Changes In Language In Ella Minnow Pea By Mark Dunn

Language is the most important way that people communicate to one another. Sounds are put together to create words and to be able to express emotions to others. The changes in language have influenced change in characters to a small extent. The change in characters in Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn are mostly caused by their environment and the High Council. They are influenced by the High Council because the citizens of Nallop either become defiant or conform. The Nallopian’s are changed by their environment since most of them want to fit in with fellow members of society so they conform to the rules. Many studies have shown that your adult life is shaped by the household and surroundings of your childhood. Georgeanne Towgate was affected by
She is saying that Nallop, the one person who has made language a very important part of the world, was pushing them away from it and putting a barrier in communication which she does not agree with. Her use of the word pry is meant to show how language isn’t being taken away with no defiances from the people, but rather taken away with strong force. She uses the words “our traditional heavipendece” to show that she accepts the culture and its deep roots and how ‘heavily dependent’ the society is on language. By the use of “linguistic orthodoxy” Georgeanne is showing how much the whole community and their society is based on language to the point where the all follow the belief of Nallop and worship him, as if he is God. Georgeanne then reappears after sometime when more letters become illicit. She invites her neighbors, Tassie and her mother, to her house for a showing. She ends the letter with stating that “In the land of no “D,” silent reverence is king” (67), referring to the fact that she would like to celebrate the letter D being outlawed in silence. The underlying meaning of the sentence could be that she is in fact silencing herself and others from defying the High Council for their
Ella transforms from slightly questioning the rules, to severely disagreeing with them. She thinks the idea that the Council believes that it is a sign from Nallop when the tiles fall is “ludicrous”, “preposterous”, and a “microscopic” idea. She uses ludicrous and preposterous to show how ridiculous and foolish the High Council is to think that such a thing is possible and to believe this theory rather than finding a logical explanation. Also, by using preposterous, she almost makes fun of the High Council for such an idea that Nallop would waste his time to remove such a significant letter. Later in the book Ella becomes more defiant of the High Council when she is speaking of her mothers punishment and says that she “will not allow any mother of mine to submit to the lash” (80). Her anger towards the Council grew to a large extreme. Her tone shows that she feels very disgruntled by the fact that her mother would submit to the High Council and feels as if her mother should defy them and go against their rules and commands. Tassie’s opinion of the High Council in the beginning is a rage that “burns deep within”. Her tone shows how angry and frustrated she feels that the High Councils believes their actions of making rules for whatever purpose are justified because they are above the citizens of Nallop. Later in the book,