What's in a Name?

Elvis’ name is, of course, of great importance, but I’ve waited for a few entries to address the issue for a couple of reasons. One reason is that I wanted to wait until there was a bit more cultural and personal background provided in the story. Secondly, there is an important scene on page 105 between Elvis and Oye. 

Elvis’ name is obviously derivative of Elvis Presley, but his name connects him to much more than the King of Rock and Roll. His name was given to him by his parents, and more specifically, by his mother. Elvis’ memory of his mother had grown fuzzy, and “All of his memories of her were sketch and had been supplemented by the fantasies he built around the things he read in her journal” (104). When Oye mentions that his mother loved listening to Elvis Presley, Elvis asked, “So that is how I got my name” (105). Oye tosses him a stern look and reminds him not to be foolish, but Elvis says it as if he’d never realized that’s where his name came from. Therefore his name connects him to both the American Rock and Roll singer, and to his mother. 

But what does it mean to be the namesake of Elvis Presley? I’ll discuss this in the next post.