The lack of complete character names contained within the Biggles series is the basis for many a Great Biggles Mystery discussion. There's Ginger's unknown first name, Bertie's incomplete first name (and considering his background, he must have had a middle name as well, if not two of them), Biggles' own mysterious middle initial, Raymond's nonexistent first name, Wilks' nonexistent first name, Mac, Mahoney and Mullen's nonexistent first names...
Strangely, the only one among Biggles long-term companions who has a full name is the Honorable Algernon Montgomery Lacey! Maybe Johns had a special soft spot for our boy after all. (Although I suppose one could also argue that Mark Way and the Professor were both graced with full names as well--and what's wrong with that? Mark is as lovely as Algy, and the Professor has his moments.)
What was the reason that Johns worked so hard to conceal his characters' full names from his readers? Could he just not be bothered to think of them, or did he feel like it didn't matter?
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I think it was J.R.R.Tolkien who said that unexplained vistas often added to the literary landscape, for some readers, and I must say I have to agree. Although I'd love to know all the little details about the characters in the Biggles' books, wondering and speculating is SO much fun!
ReplyDeleteNOT knowing everything keeps the books alive; it is fun to re-read them, looking for clues and overlooked tit-bits in the hope of finding answers to some of the questions.
And what we aren't told we can make up for ourselves. :)
Saying that W.E.J. really really might have told us Ginger's real name - or at least given us a strong hint.... I can't belive it is really Habblethwaite Hebblethwaite.... surely even Ginger's Dad couldn't be so mean?
Exactly right.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if maybe Ginger just "adopted" the name for himself. After all, he didn't really have any papers on him or anything. He could easily fill out some forms calling himself Ginger and simply forget all about that "other" name, whatever it was....
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure, Soppy. Biggles called Ginger 'Ginger' on impulse, , with no time to think of anything, given the state he was in at the time,because of his hair. This was quite common (and still is, to a certain extent, despite PC attempts to stop people with red hair being called Ginger.) The name probably wasn't new to him either I think he was so caught up in being with Biggles and Algy that Biggles could have called him anything and he wouldn't have minded.
ReplyDeleteIt would be funny if Ginger told Biggles his real name, and Biggles promptly forgot it and just went on calling him Ginger anyway.
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