Essay Questions

How does language emerge as one of the main themes in the novel Pod by Laline Paull?

Dolphins and other sea creatures have a specific way of communicating with one another. The language dolphins use to communicate is Ancient Pelagic, which they share with whales. For instance, Ea is a dolphin, but he understands the song of humpback whales. Language is critical in the survival of dolphins and other creatures because it enhances peaceful coexistence and political stability. Ea uses language to confront the callous political order of the Tursiops. Consequently, dolphins and other sea creatures use a unique ancestral language to advance their mission and ambitions as humans do.

Why does Google stand out as the most admirable character in Pod? G

Google is a male dolphin that has spent most of his life in the US Navy lab for experimental purposes. Google has not interacted with fellow dolphins for long because he lives in captivity. More often, Google is dragged into performing specific duties for the military. The most intriguing thing about Google is that he obeys his human handler and takes all instructions without hesitation. Google is proud of his work despite the manipulation humans put him through. When Google gets an injury, he is released to the wild. Google smiles on his way to the wild, makes friends, and joins a larger family of dolphins in the deep waters.

How do human beings endanger the lives of sea creatures?

The Pod is a fictional novel about how humans interfere with the serenity of sea creatures. Firstly, the author shows how the US Navy puts some dolphins in captivity to perform experiments. Secondly, humans have made the sea inhabitable because of the oil spillage from tankers, which endangers the lives of sea creatures. As a result, many sea creatures have died due to poisoning. The noise emitted by large ships also causes stress to sea creatures, especially dolphins and whales. There are also horrific scenes in the novel when many dolphins are crushed to death by a large ship.