Eco-activism is a popular and necessary direction in society’s life when industry and people destroy nature. Richard Powers’ novel The Overstory is a gripping story about people who care about nature, precisely trees. All characters have their reasons to fight against the felling of trees, but they unite with a common goal of protecting them. In the first part of the book, the author describes nine people, and although it is not yet clear how their fates will intersect, many details tell about the action of characters in the future.
The first character that the author describes is Nicholas Hoel. Powers (2018) tells the story of his family and the planting of chestnuts by his great-great-grandfather, as well as the tradition of photographing the tree every month for several generations of men in the family. Nicholas is described as an empathetic young man who loves his family and spent time with his grandparents, and his vision of the world allows him to become an environmental artist. Nicholas is sympathetic and has a deep connection with trees, which becomes the basis of his art; however, he does not seem reliable because he generally has a relatively carefree lifestyle. The Nicholas tree is a chestnut, a symbol of his family and one of the first motives for choosing his profession. For this reason, it seems that his further interactions in the story will be empathetic and carefree, although in some cases, he will be able to show character and withstand difficulties, just as the chestnut survived for many years despite the blight spread.
The second character is Mimi Ma, the daughter of a Chinese migrant and engineer. The father had been showing his children national parks, so Mimi Ma loves nature and understands its value (Powers, 2018). She teaches engineering like her father and is a responsible student, although she is stubborn, self-confident, and independent. Mimi’s father commits suicide and leaves a scroll with an ancient verse and a picture of a mulberry tree, the same tree that grew in the backyard (Powers, 2018). This tree becomes the symbol of Mimi Ma. After her father’s death, the woman wants to honor his memory and save the trees in front of her work, which becomes the reason for her eco-activism. Thus, the traits of Mimi’s self-confidence and stubbornness show that her interactions with other characters will be just as direct and dominant.
Another character is Adam Appich, one of five children in the Appich family. Adam’s father planted a different kind of tree for each child, and Adam got a maple tree, which became his symbol and, in his opinion, suited him (Powers, 2018). As a child, Adam had no friends because he was sympathetic to nature but not to people. He enjoyed watching animals, especially ants, and believed that trees could speak. In general, Adam is sensitive and defenseless, as he was often offended by other children and his siblings and father, but at the same time, he “felt” the trees and what they wanted to say. At an older age, Adam becomes more social and less interested in nature, and also stubbornly achieves a place in college by writing an essay for the book’s author and professor, which demonstrates his pragmatism (Powers, 2018). These traits make him look even more like a maple, straight, bright, and calm, but with a sweet sap inside. These traits will affect his interactions with other characters, as, despite his pragmatism and resilience, he is still a sensitive and calm person.
The next chapter focuses on Ray Brinkman and Dorothy Cazaly, a married couple who are as far from the trees as possible. Their relationship does not begin in a typical way but with an audition for Macbeth (Powers, 2018). Dorothy shows herself to be a calmer and more pragmatic person, as although she can read people’s faces, she rarely shows tenderness and sympathy. Even when Ray asks her to marry him, she is unsure because she does not want to be dependent. This trait also reveals Dorothy’s unreliability, since her independence from people makes it easy to part with them. Ray is more empathetic and loving, and more reliable, although he can panic. Most of the couple’s initiatives come from Ray, including the idea of planting trees, which became the reason for the couple’s love of nature (Powers, 2018). In this chapter, the oak is most often mentioned; although it is not a prominent symbol, it still characterizes a couple with Dorothy’s pragmatism and independence and Ray’s reliability. These traits are likely to become the basis for interactions between characters, which will affect the development of the plot.
Douglas Pavlicek is another character whose life is associated with trees. One may note that Douglas is an adventurer, since at first, he participates in the experiment as a prisoner, then sings to the Vietnam War where he almost dies but survives because his parachute is stuck in a tree. During the experiment and the war, Douglas manifests his character traits unexpectedly, even for himself, for example, how he takes the status quo in most situations (Powers, 2018). This fact shows that he is not credible and can do what is best for him. This trait will be decisive for the plot and the interaction with other characters. However, Douglas is sympathetic because he wants to fix this problem when he sees the scale of deforestation, so he plants fir trees that become his symbol. Like fir, Douglas is tough, prickly, and confident, but he needs other people to feel comfortable. This trait also affects Douglas’s life and his interactions with other characters.
Neelay Mehta is a programmer who was inspired by a tree for his new project. Neelay’s father gave him a computer in childhood, which was the beginning of the boy’s programming hobby. After an accident that paralyzed Neelay’s legs, he became even more interested in programming and became a successful game creator (Powers, 2018). Neelay lives in a virtual world, so he has little empathy for others, although he stubbornly continues to give away his products for free. However, one day, Neelay saw the Queensland Bottle Tree and marveled at its beauty and nature in general, which is his expression of sympathy (Powers, 2018). This trait will be decisive for the development of the plot, as Neelay can significantly impact people through their games, even in protecting the environment.
Patricia Westerford is the most nature-loving character, since she admires and works with plants throughout her life. Patricia is full of sympathy for plants; however, people do not understand her because she is not interested in most material things. As a result, Patricia hides from people after her article on the social interaction in nature was criticized, as well as her reputation, so the woman becomes a ranger (Powers, 2018). Patricia seems to be creditable, as she does not wish anyone evil, but at the same time, she avoids most people and tries to protect nature from them, which should play a role in the development of the plot.
Olivia Vandergriff is a reckless and shameless student who wants to change her life because she does not live it fully. In a short chapter, Powers (2018) describes Olivia as an irresponsible young woman, as she uses drugs, goes to parties, and doesn’t care about her college studies. Besides, the girl divorces her husband after ten months of marriage, which was a mistake. However, it is difficult to say how the plot will develop because the chapter ends with Olivia dying from an electric shock (Powers, 2018). Since the author did not write that the girl was dead but “froze” the moment, it must play a significant role in the girl’s life and interaction with the characters in the future.
The analysis demonstrates that Powers encompasses a broad segment of the population in demographics and traits of their personalities. For example, a married couple, a young girl, a war veteran, a guy with a disabled leg, descendants of immigrants, and Americans are characters in this story. This feature allows the author to demonstrate that everyone can contribute to protecting nature regardless of gender, race, age, or physical impairments. In addition, the characters vary with their personalities; for example, Douglas, who seeks companions, or Olivia, who has an active social life, contrasts with Patricia, who avoids people. Nicholas, who is a free artist and pragmatic scientist Adam, is another example. However, the characters share some common traits and a common goal, which makes their further collaboration and common story possible.
In conclusion, although the first part of the story does not reflect future events, the characters’ description predicts their actions. In addition, the characters’ connection with nature sets the general theme of the story and shows its direction. However, since the chapters tell mostly about the past of the heroes and do not reveal all the details, the author has the opportunity to add unexpected plot twists.
Reference
Powers, R. (2018). The Overstory. Norton.