As a high school English teacher, I remember this question with fondness as part of Juliet’s soliloquy as she declares her love for Romeo. She goes on to say, “That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet.” Apparently, to Juliet, someone’s name was not that important. However in another of my favorite units, THE CRUCIBLE, John Proctor seems to think that his name is worth more than his life as he refuses to sign the document which declares that he is a witch and has been working for Satan. He says,when asked why he will not sign, “Because it is my name! Because I can never have another in this life! You have taken my soul; leave me my name!”
So, what IS in a name? Some may wonder why I have chosen my name as “Jessstraub.” According to my genealogical records, my family first came to the United States in the late 18th century. There were three brothers who came from Germany whose last name was “Straub.” Apparently over the years, our name evolved as “Stroup.” No one can ever pronounce it the way my family insisted, usually calling me “Stroop.” People named “Stroud” do not have the same problem, even though it is the same two vowels. Over the years I have become almost as dogmatic about the pronunciation of my name as my dad was, and his dad before him. One of my uncles was once called upon to pray at church, but refused when they asked “Mr. Stroop” to pray. I am not that stubborn, but usually correct those who mispronounce it. That’s why I have chosen to return to Straub, at least for this blog. I am sure some will not pronounce it “Strowb” either, but it’s worth a try.
Names and what they signify can affect people in either positive or negative ways. I once had five girls in my English class with the name Sarah. Some spelled it “Sara,” some “Sarah,” and one “Sarai.” One girl from Alabama insisted that I pronounce her name “Say-ra”! Same name, different spellings and different pronunciations. To say the least I had a difficult time remembering how each spelled her name, but I made a point to get it right because of my own experiences.
A name is pretty much how we are identified. When we hear a person’s name, we get a mental picture of that person. Many names come from someone who was important to the person’s family when he or she was born. Some names are hard to live with. For example, I have a friend whose last name is Kyte, and he named his daughter “Wendy”! Poor girl! I heard of one lady who craved bananas during pregnancy and named her daughter “Chiquita.” Try living with that one! I once had surgery, and the surgeon’s name was Dr. Speer!
All in all, our name is not all that we are, but it is important. I would tend to agree with John Proctor rather than Juliet. Our name is more important, and changing it could have a greater effect than many would think. So, what’s in a name? Probably more than you would think. Jes Straub
JES Musings 