The Plague Of Doves

Names are important throughout the novel, especially concerning character development. In the first section, Evelina recognizes the power of names when she calls Mary Anita Sister Godzilla. This act of childish cruelty grows larger than Evelina can handle until Mary Anita finally snaps after Corwin brings the wind-up toy to class. Evelina distinctly remembers this event as the first time she tasted regret, learning just how much names can hurt other people if used maliciously. Similarly, Antone cannot bring himself to name his first love, calling her simply C. Because of the pain she has caused him, Antone refuses to name her. In the very last paragraph of the penultimate section, Antone finally names Cordelia, but only after he also labels her as racist..

Names allow characters to relate to one another, tying them together almost as if through possession. When Marn lives on her family’s compound with Billy and his cult, she is forbidden from using the names she originally gave her children. In an act of defiance, Marn uses their names in secret when they are alone together. “I still had names for my children, though children’s names were now forbidden. Mine were their old names, now secret names.