Runt

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of animal death.

In Runt, the wolves are given names that correspond to their position in the pack and their most salient character traits, and this use of names offers additional context to The Many Forms of Strength, showing how each wolf brings something different to the pack. Using adjectives as names is common across the fantasy genre, and it is employed by such prolific authors as Robin Hobb (author of Assassin’s Apprentice) so that characters may then live up to or subvert the meaning of their given name. For Bauer, the adjectival names of her characters represent the traits that define each character. Since Runt is the protagonist—the only character who undergoes significant change over the course of the novel—he is the only one whose name changes. As the mother of the pups, Silver possesses instincts about each pup and can provide a name based on what she observes of them in their first moments. Silver’s instincts are then confirmed as Leader, Sniffer, Runner, and Thinker live up to their given names by leading, sniffing out prey, running swiftly, and thinking through problems, respectively.