1. Stranger Than Fiction Part 1<br />Ashten Blain<br />Harold Crick<br />The name Harold means a leader in an army. In any position in the military, order and organization would be the basis of your daily routine. Harold Crick runs on routine and organization, almost to the point of obsession, whether it has anything to do with the military or not. The order shows through even in Harold’s surroundings throughout the movie. His office and the storeroom there are full of squares and white. His apartment is angular and drably painted, with rectangular decor everywhere. When getting ready for work, he follows a routine almost without realizing it. Harold’s last name is Crick, which refers to the scientist Francis Crick. This scientist studied neurobiology, which is the study of the nervous system, or the human consciousness. I believe the last name Crick was chosen for Harold because both he and Francis Crick explored the possibility of human existence, or nonexistence. Perhaps it was for different reasons – one out of necessity and one out of interest – but each felt the need for answers and did their best to find them, which is why I believe the author chose this name specifically. <br />Ana PascalThe name Ana means grace in Spanish, and serene in Maori. Ana Pascal in the film is a laid back and calm person. She doesn’t let things faze her, even when Harold comes into her small store and tells her she will be audited. At first she loses her cool, but after thinking about it, she comes to grips with her situation and keeps a fairly level head about it. She doesn’t like to get caught up in the trappings of the world, but would rather help people in her small way. The surroundings of Ana’s shop contribute to her laid back and easy going personality. The bakery is full of circles, and ovals, and bright colors. Ana shares her last name with Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. Similar to the way Ana turned from law school to serve people with cookies, Blaise Pascal turned from the concreteness of science and math to religion near the end of his life. Both felt they could be of better use in another area than they had originally been studying, and followed their hearts to enjoy what they were doing.<br />Karen EiffelThe name Karen is a shortened form of Katherine. It means a few different things, such as “each of the two”, torture, or “consecration of your name”. I think in the case of Karen Eiffel of Stranger than Fiction, it would be related to torture. In each of her books she kills the protagonist of the story in some way. In the story she is writing when the movie is set, she plans to kill Harold Crick as well, but he is able to find her and let her know that he is an actual living person. Her voice tortures Harold throughout the story, whether she knows it or not. Karen Eiffel’s last name also belongs to Alexandre Gustave Eiffel ne Bonickhausen, a French structural engineer. He is famous for designing the Eiffel Tower. This is a fitting last name for Karen because while Alexandre engineered and planned the Eiffel Tower, Karen engineered and planned Harold Crick’s life and environment. <br />Penny Escher<br />Penny is a shortened form of Penelope, which means silent worker in Greek. Penny Escher is an author’s assistant, which means she works behind the scenes of a book to help the author, Karen Eiffel, finish her book before the deadline. Therefore silent worker fits well, as she does work hard to help Karen but does not receive recognition or applause for her work. The last name Escher comes from the graphic artist M. C. Escher. He is famous for his mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs and mezzotints. They show impossible constructions, like optical illusions; architecture and geometric shapes that fit together perfectly. I think Penny Escher relates to M.C. Escher because both are creative and use their creativity to inspire others to think. M.C. Escher encourages consideration of the creative and impossible. Penny would find ways to encourage thoughts about the topic of the book, or the way to end the book.<br />Professor Jules HilbertThe name Jules is a form of Julius, which means downy, hairy or youthful. I don’t believe the name Jules has anything to do with its actual meaning, but with another famous bearer of the name. Jules Verne wrote 20000 Leagues Under the Sea. I believe this name fits both people because Professor Jules is a literature teacher and fanatic, and Jules Verne was a contributor to the literary arts. The name Hilbert also belongs to David Hilbert, a German mathematician that presented 23 math problems that would become famous. These 23 problems are what relate Jules Hilbert and David Hilbert. In the movie Professor Hilbert creates a list of 23 criteria to determine what story or genre Harold Crick came from. Also, the two could be connected in that they helped to set a foundation for part of the things they were involved in. David Hilbert worked to create a basis for mathematical processes, and Jules Hilbert tried to provide Harold Crick with a foundation in which to anchor his belief while the rest of his world is being turned upside down.<br />Dave<br />Although no last name is given for Dave, he appears to reference a character also named Dave in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The name Dave means beloved, but I don’t think the name meaning is where the author got Dave’s name from. I think it is the reference to the character David Bowman. In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, David Bowman is on a mission to get to the source of an alien artifact that was found on the moon. Dave in Stranger than Fiction is a bit of a science fiction geek, and this is the parallel between the two Dave’s. One is part of a science fiction story, while the other is a science fiction fan. <br />