Stillhouse Lake

Nearly every major character in Stillhouse Lake has a pseudonym or a nickname; this illustrates the complexity of the characters’ identities and how people are not always what they seem to be on the surface. Used effectively, pseudonyms can work as “masks” that conceal someone’s true identity and instead present a different, false identity. Gwen and her children use pseudonyms to avoid detection each time they move to a new area. Their enemies also use pseudonyms, most notably Absalom, whose actual identity is unknown to Gwen. Both protagonists and antagonists use pseudonyms in this novel, creating a complex web of deception and games for each other to navigate. The use of names also raises questions about identity and privacy in the internet age, when anyone’s name can be searched but most commentators are anonymous. The creation of new names for Gwen and her children, which they choose, is suggestive of their emotional drive to reinvent themselves and be freed from how others see them.

Supporting characters are all shown as using or being known by shortened names: Lancel/Lance, Melvin/Mel, Javier/Javi, Kezia/Kez. While these multiple identities aren’t as pronounced as for the major characters, their ubiquity illustrates how most characters have more than one side to them and can’t always be trusted.