What's in a name? If you're in the world of The Ropemaker, quite a lot. Magicians hide their true names for fear of being invoked or taken advantage of, and whenever someone does mention a wizard's true moniker, big magic can result. Here we can think of Meena's invocations of Faheel and the way Tilja constantly says the world changes when Meena invokes the magician by name.
Like all the magicians in the Empire, Ropemaker hides his true name (no, his parents didn't give him that name at birth). Faheel and Tilja are the only ones who know it—and that means they can summon him as they please. So names do a lot of work in this book—they hide and reveal true identity, and they're also connected to power.
Questions About Identity
- What is it about someone's name that is so powerful?
- Do you think Faheel and Tilja would have been able to summon the Ropemaker without knowing his name? What is it about Faheel's name that causes Axtrig to act so powerfully? Is it the spoon itself?
- Why doesn't Moonfist ever get a real name?
Chew on This
In this novel, the essence of a magician lies in his name.
His true name is a magician's biggest weakness.