I think that in Kindertransport the writer, Diane Samuels uses the names of the characters as a huge way of showing their personalities and their life’s worth.
The very first character that we are introduced to is Eva, now this is the younger and former self of the later introduced Evelyn. The name ‘Eva’ is a Hebrew name which is biblical and means ‘life’ but also ‘God’s grace’. This is very fitting as when Eva is introduced to her foster mother during the war, Lil, she is a very calm, collective and polite young girl, she had been brought up in a high middle class house with wealthy parents of whom taught her well of right and wrong, Eva was a very good Jewish girl and she did everything to stick to the Jewish ways of life even at the young age of which she was sent to England. The name of Eva is even more well fitted as it means ‘life’ and this is something she may have lost if it wasn’t for her parents sending her to England and Lil taking her in. But in the same sense Eva lost the old life that she once lived and became a different, English person due to Lil’s actions and some could argue that she was almost born again. She changed her name to Evelyn and also her birth date to the day she first came to England.
The name ‘Evelyn’ is said to of originated in Germany which is ironic as that is the part of her image that through changing her name she is trying to cover. The name then went on to be popular in England and was said to be an English name. ‘Evelyn’ is said to mean ‘light’, ‘birth-giving’ and ‘wisdom’, the fact that it means ‘light’ I think is a big issue as she herself doesn’t often find herself in the light about her past, she isn’t aware of the life of her biological family and doesn’t let her daughter into the darkness of her true self. Also the idea that Evelyn hasn’t lived a happy life because of her fear of certain things due to her past of the war and abandonment shows that