Heroes’ names in literature often mean much, and it can be difficult for readers to understand why the author has chosen a specific name for a particular character in their literary work. Many people believe that no elements in literature, whether people, places, or items, are named for no reason: there is always a hidden meaning. Furthermore, a name for a writer is not only a way to define their characters: it is also an instrument of explaining their nature to the readers since names can tell much about their owners. “Miss Furr and Miss Skeene,” a short story written by Gertrude Stein, is an exemplifying literary work demonstrating how heroes’ names can describe them and reveal their personalities.
The literary work under discussion is a story about two women who were in love and lived together. The primary feature of the story is its focus on the queer relationship of two people of the same sex. Noteworthy, Stein (2019) utilizes the word “gay” often, sometimes even multiple times per sentence, using it to describe not only people but also their actions and behavior. There is a high chance that the author initially desired to find such names that would reflect the heroines’ natures and their interpersonal romantic relationships.
Helen Furr, the first of two women taking a central part in the short story, is an interesting character in terms of both her first name and last name. As it is known, the world’s most beautiful woman’s name in Greek mythology was Helen, which refers to Miss Furr as she is described as a pleasant and beautiful woman (Stein, 2019). Her last name, Furr, sounds similar to the word “fur,” which may mean Helen is a soft and warm person. Overall, the name “Helen Furr” makes readers imagine that character as kind, friendly, and beautiful. However, there is no visible explanation of why Helen decides to leave her husband at the story’s beginning and live with a woman.
Helen’s partner, Georgina Skeene, has a much more complicated name than Miss Furr because of the difficulties in interpreting her last name. However, her first name, Georgina, also comes to Greek etymology, meaning “farmer” or “worker,” while the word “cultivate” and its forms dominate in the short story’s vocabulary (Schmidt, 2018). Helen and Georgina spend much of their time cultivating their voices, and Miss Skeene’s name may reflect how much that cultivation process means for the heroine.
Helen’s and Georgina’s names illustrate their personalities, but they can also describe their relationship and explain why the two women have chosen to be with each other. According to the individual analysis of the heroines’ names, they both come to the Greek language, which, to a certain extent, creates a connection between Miss Furr and Miss Skeene. That connection means much for the entire story, and the characters’ names draw a specific portrait of it. Schmidt (2018) argues that the story is built on the self-cultivation process that “is mirrored in the very textual practice of the portrait” (p. 222). The desire to cultivate herself can often push a woman forward, and only another woman pursuing the same goal can truly understand her. Thus, the primary purpose of the names in the novel is to explain the origins of the romantic connection between the women, helping people understand why one woman can be romantically attracted to another.
Reference
Schmidt, M. D. (2018). A materialist desire in the young and evil.Studies in American Fiction, 45(2), 213-233. Web.
Stein, G. (2019). Miss Furr and Miss Skeene. In A. Nemo (ed.), 7 best short stories by Gertrude Stein (pp. 9-15). Tacet Books.