Jump to content
Objectivism Online Forum

Naming Of Ayn Rand's Male Characters (esp. Heroes)

Rate this topic


Tom Rexton

Recommended Posts

Why did Ayn Rand call her male characters (especially her heroes) by their last names (e.g., Roark, Rearden, d'Anconia, Wyatt, etc.) whereas she called her female characters (e.g., Dominique and Dagny) and most minor characters by their first and/or full names?

I found it rather unusual because in most of the fiction books I read authors refer to most of their characters, especially the main ones, by their first name.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My best guess is something along the lines of respect. Note that the high school star football player is almost never called by a first name. This happens a lot on teams in general. It may be as simple as the fact that last names differentiate easier than first names. But I'm completely guessing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why did Ayn Rand call her male characters (especially her heroes) by their last names

That's how we usually call tycoons. We don't say "Bill" and "Larry" ; we say "Gates" and "Ellison."

On the other hand, we don't say "Stewart," but rather "Martha Stewart" or just "Martha."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dominique Francon had the same last name of her father, ditto on Dagny w/ her brother. Simply according to tradition, the male gets the dibs on the last names, hence the need to refer to the women of the novels by their first names.

The women's first names also tended to be a little more memorable, as opposed to the men: John, Hank, and Howard. Also, didn't Ayn Rand refer to D'Anconia by his particularly eloquent first name pretty often?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm aware of the book, though I've never read it.  I first saw the name long ago, as it was used as the title of a vast AI supercomputer in the old classic computer game 'Marathon'.  So much for culture  :(

I haven't read that particular book yet, either, but I've read and enjoyed a lot of Lamb's books, fiction and non-fiction. Durandal was actually the name of the sword of Roland, the knight of Charlemagne's time who fought the Saracens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dominique Francon had the same last name of her father, ditto on Dagny w/ her brother.  Simply according to tradition, the male gets the dibs on the last names, hence the need to refer to the women of the novels by their first names.

The women's first names also tended to be a little more memorable, as opposed to the men: John, Hank, and Howard.  Also, didn't Ayn Rand refer to D'Anconia by his particularly eloquent first name pretty often?

I had never thought of this issue at all and thought your explanation was extremely insightful. Did you just come up with this ad hoc or had you previously thought about it?

But now you've got me thinking about another issue. Let's see how you do with this one:

Why do the heroines have fathers while the heroes have no parents at all (except perhaps for Rearden - I vaguely recall his mother figuring somehow among his whiny relatives). And why, other than the one possibility of Rearden (and my memory could be faulty on that one) no mothers. The only other mother of any note is Keating's and she is cast in an extremely negative light.

(Ayn Rand, from reports, was not fond of her mother but apparently adored her father. For what that's worth.)

Fred Weiss

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why do the heroines have fathers while the heroes have no parents at all (except perhaps for Rearden - I vaguely recall his mother figuring somehow among his whiny relatives). And why, other than the one possibility of Rearden (and my memory could be faulty on that one) no mothers. The only other mother of any note is Keating's and she is cast in an extremely negative light.

I must disagree. Rearden's mother was certainly a significant character in Atlas Shrugged. Howard Roark's parents were briefly acknowledged in The Fountainhead, and Leo Kovalensky's father was vitally important in We the Living. Furthermore, Dagny's parents were necessarily mentioned, though never came into the plot of A.S. D'Anconia's entire family was a richly important part of his background, to be sure.

I think that Ayn Rand's heroines' parents are more the result of plot structure, character importance, and chance.

My response to the initial post was composed ad hoc, as it were.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must disagree.  Rearden's mother was certainly a significant character in Atlas Shrugged. 

But Rearden's mother is yet another one cast in a negative light.

I seem to recall Toohey's mother being in the same mold.

I'd bet anything this was all a very conscious decision on AR's part.

I have some glimmerings of an idea why but not in a form I'd be prepared to discuss yet. Can anyone do any better?

Fred Weiss

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some glimmerings of an idea why but not in a form I'd be prepared to discuss yet. Can anyone do any better?

Well, for one thing, I am not sure you want to pursue your earlier suggestion in regard to Ayn Rand and her mother. Here is a segment from a 1948 letter by Miss Rand which, at a minimum, gives a glimpse of her sense of wanting to repay her parents, mother included. (Incidentally, this entire letter is a wonderful example of Ayn Rand's great benevolence and generosity.)

"I had always hoped to bring my parents to America some day, when I had made good. But my parents have died since I left Russia, and I have no way of finding any other relatives of mine, or even of learning whether any of them are still alive. Mrs. Strachow was my mother's closest friend and my first teacher of English. She is now the only tie to my childhood and family left to me. So you will understand my eagerness to see her and to take care of her in her old age, as I had hoped to take care of my mother.

"I am well able to provide for Mrs. Strachow's support financially, and I am in a position to assure you that she will not become a public charge in this country."

(The Letters of Ayn Rand, p. 393.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is slightly off topic, but I'm reading Victor Hugo's Hans of Iceland, and found what was almost surely the source of Ragnar Danneskjold's name. The protagonist of the novel is named Ordener, but one of his titles is "Count Daneskiold," a slightly different spelling of the same name.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, for one thing, I am not sure you want to pursue your earlier suggestion in regard to Ayn Rand and her mother. Here is a segment from a 1948 letter by Miss Rand which, at a minimum, gives a glimpse of her sense of wanting to repay her parents, mother included.

Sure, but Fred said, "Ayn Rand, from reports, was not fond of her mother" which is not something we have to infer. Rand said so in the Barbara Branden interview tapes. She did say, however, that she was very greatful to her mother for helping her (Rand) escape Russia.

Also, Fred, you're forgetting that Dagny's parents (her mother in particular) are discussed in Atlas during her flashback into childhood.

It's true, however, that Rand does not give any importance to her heros' parents. I believe that's because to do so would have detracted from her vision of man as hero given the nature of a child/parent relationship. I mean, try to picture it a moment:

"No one stays in this valley by faking...in a minute, Mother, I'm talking to Dagny!"

Also interesting is that Rand doesn't mind giving her heroes "chosen" parents. Hugh Akston (sp?) and Henry Cameron both take on fatherly roles. That might possibly conflict with my prior theory - in any case, I find it noteworthy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...