From Abigail to Emerenc: Names and fates in Magda Szabó’s fiction

Abstract

From Abigail to Emerenc: Names and fates in Magda Szabó’s fiction

Among numerous other factors, the allegorical or symbolic interpretations of the names of characters and heroes – constructed with the help of our linguistic, literary and cultural codes – play a crucial role in the process of meaning creation in literary works. Magda Szabó’s novels employ similar strategies. This paper examines the name-giving and name-interpreting strategies employed in some of Magda Szabó’s novels (Abigél, Birthday, Tell Zsófika) using the tools of literary and cultural studies. The paper explores potential interpretations based on name symbolism, intertextuality, psychoanalytic and feminist readings, and contemporary cultural codes. It also seeks answers to how the names of characters and the literary, linguistic and cultural context in which they are situated influence the construction of possible meanings.