Elena's inspiration for Kevin?

[jonnyredleader]

A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
“There is prodigious strength in sorrow and despair.”

Charles Dickens

[wayfriend]

... and Dickens is quite correct, if you live in the Land.

Unfortunately, no one in the Land can read.

Perhaps it was Donaldson who was influenced?

[Savor Dam]

Unfortunately, no one in the Land can read.

Perhaps I missed something. Certainly, tales and most other cultural content seems to be conveyed via an oral tradition. However, how is whatever is in the First Ward (and the Second, once found) recorded, if not by written language which must be...read?

Yeah, I know...picky, picky, picky!

[wayfriend]

Ah, I referred to the old chestnut of whether or not they had writing in the Land. (Kevin's Wards being the only evidence that there might be. See Giant Writings for starters.) Alas, I thought it more of a wittier conversation starter than, "Elena could not have read any Charles Dickens, silly."

Anyway ... certainly Trell exhibited "prodigious strength" enough to demonstrate that Charles Dickens was on to something.

I don't think Kevin failed because Elena was wrong about Kevin being more powerful than ever due to sorrow and despair. I think she was wrong because even that much strength was still not enough. If Foul could be defeated by the people of the Land, the Creator would never have brought in Covenant.