The Power of a Name: Be it 'Gump, 'Small', 'Loman', or the 'Dude'

FILM: Forrest Gump is an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, whose only desire is to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart in Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump (1994). — **FILM:** Forrest Gump is an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, whose only desire is to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart in Robert Zemeckis’ *Forrest Gump* (1994).

Forrest Gump was right: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” Choosing a character name, however, should not be decided by a chocolate covered surprise. Conversely, a great character name is well thought out, serving as a key ingredient to the foundational mortar of your narrative.

Take Forrest Gump. Why Gump? Novelist Winston Groom could have chosen any last name for our lovable protagonist, but what is it about Gump that works perfectly to support the narrative?

‘Gump’ is the root word for ‘gumption.’ And Webster defines ‘gumption’ as “shrewd or spirited initiative and resourcefulness.” Bingo! Forrest Gump is actually Forrest “Gumption.”

Forrest Gump may seem on the surface like a simple Alabama man with an IQ of 75, but a man without gumption, regardless of his IQ, would never have been able to achieve greatness… multiple times. Yet when we experience historical events through the lens of Forrest Gump, including Jim Crow south, the presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate scandal, Mr. Gump succeeds beyond measure within each chapter of his storied life, all while on the simple quest to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.

Gump was a star Crimson Tide football player, a Vietnam war hero, an international ping-pong champion, and of course, a successful shrimping captain. No one person would experience such success without a little bit of gumption.

LITERATURE: Lennie Small is a mentally disabled but physically strong protagonist in John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella Of Mice and Men. — **LITERATURE:** Lennie Small is a mentally disabled but physically strong protagonist in John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella *Of Mice and Men*.

There are a plethora of character names that become everlasting brands in American culture: Rocky, Yoda, and Shrek to name a few. And when it comes to naming characters, you want to choose wisely, which is no easy task.

DRAMA: Willy Loman is an elderly salesman lost in false hopes and illusions in Arthur Miller’s 1949 play Death of a Salesman. — **DRAMA:** Willy Loman is an elderly salesman lost in false hopes and illusions in Arthur Miller’s 1949 play *Death of a Salesman*.

Steinbeck’s Lennie is a gentle giant who is “Small” of mind, with a simple dream of tending rabbits. Miller’s “Loman” sounds no different than “Low man”, which is exactly what Willy is – “a dime a dozen” and “not a leader of men”. And the Coen Brothers’ “The Dude” is, as The Stranger explains, “The man for his time and place.”

FILM: “The Dude” is an unemployed L.A. slacker and avid bowler in Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1998 film The Big Lebowski. — **FILM:** “The Dude” is an unemployed L.A. slacker and avid bowler in Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1998 film *The Big Lebowski*.

Choosing the right name for a character is key. It should be unique and memorable to the story, yet not trying too hard to stand out. Each character name you choose should also reveal something about that character: who he is, where she comes from, when he was born, how she was affected, why he likes or dislikes it, and so on.