Trying on Names

Kati, Kstein, Kiki, Presh, Keetow. These are all names that I am familiar with and have been called on a regular basis. My mom and dad have different names for me, friends from my hometown call me a different name than my friends in Chico, people I have known for long periods of time call me different names than people I have just met. Everyone I referred to knows me and knows my personality but each of them knows me on a different level and has been with me through different parts of my life and have therefore nicknamed me accordingly.

In the novel Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, the main character Jasmine has many names that she is called throughout the novel. Jyoti, Jasmine, Wife, Jazzy, Kali, Jase, and Jane. These are all names that Jasmine has identified with in the novel. I think that Jasmine being able to have a different name for different points of her life allows her to constantly reinvent herself and explore different ways to be herself. For example Lillian is the one that nicknames Jasmine, Jazzy, and tries to Americanize Jasmine. She introduces Jasmine to Dairy Queen, different dress styles and different ways to talk and walk. “I checked myself in the mirror, shocked at the transformation. Jazzy in a T-shirt, tight cords, and running shoes…We drove into a mall in Clearwater for the test. Time to try out my American talk and walk” (pg. 133). I think at times Jasmine is running away from her past but I think she is simply longing for a better future and therefore has different names for different life points to see which life and name fits best.