Name giving tendencies and strategies in short stories by Dezső Kosztolányi

Abstract

Name giving tendencies and strategies in short stories by Dezső Kosztolányi   

When examining Kosztolányi’s short stories, as in the case of his novels, great importance should be attached to names and to comments made on names. Three distinct name giving strategies can be observed in Kosztolányi’s short stories, which, at the same time, can also be used as bases for comparison of the tendencies in name giving and name use in texts of different genres by the same author. Besides namelessness – which itself may fulfil different functions – two other tendencies seem to be relevant. One strategy uses the appellative meaning of the name as a stylistic and story organizing element; the other strategy relies on the basic and well-practised knowledge the reader has of names and name use, focusing attention directly without long explanations. The author emphasizes the well-known fact that names and name choice play an essential role in Kosztolányi’s works.