Andrea Pecora

Mrs. Cramer
Comp I Pd. 4
5 March 2019
Along For The Ride: A Criticism of Mosquitoland by David Arnold
David Arnold’s Mosquitoland is a whirlwind of animated personalities and invigorating

happenings. This is his first novel, and explores how our daily lives are all ‘collections of

oddities’, as Mim Malone would put it. This novel utilizes the first-person point of view of

personable characters and an out-of-the-ordinary structure to impact a reader deeply, effecting

forever how they interpret the world around the m

Mosquitoland begins during modern times in Ashland, Ohio, and follows the main

character Mim (formally known as Mary Iris Malone) as her family is torn apart by sickness.

After being told the “Breaking News” as Mim calls it (news of her mother and father’s divorce),

Mim’s father whisks her off to Mississippi, hoping to start a “perfect” family with the woman he

met at a Denny’s. Mim lives here for a while, kept by a regiment of anxiety and depression

medication, before catching word that her mother has become terminally ill after the divorce.

One factor that we know about Mim’s character is that she holds her mother in a light of

adoration and love. Because of this, when Mim hears that her mother is terminally ill, she is

driven to go find her mother and be there in her time of need, and one day during school Mim

takes off. She takes with her a bookbag filled with food, clothes, her medication (which serves as

a pivotal choice every day for Mim), her phone, and a coffee can full of money she had stolen

from her father.

Jumping on a Greyhound bus, Mim sets off from the “mosquitoland” of Mississippi to

where her mother is in Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout the journey, Mim meets odd characters and
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discovers herself, growing through all the situations she is faced with and learning what she is

meant to be. She keeps a diary full of ‘letters’ addressed to her unborn sister Isabel, which is full

of advice, life events, and musings. However, the overarching theme of finding her mother is

kept by Mim reaching her by Arbor Day (their favorite holiday). Upon arriving, Mim finds that

her mother isn’t terminally ill, but is simply in rehab for her mental illness.

The biggest draw of this book is the quotability and relatability of the characters. From

the unbridled spunk of Mim to the endearing naivety of Walt, it is truly a mosaic of contrasting

colors. Looking at this piece of literature through the eyes of the reader, the true personability of

the characters can be glimpsed. It is most clearly seen through the main character Mim, who’s

deep and quirky thinking provides great insight to, well...life.

Throughout the book, Mim keeps a diary of her travels, marking dates, distances, and

events to someday give to her unborn sister Isabel. In one of these entries, she ponders that;

“Every great character [is] multidimensional.” (Arnold 2015, pg 6), going on to say that one

person cannot be wholly good or bad, and if this is so, they should not exist. (Arnold 2015, pg 6).

She continues, giving her sister a warning of sorts as she begins her trip, this being one of her

earliest diary entries. After a bit of rambling, Mim makes the statement that “...though [she] is

not a villain, [she] is not immune to villainy.” As the reader, this statement sticks out and impacts

how the character is perceived, while also relating back to our personal lives as well. People are

not inherently good or bad – they are a collection of the two, a constantly fluctuating mixture of

motives and morals.

However, it is not just the main character that has such profound thoughts. The secondary

main character, Beck van Buren (the “love interest” of Mim) states deep and poetic ideas, putting

a twist on a well-known saying. While relaxing for the few seconds they have, Mim and Beck
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have a conversation that leads to them talking about old things. Mim says “I like old things...it’s

all just proof of a live lived well.” to which Beck replies. “Or maybe it’s proof of a life,

well...lived.” (Arnold 2015, pg 210) In putting emphasis on this one word, the character changes

the entire meaning, interpretation, and impact of this statement (which, let’s face it, could have

been super tacky if used in its typical context). Overall, these character’s bizarre mental

processes give the reader an entirely new view on seemingly ordinary and even cliché sayings,

meanings, and implications. In some ways, Arnold has found a way to shape a new reality for

whoever reads this novel by changing the definitions of overused and faded expressions.

While the characters are a major factor in the effect of this novel, the structure Arnold

uses is also a large reason why Mosquitoland is hugely impactful. He writes this book from

Mim’s first-person perspective, along with breaking up scenes of dialogue and action with diary

entries by the main character. This format could easily become cliché, but the author uses it

expertly to not only give the reader a glimpse into the main character’s mind (and thus motives),

but also to reveal her past slowly throughout the book. This keeps the reader on their toes and

creates tension to which the characters respond and deepen by.

One of the main influences on Mim’s life is her mother Eve, which is alluded to in bits

and pieces of dialogue, but is fully revealed to the reader through the diary entries and internal

thoughts and flashbacks of Mim. Such as the resounding advice that Eve gave to her young

daughter; “Have a vision Mary, unclouded by fear.” (Arnold 2015, pg 100), these such ideas and

events would not be seen if the novel was not written in the first-person POV that it is. And as

the book continues, there is more information revealed about Mim and her mother’s past – their

search for the Young Fun Now, their past of mental illnesses, and the BREAKING NEWS of her

parent’s divorce. (capitals intentional, as this is how Mim always writes it in her entries). All of
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these details which are crucial to the impact of the plot’s events are given through Mim’s

thoughts, and would be inaccessible any other way.

Overall, this book’s impact can be felt heavily by an invested reader. The writing style of

David Arnold, alongside the structure he uses and the multidimensional characters he is able to

convey, makes for a truly invigorating read. It withstands a variety of literary criticisms, as it is

filled with controversial subjects that invoke strong responses from all who read it. The

experience Mosquitoland gives its readers is unique, and leaves a long-lasting impact on the

reader in every aspect of life thereafter.

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Works Cited
Arnold, David. Mosquitoland: A Novel. New York: Viking, Published by the Penguin Group,

2015. (Accessed March 2019)