Every person in this world has a way to show who they are as a human being. These include names. They show how we are all different in our own fashion. The first thing that a person might ask someone is “What’s your name?”. Our identity includes our name. Names are unique through their heartfelt meanings. Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw is a timeline of heritage, culture, and tradition that shapes the way she acts today.
Soledad shows a part of Naomi that hasn’t explored in a long time. Her father wasn’t in her life for debatable reasons which led Naomi to ask deep questions about her past. She realizes she got her unique talent of soap carving and brown hair and eyes from her father’s family later on in the book. Naomi imagines about her dad saying “ I wish I could look into the soap and say “ It’s my father inside” Then I could just carve away and find his face staring at me. Wouldn’t that be easy?”. This quote from Chapter 12 reveals how heavily she’s yearning for her father’s arrival into her life. Sometimes, dreams do come true at the end of a long journey.
Leòn opens her strong and brave character hiding inside a shy and fearful 5th grader. Leòn means Lion in Spanish which show her roots of Hispanic heritage. When she gets anxious during her custody battle hearing, she opens another strong side of her, speaking her heart out powerfully, which clearly stunned her mother. Naomi acted as a lover for God’s opportunities which made her realize that it is either now or never. She defied Skyla’s expectations, which was to get custody of her daughter. Skyla really thought that she could take advantage of Naomi anytime, not knowing about her talented leadership skills. Naomi truly has the heart of a lioness as she finds the courage to become who she is meant to be. Naomi lives up to her Mexican surname as a lover for God’s opportunities. When she gets anxious during her custody battle hearing, she opens another strong side of her, speaking her heart out powerfully, which clearly stunned her mother. Naomi acted as a lover for God’s opportunities which made her realize that it is either now or never. She defied Skyla’s expectations, which was to get custody of her daughter. Skyla really thought that she could take advantage of Naomi anytime, not knowing about her lioness heart.
Outlaw is her great grandmother Mary’s last name who put this into her original name. Although the “Outlaw timeline” includes some dark events such as Skyla’s parents being killed in a car accident and of course Skyla’s alcohol addiction, Gram manages to keep Naomi and Owen from knowing all of this in their young years. Owen’s look seems to resemble the Outlaw side. Outlaw shows the side of her that related to her the most. Gram was kept a persistent and optimistic mindset to care for two great grand grandchildren for an unplanned amount of years. She yearns for their safety from their unprotective mother, Skyla or Terri Lynn. These 2 surnames share two very diverse sides of Naomi that come together to form a big happy family.
In the end, Naomi learns that she still has a lot to learn. Learning doesn’t end in school, but in our legacy. Naomi discovered that the future can hold a lot for a human being, especially in one winter break vacation. She can now respect her name and the past behind it, which clearly is a very happy ending. Everyone’s name means something, find out how it shapes a future.
