It Matters What You Call Things By Tayari Jones

Opening with the line “My father James Witherspoon, is a bigamist.” (1), Tayari Jones divulges the largests secret In James’ life. Dana Lynn Yarboro and her mother Gwendolyn Yarboro are secrets to others in his world, excluding his adopted brother and closest friend Raleigh. However, Dana, who is the protagonist in the first half of the book, and her mother know all about James’ secret and know that they are the very center of it. Dana takes a great deal of focus as to what one calls something. In fact this is quite common it is why there are many words for essentially the same thing. Dana expresses her belief in the fact that it matters what you call things many times throughout the first chapter, and this belief affects her view of her own life and her relationship with her father.
A name in its simplest form addresses a person, place, thing, or idea, yet with every name comes a flood of associated names and ideas. For Dana and her mother the use of choice words with the least amount of negative connotation seems to be of the utmost importance. She states “It matters what you call things” (5), but the name by which one identify with, or that one uses to address an activity or idea, matters for the most part only to the said person. Those viewing one's life, as the reader does with Dana, form their own ideas and interpretations of that person and his or her activities. Therefore a name matters because it expresses how one feels about their