‘Fame or Shame?’ is a new feature I’m writing. How well do the characters live up to the names bestowed upon them? That’s the big question for the Seer of Names. Did it fail or nail influencing authors to give characters a particular moniker? Is its naming power its claim to fame or source of shame?
First up, we’re dissecting the names of the two main characters of These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Spoilers ahead if you have not already read it.
Lilac LaRoux
Lilac, the name itself, does not appear to have any particular meaning. But lilac is a shade of purple and also a type of flower. The flowers have different meanings depending on its color.
- White: That purity and innocence thought to be part of childhood.
- Violet: All shades of purple tend to reflect spirituality, but darker purple reflects that the wearer is concerned or knows about spiritual mysteries.
- Blue: Soft blue can also mean happiness and tranquility.
- Lilac: This lighter shade of purple is associated with one’s first love or the first time one feels love for someone.
- Pink: Pink is also associated with love and strong friendships.
- Magenta: This shade of dark red is associated with passion, love and the sheer thrill of being alive, especially after surviving a harrowing experience.
- Purple: Because lighter shades of purple are associated with first loves, purple is often an alternative to black for mourning or for remembering somber anniversaries.
– from Flower Meaning
I think any of these colors applies to Lilac.
- White – innocence, her belief in her father.
- Violet – the whispers.
- Blue – her few quiet moments with Tarver.
- Lilac – the reminder of her actual first love and the first time she dared to love after that.
- Pink – her love for her father and Tarver.
- Magenta – pretty much the whole series.
- Purple – the tragedy of her first love.
As for her last name, La Roux literally translates to “the red” in French. I guess it fits since Lilac has red hair?
Looks like the Seer is going strong. For now.
Tarver Merendsen
According to Allbabynames, Tarver means “tower; hill; leader”. I always envisioned him as being tall so tower fits? Leader definitely fits Tarver’s character. Out of all the characters, he had the most leadership skills and was more prone to lead than take a backseat. Just read This Night So Dark, a novella that takes place a little before the events in These Broken Stars.
I have absolutely no idea what Merendsen means or what it might mean. Every Google search about it is about this series. So I’m guessing it’s a completely original/fictional name?
Overall
I think These Broken Stars is the Seer of Names’ claim to fame. Both Lilac and Tarver’s names fit them relatively well.
What do you think of this new feature?
Should I do more?
How do you think the Seer of Names did?

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