Why is the Kangaroo from “Beast Complex” nameless?
The main characters from the 19 chapters of Beast Complex all have names... with the exception of the old kangaroo who runs the hotel that Meg the Panther stays at.
That’s pretty odd when you think about it. Ezmo the Bat has a name, Abby the Wolf has a name, Benny the Crocodile has a name. But why not the old kangaroo?
When a character in a book doesn’t have a name is can be because he/she is an anonymous narrator who plays no part in the story besides as an observer. But that is clearly not the case here since the kangaroo has fears, goals and even compassion to a punk who made terrible choices.
Another reason to make an unnamed character is that they have experienced something so harsh and traumatizing that they can’t recognize themselves anymore. An identity crisis so to say. By not be given a name, the character becomes harder to identify.
The kangaroo mentions a few times that he dislikes himself and that's why he actually has a liking for the dysfunctional neighborhood he lives in. Its noisy and colorful. it’s “alive” for both good and bad reasons. It’s a place that can swallow you and allow you to disappear from the rest of the world. Meg who rents his hotel room has the same feelings of self loathing and has a need for disappearing, which is why the kangaroo takes the role as a somewhat pseudo father for the girl who still has a name.
In fact, the story is about him saving her from ending up like him when you think about it. A nameless creature who just tries to fade away.
