The kind of clothes a character wears often helps reveal elements of her personality, class status, or emotional state. Esteban García's name reflects his illegitimate status – he bears his grandfather's (Esteban Trueba) first name, but not his last – while Jaime's desire to change his last name indicates his rejection of his father's inheritance. The repetition of the name Pedro García hints at the fact that, amongst the peasant farmers, nothing really changes much from generation to generation. Get it? Last names, too, are pretty significant in the novel. The similarity in the women's names reflect the close relationship that exists between mothers and daughters in that family, and hints at some of their other qualities, like the clarity of Clara's spiritual visions. She's followed by Clara ("clear"), Blanca ("white"), and Alba ("dawn"). Nívea, meaning "snowy" in Spanish, is the first of four women to bear a name referring to something luminous, white, or light in color. Then there are a whole slew of names that refer to colors – most significantly, the names of the matriarchal line that begins with Nívea del Valle. Barrabás's name, a reference to the Biblical insurrectionist whose release condemned Jesus to crucifixion, hints at a sinister nature – but really, the dog is as gentle as a lamb. Sometimes the author seems to use names to trick us into having false expectations of a character. Guess what she does for a living? The three Mora sisters have a last name that's strikingly similar to Moirae, the mythological Fates who are responsible for determining the course of a person's life. Or Tránsito Soto, whose name means "dirty traffic" in Spanish. ![]() Take, for example, Férula, whose name comes from the Latin word for "iron rod" – appropriate, since her rigid morality earns her the reputation of a living saint. They often provide our first clue to understanding a character's role or personality. Tools of Characterization Character Analysis Names
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