The Names

“Outside, gusts lever at the fir trees behind the house and burst down the side passage to hurl themselves at the gate. Inside, too, worries skitter and eddy. Because tomorrow—if morning comes, if the storm stops raging—Cora will register the name of her son. Or perhaps, and this is her real concern, she’ll formalise who he will become.”

The Great Storm provides an atmospheric backdrop to Cora’s anxiety over naming her son, creating an ominous tone. Knapp utilizes the device of pathetic fallacy as the “raging” wind echoes the protagonist’s turbulent emotions. Cora’s belief that her son’s name will “formalise who he will become” emphasizes the significance of her decision, introducing the theme of The Large Impact of Small Choices.

“Cora has never liked the name Gordon. The way it starts with a splintering sound that makes her think of cracked boiled sweets, and then ends with a thud like someone slamming down a sports bag.”

Here, Knapp’s use of language implicitly conveys how Cora’s dislike of the name Gordon is inextricably linked to her fear of her husband. She significantly associates the name with harsh sounds such as “splintering,” “slamming,” and “thud.” Conjuring images of violence and brutality, these sounds echo Gordon’s abusive behavior.

“Beneath Cora’s autumn layers, her top begins to dampen. Her sanitary pad becomes a heavy wodge between her legs, while a cold sweat mottles her forehead and prickles at the back of her neck. It’s as if every fluid part of her is attempting to escape her body. To make a run for it.”

After naming her son Bear, Cora registers the inevitable consequences of her decision to defy her husband’s wishes. Rather than describing the protagonist’s thoughts, Knapp focuses on Cora’s physical experience as her instinctive fight-or-flight response is triggered. Vividly conveying Cora’s primal fear, the description indicates the magnitude of the threat Gordon poses to Cora.