Names in Toni Morrison's novels : connections

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Jane Burris Clayton (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Charles E. Davis

Abstract: This study examines Toni Morrison's naming within her six novels and demonstrates that although the names function on many levels, overall, they tend to connect her characters to their community and to their heritage. Names are an integral part of Morrison's fictive world. Few animals, businesses, organizations, places or characters, no matter how insignificant, pass through that world unnamed, and if they do, that lack of a name is notable. Morrison's names do not merely identify but often function as self-contained character sketches, alerting us to characters' possible actions, characteristics, or even fates. Names often serve as connections to her themes, especially those involving personal and cultural identities.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1994
Subjects
Morrison, Toni $x Criticism and interpretation
Names in literature

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