Madison Ho Week #5: I Disagree, Juliet
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” is a popular adage from Romeo and Juliet. The whole idea is that Juliet Capulet, the ill-fated lover of Romeo Montague, believes that labels do not define a person’s character. While that often can be true, I’m afraid that when it comes to my memory, names hold a LOT of weight.
And one such example is Ulysses S. Grant.
That is the name that I have been irrationally obsessed with since middle school--or maybe obsession isn’t quite the right word, but he definitely stood out to me. He was one of the select few in our nation’s history to have carved out a special corner inside my brain, which is an impressive feat considering my track record of forgetting just about everything.
From my vague memory of 8th grade, I recall only two things: he was a war general on the side of the Union during the Civil War and he served later as the President of the United States. And don’t get me wrong, those are two extremely notable accomplishments--but I don’t seem to understand why it is this name and this figure that has cemented itself into my head. Seriously, up until a recent Google search, I had no idea what this man looked like--for crying out loud…!
(Though I must admit, he is indeed quite the dapper individual…)
Anyways, I bring this up because he’s my chosen Person of American Significance. Ulysses S. Grant was one of the first names that the little angel on my shoulder whispered into my ear for this assignment--quietly urging me to unearth the history behind the who and what of Grant’s character--despite not hearing of his heroic bearing since the gallows of middle school.
As of late, I have been doing a couple of searches here and there, scouring pieces of information that could perhaps help me understand my innate fascination with President Grant. During this time, I have uncovered familiar names such as Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan--the opposing commanders on the side of the Confederacy--which struck me as strange.
Why remember the name Ulysses S. Grant, but not those of his opponents? Or those of his presidential predecessors or successors?
To my relief, after much deliberation, I have come to a firm conclusion.
It wasn’t his lofty achievements, and it wasn’t his valiant efforts in the Union army that made him stick out to me--it was how his first name was Ulysses. A name starting with “U” and containing the letter “y” just… seemed so novel a concept to me, and while shallow, I nonetheless have settled on this answer.
But this absurd reason doesn’t detract from my genuine interest in learning more about him. By the end of this project, Ulysses S. Grant WILL be tattooed directly onto my very being.
All this to say…
Take that Juliet! Names do matter--at least, if you want to be remembered!
It is interesting how you related Romeo and Juliet—a play that almost all of us are familiar with because of ninth grade English—to something so recent like your Person of American Significance! I could also connect back your comment about “forgetting just about everything” with one of your blogs from last quarter! Although you may be forgetful (like me) it is so cool how you vividly remember Ulysses Grant. It is so relatable how you found President Grant to be so peculiar, as I too struggled with figuring out how to pronounce his name! The “U” and “y” in Ulysses always contorted themselves into some foreign sound, and I ended up pronouncing it like “you-lice-ess.” By the way, gallows, was that an In Cold Blood reference?? Your use of bolding and italicizing certain words allowed me to interpret your tone throughout my reading of your blog, and I think that I’m going to make use of this in my Blog #6. I hope you enjoy reading your biography for Ulysses Grant!
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