Conclusion

As detailed in all five cases, the power of a name transcends an individual, and affects the way hegemony and social control operate in society. By letting another person or state modify, omit, or completely transform one’s name, they are given direct access to the alteration of one’s identity. In our contemporary times, we have begun to reclaim our names as symbols of self-pride and self-value, yet are still searching for answers regarding the full power of name identity. In early literary works such as Robinson Crusoe, non-Western names were easily replaced as examples of socio-normativity, regardless of the loss of cultural significance. As time progresses, our society has become aware of the intrinsic connection and importance of names to true internal identity, as reflected in The Handmaid’s Tale. Within a story of social repression, the control of names becomes one of the glaring issues faced by the oppressed minorities. Popular media, such as films and songs, have only supported the claim that name identity is essential to the formation of selfhood. Without control of one’s own name, we miss a fundamental piece of ourselves – a vocal and visual symbol of our inner selves to the outside world.