1. INTRODUCTION
Since
the beginning of time, humans have maintained a profound connection to nature,
which is examined in The Overstory. At its core, Richard Powers’ novel
competently explores the firm bond between humans and trees. It is a
heartwarming story about the deep connection between people and trees and the
impacts of ignoring that connection. The interconnectedness of humanity and the
natural world is a central theme that is intricately woven throughout the
narrative. Powers employs various characters and their stories to illustrate
how human lives are deeply intertwined with trees and the broader ecosystem,
demonstrating that humans are not separate from nature, but are part of a
larger ecological system.
The
title of the novel, The Overstory, refers to the upper canopy of a tree,
a layer that covers all other inner layers responsible for the diverse chemical
activities that nourish a tree. The childhood experiences and the goals and
aspirations of the adult nine characters are all engulfed by their love for the
trees. Therefore, the trees become like an “overstory” layer, like a membrane
that compassionately embraces human lives. Additionally, Feith (2022, p.100)
explains the term “overstory” in several ways. First, it literally refers to
the top layer of leaves in a forest, which acts as a protective “roof” for the
trees and wildlife below. This layer is crucial for the health of the forest
ecosystem, providing shelter and support. Second, in storytelling, an overstory
signifies the main narrative encompassing all other smaller stories. These
smaller narratives serve as supporting elements that push the plot forward and
help convey the central message or moral of the main story.
The
Overstory
illustrates the interconnectedness between certain ancient trees and the life
choices and actions of particular characters. In the novel, nine characters
each have unique relationships with trees, symbolizing various aspects of the
human experience. These connections illustrate how nature influences their
identities, choices, and personal growth, highlighting the diverse ways
individuals relate to the environment. These characters all experience radical personal
transformations, and trees come to play an essential role in their lives from the
time of their grandfathers. The stories of each character show how trees not
only influence their identities and decisions but also act as a potent reminder
of how intertwined all life in the ecological environment is.
2. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
This
study cultivates ecocriticism as an appropriate theoretical approach to analyze
The Overstory, which portrays humanity’s connection to nature and its
impact on the characters throughout their lives. Another reason for choosing
ecocriticism is its focus on the positive impact of trees on both individuals
and the environment, emphasizing their role in providing support and balance. William
Rueckert first employed the term ecocriticism in his 1978 work Literature
and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism (Nahdhiyah et al., 2023, p. 2). Then,
the term “ecocriticism” appeared in the recent book The Ecocriticism Reader:
Landmarks in Literary Ecology (1996), edited by Cheryll Glotfelty and
Harold Fromm. According to Cheryll Glotfelty, ecocriticism is “the study of the
relationship between literature and the physical environment” (Glotfelty, 1996,
p. xix). She claims that the central concept of ecological critique is that
“human culture is connected to the physical world, affecting it and affected by
it” (p. xix). Thus, ecocriticism examines the strong
links between human beings and the natural world, including vegetation. Moreover, in Ecocriticism
(2004), Greg Garrard explores the relationship between humans and the
non-human world (nature) as expressed through what he describes as “large scale
metaphors” throughout history. He describes different tropes (metaphors), such
as wilderness, apocalypse, pastoral, dwelling, animals, and earth, arguing that
they possess “certain political effects or serve specific social interests”
(Garrard, 2004, p. 8). That is to say, how humans talk and interact with nature
affects political decisions and can favor certain groups or beliefs.
Lawrence
Buell, a well-known eco-criticism thinker, criticizes anthropocentrism and
advocates for an ecocentric viewpoint, emphasizing nature’s intrinsic value
beyond human benefit. Anthropocentrism is the belief that humans are the center
of existence. This definition can be slightly improved to state that humans are
the source of all meaning, have a special place in the universe, and/or are
privileged in comparison to other entities (Droz, 2022). In his book The
Environmental Imagination: Thoreau, Nature Writing, and the Formation of
American Culture (1995), he criticizes human-centered narratives and
advocates for a better understanding of the human relationship with nature.
According to him, the “real challenge for environmental literature is to create
a sense of place where the human and nonhuman are inextricably linked” (Buell,
1995, p. 50). This means that demonstrating the interdependence and influence
between humans and nature is a major problem for environmental literature. It highlights
the importance of conveying a sense of shared responsibility for the well-being
of human populations and the environment.
