Names of Characters

I chose to reflect on the characters because the author of Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin, created such interesting names and backgrounds for the sixteen characters.

Madame Sun Lin Hoo - In the beginning of the book she was not invited by her husband to the Westing house because she didn't know how to speak English.  With the title of "Madame" I received the impression she had been a prostitute in China.  One of my favorite moments in the book is when Jake Wexler walks up to talk to Mrs. Hoo but Angela stops his to voice her concern, "Dad she doesn't know English"  his response is "If no one speaks to her she never will learn it." Cheers to a team mate helping out an English Language Learner!  By the end of the book she learns to speak English and everyone calls her Sunny.

Jake Wesler - He is one of the few with a typical average name.  Poor man the only way to get uptight and controlling wife to give him some loving is to get her drunk in the afternoon.

Turtle Wexler - What nurturing mother names her daughter "Turtle?"  She later becomes Alice, however I'm not sure why she chose that name, by the time she reaches adult hood she has choose to be called T.R. for her birth name Tabatha Rose, which is a lot more femine than Turtle.

Flora Baumbach - She made wedding dresses which are white or ivory, not floral (flora), but her daughter loved bright floral prints and collected fabric swatches from the fabrics.

Christos Theodorakas - Is Christos a shortened version of Christopher?  I have never heard of the name.  He goes by Chris by the end of the book.  Names a spieces of parrot after himself.

D. Denton Deere - He is a "dear" of a man by giving Angela the time ans space she needed to pursue her identity.  We never find out what the D. stands for.  His name is a toung twister if you say it fast.

J.J. Ford - Jose-Jo an unusual hyphened name.  Another woman who uses her initital for a fist name and plays chess.  Does Mr. Westing encourage his chess partners to use an abbreviated name during a slow moving chess game?

Grace Windsor Wexler - She really is an heiress and a niece of Mr. Westing.  As her name implies she is a graceful and distinguished decorator and restaurant entrepreneur.  But, not graceful when giving her daughter a nick name.  Unfortunate she has to drink three bottles of wine to remember how to love her husband, drunks are never graceful.

James Shin Hoo - Grumpy old man who (Hoo) has to buy a mail order wife. Turtle never kicked him in the shins (Shin).

Bertha Erica Crow - Everyone calls her Crow.  Another woman with an animal name.  Crows are black and she always wears black and they have long thin feathers, Crow is tall and lean.

Otis Amber - He is often called Amber which is a girl name and a color then he marries a woman called Crow who wears black. 

Theo Theodorakis - His first name is his sir name with extra letters.  Did his parents run out of ideas for names?  When his last name is stretched out it makes Theo-dork-is. I don't think he is a Dork but he does get kicked in the shins a few times by Turtle.

Doug Hoo - Doug who?  Oh, yes, the Olympic gold medalist.

Sydelle Pulaski - The wrong person was contacted to play the Westing Game, which clued me in to noting the idiocyrices of the names. 

Angela Wexler - No angel, needs to find her place in the world.

Sandy McSouthers (south), Julian R. Eastman (east), Windy Windkloppel (west), Barney Northrupt (north)-  The man of many identities, a male immigrant named Windy. Enough said.