Literary Criticism: Hazzlit about Nick Names

Introduction
William Hazlitt was a prolific writer who succeeded to a great extent in transferring his own zeal and enjoyment, through his essays, to the readers. He has dealt with a variety of subjects which are very common and proximal to the human lives. The subject which he deals with in an essay is viewed and analyzed in all its dimensions. He has an informal and conversational style, which is capable to infer the mind of the reader and leads the reader to think as he viewed. His “On Nicknames” is a best anecdote which gives a clean graph of his art in dealing any subject.
The significance of nicknames
Hazlitt begins his essay, “on Nicknames” with a line from Horace’s Ars Poetica. The prologue conveys that some trifles may lead to serious things. That is, ‘nicknames’ are not so insignificant as they are usually considered to be. They govern the world and have serious effects. The history of every field, like politics, morals, and religion do not have so extended history as nicknames have. During any massacre, torture, imprisonment and burnings, it will be done with the association of nicknames. They have the power to arouse human passions and are powerful in driving one’s reasoning power into an utter break down. They are capable of rousing hatred and contempt.
Party nicknames
Nicknames can be used in a variety of situations. They may be used as labels to different compartments of society to foster mutual hatred and contempt. Hazlitt names such a usage of nicknames as party-nicknames. For example, the term French rouses hatred in an English and vice versa. Even Shakespeare is treated with contempt by the French. Racine, the renounced French dramatist is met with the same by the English. The Whigs and Tories, the Mussalmen and the Christians etc are the other examples of groups those foster mutual hatred and contempt using their group-names. In short, while one group disapproves the other, the other has as much right to disapprove the former. The only cause lying in the fact is that they differ in their names.
The operation of nicknames (Its difference with facts)
Nicknames, comments Hazlitt, are the portable tools of mischief. They do their work assigned to them effectively without losing their charm or sting. Nothing intervenes between the work and its effect. The effect was instantaneous. A nickname starts its operation by giving full scope to imagination as it does have any base of facts. In a fact, the cause and effects of the idea will be furnished. But a nickname does not give cause for applying it to a person or a group of men. Its aim is to create trouble. The passions like anger and jealousy are activated and the exercise of reason are suspended. It is just a blow given by a word. It makes a person deaf to the past. All the knowledge about the past is destroyed due to its force. In total, it is accepted without a second thought.
The malignance in nicknames
A nickname, according to Hazlitt, is like a major punishment. Even if we disbelieve it, like a ghost, it may haunt the victim. It is a bugbear to the imagination. If it is applied to one of our dearest friends, in the next instant, you will be compelled to think him as your enemy. We know, the charge we made to that friend is false. However, it stains his name with dirt. The association of his name with unpleasant things will make trouble in our mind. If not, we should be extraordinarily magnanimous. It would be difficult for us to dissociate our friend from the implied sense of the nick name we used. Ultimately, we would disconnect ourselves from him. Thus it becomes the death bell of the friendship.
The insignificance of a tool in using a nickname
A parrot may be taught the nickname of our neighbour to satisfy our prejudice against him. Here, the parrot is only a tool, the insignificant one. But the repetition of the nickname will have its desired effect. All the creatures in nature are gifted with the means to defend the self from the dangers. For the meanest creature, that is, for human beings, she has given the use of nicknames.
The force in the name
Name of a person definitely indicates the identity of that particular person. However, sometimes, one’s own name shall become a curse. There are instances when a man becomes frightened at the sound of his own name. Hazlitt explains this with a humorous anecdote. Once, a young student from Cambridge went to a playhouse in London. While he was seated in the pit, he saw one of his tutors seated in one of the front boxes. The student felt an immediate and strong desire to claim acquaintance with the tutor. He called out the tutor in a very low and respectful voice – “Dr. Topping!” As there was no response, the student repeated in a louder tone. Gradually, the whole pit started chorusing the name. Feeling uneasy on his own name, the doctor was forced to leave the place.
Christian names and short names
In the concluding part, Hazlitt mentions the importance of Christian names and short-names. Calling people by their Christian names is a sign of hatred as well as affection. Goldsmith was called “Goldy” by Dr.Johnson which indicated his affection. However, indicating so by a stranger would be an insult to the Goldsmith.
Conclusion
To conclude, names played an essential part in human history. As Hazlitt says, Junius’s motto meaning “There remains the shadow of name” is absolutely significant. Names, especially nicknames, are meaningful and consists some effects in them. The name of Michael Angelo is an example. The English does not know anything of him but his name, says Hazlitt. Still they admire him. Thus, the rhetorical question, “What’s in a name?” makes no sense.