Most
of the literary critics who employ eco-criticism attempt to explore vital
issues related to the role of the natural environment in literary studies;
Nature is portrayed in literary works in a variety of ways, the natural
landscapes are significant, literary values can be a reflection of ecological
knowledge, environmental metaphors influence people’s perceptions of the
natural world. The ideas and subjects of writing about nature are frequently
different from those of other literary genres. The classification of popular
and current literature is influenced by environmental criticism. Essentially,
nature and literature have a complex relationship that highlights the delicate
connection between literary expression and the environment (Nahdhiyah et al.,
2023, p. 3).
3. Richard
Powers’ The Overstory: Trees Being the Most Esteemed Companions to
Human Beings
Richard Powers’ The Overstory, the 2019 Pulitzer
Prize for Fiction winner, is a profound and complex novel that presents nine
characters
as
they unveil their deep connection to a specific type of tree. The novel is
divided into four chapters, mirroring the parts of a tree. These four chapters
are Roots, Trunk, Crown, and Seeds. The first chapter is called Roots. It is
like an introduction to the novel. This first chapter is divided into nine
sections, each is named after one of the main characters in this novel. These
characters are Nicolas Hoel, a descendant of Norwegian emigrants, Mimi Ma, the
daughter of a Chinese emigrant, Neelay Mehta, whose father is Gujarati, an
Indian emigrant, Adam Appich, who will become a psychologist, Patricia
Westerford, who will become a dendrologist, Olivia Vandergriff, a reckless college
student who spends her time on partying and leading an immature life, Douglas
Pavlicek who seems to lack a certain goal in life and the couple, Dorothy and
Ray, who are shaped more by their life experiences as adults than by their
backgrounds or origins (Birat,
2024, p.82).
The second chapter, Trunk, follows these nine characters as they grow up,
striving for the survival of the forest in their conservation activism. In the
Crown chapter, the characters who become environmentalists now face loss due to
nature’s degradation against logging companies. However, in the final chapter,
Seeds, there is hope because the characters gain knowledge about the importance
of nature, suggesting that restoration and new beginnings are still possible.
In The
Overstory, various types of trees are not just background scenery; they
play a central role in the story’s development alongside the humans. They are
living entities as they communicate and send messages to warn each other through
certain chemicals. Their interactions have a significant impact on each other,
influencing their realities in ways that lead to lasting changes. The novel portrays
a complex ecosystem that encompasses all living and non-living elements,
ranging from tiny organisms to large species. The importance of each element in
this ecosystem isn't based on its size or how humans categorize it, but rather
on its contribution to life on Earth (Ostalska, 2022, p. 290). Moreover, the
personal stories and troubles of the nine characters center around one theme,
which is their love for the forest and the urgent need to rescue it from the
appalling perils of being destroyed.
Nicholas
Hoel is associated with the history of the chestnut tree in western Iowa.
Nicholas Hoel’s family has cared for this specific chestnut tree for over a
hundred years. The novel seductively narrates how Nicholas’ great-grandfather
finds six chestnut seeds in his pocket the day he proposes to his wife and
decides to plant them on a hill. Only one grows into a huge tree that gradually
becomes a landmark for the town dwellers, as they call it “a sentinel tree”
(Powers,2018, p.12). Wood
(2025, p.2) emphasizes
that the American chestnut tree was once very common in the eastern United States,
but tragically, these trees faced extinction due to a serious disease. This
blight killed about four billion American chestnut trees during the first half
of the 1900s, leading to changes in the ecosystem in southern Appalachia.
Therefore, the efforts of Nicholas’s grandfathers to grow chestnut trees
underline the human responsibility to protect the forest and highlight the
determined will of the Hoel family to counter the extinction of the chestnut
trees (Rekha & Vyas, 2024, p.93).
