The Power and Value of Communication

As the story explores various aspects of the power and value of communication, anchoring both plot and character development in that exploration, it contends that communication has power to transform and enhance the lives of those who engage in the process. This aspect of the story is primarily explored through the experiences of the story’s protagonist, Dr. Louise Banks.

The primary point to note about Dr. Banks, and her relationship with this theme, is that she begins the story already manifesting the positive values of communication. In many ways, she is defined by her commitment to the value and importance of language: she is a linguist, someone who has made the study and understanding of language, of communication, her life’s work. As such, she is someone who, on a bottom line level, strives to understand and be understood, to...