Why the recent explosion of nicknames being doled out in our American Studies class? I cannot stop thinking about it for some reason, so I came up with three theories as to why Mr. Bolos and Mr. O’Connor refuse to call anyone by their given name (a habit which I find quite amusing, don’t get me wrong). Theory number one: they do this simply as a method of lightening the class atmosphere and to give us students something to laugh about in the midst of the fusion of English and history. I do not believe that this particular thought has much merit, though. We would find ways to smile in AS even without the periodic interjections of humorous names.
Theory number two: when someone gives another person a nickname, they are simply projecting a bit of their own personality onto the other and making a construction of them. This new construction better suits the one giving the new name. For example, a nickname might represent only one small portion of the person's personality, or just be an embellishment on a particular part of their name that is fun or easy to say.
I don't believe that there is anything wrong with putting a little bit of yourself into another person that you have to be able to relate to and nicknames help you to do this. Provided that the projection and constructions do not stray so far from the truth as to be inhibitors to perceptions of the real world.
Finally, theory number three: Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Bolos are using the nicknames as a teaching method, encouraging students to further question our world. Nearly everyone in our lives call us by the same given name. And who gave us this name in the first place? Our parents. So instead of making the atmosphere of American Studies exactly the same as every other aspect of our life that uses our "real names", our teachers decided that they would shake things up a little bit and through students off their guard by not assuming anything, including our own names.
Now, once we come to question our names, questioning our identities follows soon after, seeing as almost anyone would respond to the question "Who are you?" with simply their name. And that is what American Studies is all about, of course! Question EVERYTHING!
Am I reading too far into this? What are your thoughts?
I personally believe you are reading too much into the nicknaming, but, if I were to assume that you are not, then I like theory #3 most of all the options. If O'Connor and Bolos have a reason behind the nicknames, trying to have us question our own identities would probably be it.
ReplyDeleteMy own experience with nicknames has always been that I dislike them. (I will not list the nicknames for fear that someone may use them.) I wonder if this is a projection of my unwillingness to let others change any part of my identity for me, our perhaps a dislike for changing my identity, period. Never changing one's identity is, of course, impossible, since every experience one goes through will affect his/her persona, behavior, mindset, etc.
Perhaps this is linked to Theory #3? Our teachers may be trying to get us to accept that there is nothing truly static about our identities.
I really don't know if you are reading too far into this topic, but even if you are I find it absolutely amusing (perhaps because I am the type of person with a million different nicknames). I especially found theory #2 fascinating because I've never thought about it that hard, but rather I simply accepted what most people call me as part of who I was. Now, however, I realize that I probably does alter you in some ways, although not immensely. I think that nicknames mean a lot to people, and they show what type of relationship you have with other individuals so I think they are something more than a way to make the class more amusing.
ReplyDeleteHahah I love this post! I was actually thinking just the other day about all of the nicknames in our class. I actually don't think you're reading to far into it; I think that O'Bolos provide the nicknames to lighten the class atmosphere, to provide a "reward" for the students who talk a lot in class (if you talk a lot, the teachers get to know you and your opinions well enough to give you a nickname). Personally, I'm jealous of the nicknames! It seems like an incentive for me to talk more in class; I want the teachers to like me (I hope they don't read this though) enough to feel as if they can give me one. Overall though, I definitely don't think it was wrong of you to question this, considering I did the same just the other day!
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