: Re: What to call a nameless character in a 3rd person narrative? How do I present a nameless character in a 3rd person narrative who has never known his parents? And has never had extended human

@Sent2472441

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More than one author has struggled with the same problem before. There is a Russian children's story about a dog named 'Shoo' - the dog has been shooed so many times, that by the time it was adopted, it thought 'Shoo' was it's name.

The most famous example of what you're trying to do, and one you're no doubt familiar with, is Fantine, from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. 'Fantine' literally means 'little girl'. It has the 'infant' root + a feminine diminutive suffix. Like your character, Fantine grew up in the streets. She was called 'little girl' by people, so that became her name.

The conclusion seems to be, whatever your character is called in the brief interactions that he has with people - that becomes his name. This name can be relatively pleasant (e.g. Fantine) or relatively unpleasant (e.g. Shoo), as you see fit.

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