Paint represents the destructive forces of isolation and betrayal. When the High Island Council first sets out its edicts banning the written or spoken use of letters that fall from Nevin Nollop’s commemorative statue, Georgeanne does not hesitate to report another woman, Mittie, for two violations. Rather than finding solidarity with neighbors as the Council’s regime grows more oppressive, Georgeanne takes solace in painting—an activity that does not require talking and can be done alone. But ultimately, when few people are left in Nollopville, Georgeanne recognizes the consequences of what she has done. She finds any paint she can and starts to paint her own body in her depression, which ultimately leads her to die of lead poisoning. Thus, the physical destruction caused by the lethal paint represents the emotional destruction caused by isolation and betrayal—not on upon others, but on oneself.
Paint Symbol Timeline in Ella Minnow Pea
