What's In a Name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet." - Shakespeare

Shakespeare may have believed that a name was just an artificial and meaningless convention, something to refer to someone as. However, the chinese did not share this same belief; instead, a name was chosen and constructed very carefully for a newborn child. This name would make the child grow up to encompass and reflect the meaning of the name, to help the child develop and assimilate this hope, and to create the foundation of who this child could be. For example, in the novel, Snowflower meant snowflake, and this would bring connotations of purity, gentleness, beauty, simplicity, and uniqueness. Beautiful Moon brought ideas of beauty, value, eternalness, brightness, high- achiever, and completeness. I think a name is a very important aspect of a person too, for I don't think we are more or less like "objects"; we are each special and different, with no one else in the world the same as one another. Thus, I believe a well-though- of name indeed does make an impact on how the person will be.