What is the significance of names in the short story, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank?

Names symbolize identity in this story and express both obvious and hidden truths about each character. Beyond the specifics of each name’s etymology, the act of choosing to use one name or another reflects how each character feels about the other. This comes into play especially with the narrator’s initial refusal to call Mark and Lauren by their chosen Hebrew names, and with Mark and Lauren changing their names to reflect the changes they make to their identities when they move to Israel.