Ella Minnow Pea Character Analysis

Ella Minnow Pea

The novel’s protagonist. Ella is from the island of Nollop, named after Nevin Nollop, who is credited with creating the 35-letter pangram “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Ella lives in… read analysis of Ella Minnow Pea

Tassie Purcy

Ella’s cousin and Mittie’s daughter. Ella, who’s from the main city of Nollopton, exchanges letters with Tassie, who lives in the more rural area of Nollopville. When the High Island Council begins banning… read analysis of Tassie Purcy

High Island Council

The governing body on the island of Nollop. The island’s namesake, Nevin Nollop, is revered for coming up with the 35-letter pangram “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” and he is… read analysis of High Island Council

Nevin Nollop

The island of Nollop’s namesake, who is credited with creating the pangram “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” When tiles begin to fall off of Nollop’s commemorative statue in the island’s main… read analysis of Nevin Nollop

Mittie Purcy

Tassie’s mother, Ella’s aunt, and Mittie’s sister. Mittie is a second-grade math teacher and she initially finds it very difficult to adapt to the Council’s ban on using any of the… read analysis of Mittie Purcy

Nate Warren

A young American scholar at the University of Georgia who publishes Nollopiana, an academic journal about the island of Nollop. He is therefore very interested in the violations against citizens’ freedom of speech that… read analysis of Nate Warren

Georgeanne Towgate

Timmy’s mother and Nash’s wife. Georgeanne lives in Nollopville (where Tassie and Mittie live) and she is the one who reports Mittie’s first two violations of using banned words. Georgeanne, like the High… read analysis of Georgeanne Towgate

Rederick Lyttle

One of the five members of the High Island Council, the island of Nollop’s governing body. When lettered tiles begin to fall from the commemorative statue of Nevin Nollop (the island’s namesake), the Council… read analysis of Rederick Lyttle

Amos Minnow Pea

Ella’s father and Gwenette’s husband. Amos is a carpenter, and at the outset of the novel, he begins to sell moonshine jugs. Amos quickly gains two violations after the High Island Council begins… read analysis of Amos Minnow Pea

Gwenette Minnow Pea

Ella’s mother and Amos’s wife. When the High Island Council begins banning the use of any letters on the tiles that fall from Nevin Nollop’s commemorative statue, Gwenette is initially able to… read analysis of Gwenette Minnow Pea

Tom

Professor Mannheim’s assistant and a key figure in pursuing Enterprise Thirty-Two. He and the Professor are the only ones remaining from the university to aid in the efforts to come up with a… read analysis of Tom

Professor Mannheim

A university professor who lives in Nollopton. He becomes a key figure in pursuing Enterprise Thirty-Two and he is able to come up with a 37-letter pangram. However, when he and his assistant, Tom… read analysis of Professor Mannheim

Rory Cummels

A market owner in Nollopville whose wife and daughters leave him to go to the United States. He then becomes romantically involved with Mittie and he helps with Enterprise Thirty-two. Eventually, however, the Council… read analysis of Rory Cummels

Agnes

Mittie’s friend who has a difficult time with the Council’s ban on writing or speaking any letters that fall from Nevin Nollop’s statue. Agnes confesses to Mittie that all she can do… read analysis of Agnes

Tanya

Another woman living in Nollopton whom Ella befriends after all her family members have left Nollop. Ella’s friendship with Tanya illustrates her need to connect with others in order to fight or staunch the oppression… read analysis of Tanya

Timmy Towgate

A student in Mittie’s second-grade class, and Georgeanne and Nash’s son. Timmy tells his parents about Mittie’s accidental use of the word “dozen” after the High Island Council bans the use of the… read analysis of Timmy Towgate

Nash Towgate

Georgeanne’s husband and Timmy’s father. When Tassie reaches out to the Towgates as to why they reported her mother, Mittie, for using banned letters, Nash writes back harshly. He asserts that they… read analysis of Nash Towgate

Harton Mangrove

One of the High Island Council’s five members. Harton is shown to be particularly corrupt, as he usurps the estate of a Nollopian whose family has been banished. At the end of the novel… read analysis of Harton Mangrove

Willy Creevy

A young man who lives in Nollopville and who quickly gains two offenses after the Council’s statutes banning the use of different letters begin. Tassie describes Willy as a “riotous, rule-flouting young man,” and… read analysis of Willy Creevy

Mr. Kleeman

The editor of the Island Tribune, the island of Nollop’s only newspaper. Mr. Kleeman quickly gains two offenses after the High Island Council bans the use of the letter “Z”, and Kleeman decides to… read analysis of Mr. Kleeman

Charles Rasmussen

The head of the Rasmussen family, whose members stage a demonstration during a Council meeting by wearing cartoon duck masks and quacking after the letter “Q” is banned. Charles and his entire family are then… read analysis of Charles Rasmussen

Minor Characters

Paula Mannheim

Professor Mannheim’s daughter, who becomes an orphan following his death and who stays with Ella for a time because there are no other relatives for her to live with on Nollop. Paula then leaves for the United States with Tanya.

Marigold Shropshire

One of the last remaining people on Nollop, who becomes a foster parent to the many children left behind. After Mannheim dies, Marigold sends Paula to live with Ella because she cannot take care of any more children.

Law Enforcement Brigade (L.E.B.)

The police corps on Nollop that enforces the High Island Council’s increasingly strict statutes. Over the course of the novel, the L.E.B. becomes more and more corrupt and oppressive toward the island’s citizens, ultimately shooting and killing Professor Mannheim for attempting to evade exile.

Ella Minnow Pea Characters