Ella Minnow Pea Characters

The book, Ella Minnow Pea is focused a girl named Ella, and describes events happening on an island a small ways off the coast. The name of the island, Nollop, is derived from a man, named Nevin Nollop, who is the ruler and founder of the island thus explaining why the island was named. Nevin, now deceased, created the pangram, “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” In honor of their leader, a statue was built, containing the pangram, that Nevin created, which unwittingly, created a domino of disastrous events that almost destroyed the island. But that’s enough of the backstory, let's get into the real meat of what we're talking about here.

The story is written in the form of letters. Characters communicating back & forth through

this format. Ella, who is one the main characters of the story, the other being her cousin Tassie, receives a letter from the council, along with the rest of the town, Telling them that they are removing a letter from the alphabet *pause for effect* permanently. Why? Well going back to the statue with the pangram written on it we find that one of the letters has fallen off. The government takes the as a sign that Nevin Nollop, is communicating with them from the grave, telling them that they need to stop using that one specific letter. No big deal right? Well, actually, it is. Ella then wrote a letter to Tassie, explaining how she not only didn’t mind the change, but actually accepted it as a challenge showing that she would rather avoid conflict. Tassie however, is a fighter and a rebel. She tells Ella how she really feels about what is becoming to be.

Within a few days the first offences are committed, and people begin to turn on each other. If the letter is spoken, the authorities are alerted. The first person to be banished is a young boy who committed his third and final offence is banished. Ella, starting to doubt and even despise the law ever being passed becomes afraid. Then, another person purposely commits his third offence to escape the madness. Tassie becoming very angry tells Ella, “A rage burns deep within me, dear Ella, the likes of which I have never felt before.” An uprising starts, slowly and quietly. Another letter is banned. And Ella’s mother who as a school teacher commits her first offence. She is shamed by her colleagues and by her students who now no longer have respect for her.