Importance of Names

Name recognition can have a positive or negative effect on an individual. Dill's name is Dillard Early, Jr., and his father is Dillard Early, Sr., and Dill realizes that being saddled with that name is going to affect the rest of his life, especially in the small town of Forrestville, Tennessee. Dill is a high school senior as the novel opens, and he is struggling with his current life and plans for the future. His best friend, Lydia, is leaving for college at the end of the year but Dill is stuck in Forrestville. Dillard Sr. was the pastor of a church known for handling snakes until he was arrested and imprisoned for possessing child pornography.

Another example of the importance of Dill's name is seen when Travis first learns the history of Dill's family. Travis's father, Clint, has a man named Lamar tell...