Thoughts?
http://www.people.com/article/parents-change-son-atticus-name-go-set-watchman
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Err...
I guess I can see how if they named their son after this character and now this character doesn't represent what they thought he did, how the name could be upsetting and they would want to change it... maybe. But it also seems pretty unnecessary. I don't think anyone is going to look at their 14 month old son and think he's a racist just because he was named Atticus...
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I see why they are sad or upset but it seems a bit dramatic. Atticus Finch is a character in a book, it doesn't mean your child is going to become a racist. If another book comes out with a great character named Atticus, are they going to change it back?
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I think it's a unique situation because everyone assumes if a person is named Atticus, it's because of the book.
It's not like the character had a more common name like John or Tom or something.
People hear Atticus, they think of Atticus Finch.
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Drama llama's if you ask me. I would never associate someone to have the same characteristics as a book character with the same name.
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@Smurfette: Yup, total eyeroll from over here. Drama llamas
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@Smurfette: agreed! Drama llamas.
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It sounds like these people put a lot of value in the meaning of their child's name....I could never do it, but I guess to each their own? At least the kid is so young that he won't remember...but that must be so confusing to him right now!
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Total overreaction. I'd just roll with it a la Forrest Gump. "Momma said that the Forrest part was to remind me that sometimes we all do things that, well, just don't make no sense."
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I am rolling my eyes so hard at this story. If it was someone I knew - I might be tempted to "unknow" them - I don't need that kind of crazy in my life.
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I think it's kind of ridiculous. I guess they put a lot of stock in the idea of Atticus Finch being some kind of one-dimensional, flawless human being, which doesn't even seem all that historically accurate anyway. But at least he's young enough that he won't even remember the change. I'm sure it's confusing for the daughter, though!
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I don't even know who Atticus Finch is....
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@blackbird: me neither! Never read either book or maybe I just don't remember!
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I kind of want to ask them if they realize that naming their child after someone (a fictional person at that) does not mean that he automatically inherits the charateristics of that person. I wouldn't even name my kid Adolf but if I did, I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean he's going to start a genocide.
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@blackbird: @autumnlove: I just fell over in my chair! You never had to read to kill a mockingbird in school? It's one of my favorite books!!
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@birdofafeather: oh I did! I just don't remember that's where the name is from.
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@birdofafeather: haha, maybe I did but that was a long time ago!
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@Mrs. Lion: Yes agreed!
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That's like changing my daughter's name because I don't want her to be perceived as a crotchety old woman with a bad attitude and potty mouth.
Stupid.
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I love To Kill A Mockingbird and was bowled over when I heard about Harper Lee's new book. Mockingbird was always her only book and she's so reclusive, I was shocked she published another book. Now that I know a little about it, I don't know if I want to read it. It might hurt my love for the original book. So I get how the parents could be super upset about this.
All that being said, I wouldn't change my kid's name. But whatevs!
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Ehhh, I'm kinda torn. On one hand, I doubt many people who know/love "To Kill a Mockingbird" are going to read the new book (I won't), and if they do, they'll still associate the name Atticus with the original book, and not this new one. On the other, it sucks to have any negative association with your kids' names, so I can understand why they would want to (although I wouldn't do the same).
If you named your kid Cosby, Gibson (although that one can have multiple meanings/associations-- I think guitars, not Mel), or Kramer and could change it early in the kid's life, would you?
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@blackbird: @autumnlove: okay, my seat is back upright!
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21 comments