experiences racism and violence. Winner of the American National Book Award. Anthem by Ayn Rand. A dystopian novella set in a time when humans are identified by number. Rand hypothesizes what a purely egalitarian society would be like: Committees make all the decisions—whom to marry, what job to take, and what to learn.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
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