Throughout the book, how do you see language used to communicate? To separate?

Lucy's mother points out that language is meant to communicate, not separate, which discourages Lucy from overusing her enormous vocabulary. Throughout the book, how do you see language used to communicate? To separate?

There are many different aspects of the use of language in this book. Lucy's love of words spills out with everyone she meets, but I think her mother discourages it in a community of limited literacy, so that she is not thought of in a negative way. Bert brings her own dialect and colloquialisms that entertain and delight the family. Then you have the cultural and ethnic differences - all coming together to enhance the book by making us think of how we communicate.

Language set both Bert and Lucy apart from others but in very different ways.

Both girls have totally different language skills, each uses their skills in a different way. Definitely an interesting aspect of the book to watch. The difference does seem to lessen as the book progresses.