Strengths |
Throughout Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn makes intriguing social commentary on the power of language to foster community, the strength of human ingenuity and resilience in the face of pressures from social influences, and the beauty of possibility in linguistic expression, growing more important to preserve in a rapidly-changing world of technology (and the resulting adaptation in the way that people communicate).
Weaknesses
To further strengthen the commentary concerning how technology results in the need to adapt communication, a more in-depth discussion of the specific technologies available to the characters is necessary. As the book stands, however, one could make an inference as to the technological stance of Nollop, allowing the reader to decide for him or herself as to where he or she stands in the rapid movement towards a new age. In short, this “book of letters” serves as a reminder in the deciding of stance, a reminder to turn to language as a preservation of the human spirit, allowing all voices to be heard.