Given that you do not identify the text to which you are
referring, I will answer your question based upon other reasons as to why authors
typically use only pronouns to identify a character.
Many
times, authors choose not to name a character because it allows a reader to more easily
identify with a character who remains unnamed given the reader may identify that
character with their own personal experience. This insures, or tries to insure, that the
reader becomes engaged and active during their
reading.
Other times, the author may have sexist tendencies
which errupt within their writings. A female character may not seem important enough to
name. Therefore, the author simply refers to her as "she". Critically one can look at
feminist criticisms in regards to what authors typically provide this type of nameless
character.
For example, only one character in John
Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men remains nameless: Curley's wife. This
character is, throughout the novel, referred to only as Curley's wife. Much criticism
has been written regarding Steinbeck's omittance of her name. Overall, many critics
simply believe that a women was not as important as a man and, therefore, she did not
qualify having a name. Others have stated that her undefined life qualified the absence
of a name.
It is important to recognize the reasoning
behind the naming of a character, or lack of the naming of a character. Lack of identity
is a main theme in many of literature's great texts. So, as another reason behind the
use of a pronoun as a name could be the character's lack of identity as a true, concrete
character. Some characters are defined as the text draws out, some remain undefined
throughout an entire novel. Typically, is simply depends upon the characterization of
the character as well.
The reference link following the
answer is to give you a more in-depth understanding of a character without a name while
referring to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.
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