Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

             A name symbolizes a person's value, bringing potential privileges and benefits to its bearers and playing a key role in prosperity. Therefore, Lalita's struggle to protect it finds its roots in her fear that the loss of the name's respectability can collapse her daily life and position in society. Any move that strays from a certain defined cultural path can lead to social collapse, where "your name your life" may vanish from respectable circles (Divakaruni 195). A similar element pertaining to the significance of a name appears in other works of literature, such as Beowulf, in which the main character battles ferociously on foreign lands to preserve the respectability and fame of his Geat name. The cycle of honor and respect by all family members will guarantee the continued survival of the family's positive image in the community.
             In addition to its social power of reputation, a name also holds the key to one's identity. In Tilo's case, the series of names which she had carried throughout her life trace the development of her mind, spirit, and personality. As Nayan Tara, a magically-gifted young girl living in a village, she naively attempts to avenge the lack of affection she experienced by commanding the respect of all. Rather than accepting her position as another "dowry debt," Nayan Tara transforms into a seer, watching "grown men trembl[e] and thr[ow] themselves at [her] feet" to fuel her inner need for social respect and emotional care (Divakaruni 9). Consequently, the abuse of such power allows selfishness and narrow-mindedness to grow within the character's mind while any "deep sorrow" is quickly "pushed away" (Divakaruni 9). The soul who treated anyone who "was slow to [her] bidding" like scum lives through the name of Nayan Tara and represents the beginning of the narrator's social and emotional development (Divakaruni 9).
             However, with the tragic razing of her village and the beginning of her new life as a Pirate Queen, the narrator realizes that the only caring and understanding people in her life had vanished.