As a
child, Nick, short form of Nicholas, has always been captivated by the family’s
massive chestnut tree and their long-standing tradition of capturing monthly
photos of it “He decides, for whatever years are left to him, to capture the
tree and see what the thing looks like, sped up to the rate of human desire”
(p.12) The family take the picture from the same spot and the same hour each
month, even in rain and snow and killing heat. This habit evolved into a
“ritual devotion” (p. 12) for the Hoel family members, as each generation
passed it down to the next. According to Manaf et al. (2024, p. 4924), the
ritual of taking pictures of the chestnut tree reflects the family’s strong
connection to nature, specifically to trees. The firmly maintained tradition of
taking monthly photos of this tree symbolizes the legacy the Hoel family leaves
to the younger generation to cherish and be proud of. Nguyen (2022, p. 35)
discusses that Hoel’s intergenerational photography project elicits a sense of
revelation as individuals flip through a stack of monthly photographs. These
heaps of photos of the same tree delineate changes in the chestnut tree that
humans generally overlook. The initiative serves as a tool for bridging the gap
between human time, measured in days and months, and tree time, which is much
slower and more gradual
Furthermore,
Nick is constantly fascinated by the beauty of the chestnut tree and the
memories he has about this tree. When he is enrolled in art school in Chicago,
he focuses on making sculptures and drawings influenced by various types of
trees, especially the family’s chestnut tree. It is evident that for Nick, this
tree is his most valued heritage from his ancestors “the chestnut his gypsy
Norwegian great-great-great-grandfather planted, one hundred and twenty years
before” (p.21). This is the chestnut tree that was
planted 120 years ago by his great-great-great-grandfather. He had both gypsy
and Norwegian background. The tree shows a strong connection between the family
and nature over many years
The
second section of the chapter Roots is entitled Mimi Ma. The protagonist is an
American-Asian girl with an intense attachment to the natural environment.
Mimi’s Chines father brought with him when he first landed in the United States
seeds of the mulberry trees. The author dexterously portrays the joyful time
Mimi and her two sisters enjoy under the mulberry tree in the backyard garden:
“Mimi, the firstborn, nine years old, sits among the fruit spatters with her
little sisters” (p.33). The little girls enjoy the sweet fruit that falls from
the huge mulberry tree “like a raisin” (p.34). A sudden, vague disease catches
the most cherished tree. Though it dies, it remains firmly rooted in the garden
to witness the suicide of the father under this tree. The novel narrates the
feeling of Mimi as she sits under the mulberry tree:
She sits under the diseased mulberry. Wind
slaps at the coarse-toothed leaves. Wrinkles score the bark, like folds in the
arhat’s faces. Her eyes sour with animal confusion. Even now, every square foot
of ground is stained with fruit, fruit stained, the myths say, with the blood
of a suicide for love (Powers, 2018, p.43).
Here,
the dead trunk of the tree becomes a symbol of the death of her father. The
diseased tree represents her grief and the breakdown of her family life. The
“stained” fruit signifies both the sweetness of former memories and the tragedy
of loss. Those once-sweet fruits are now stained with blood. Likewise, her
growing understanding of the interdependence of all species and the pressing
need to preserve these essential ecosystems is reflected in her transformation
into an enthusiastic tree advocate. By fusing her own experiences with a more
general dedication to environmental sustainability, Mimi exemplifies
ecofeminism throughout her journey (Gandotra & Agrawal, 2020, p.5).
Being
deeply bonded to a tree is a theme that is delineated throughout the character
of Adam Appich and his siblings. When each child is born, the father plants a
tree for him or her “Leigh’s elm, Jean’s ash, Emmett’s ironwood, and Adam’s
maple” (p.50). Surprisingly, each of those children inherits the qualities and
features of the trees with which they are related. The sharp mind of Adam
interprets this firm connection to the trees: “Leigh is droopy, like her elm.
Jean is straight and good. Emmett’s ironwood- look at him! And my maple turns
red, like me” (p.51). The young boy intelligently compares Leigh to a drooping
elm tree, implying that she is depressed, while Jean is regarded as straight
and powerful as the ash tree, demonstrating her inner strength and stability.
Emmett is like an ironwood tree; he is tough and dependable. Finally, he refers
to his maple tree, which is red like his shy face.
His
speculations about the trees and their human counterparts come true when Leigh
goes missing after her elm dies and Aam’s personality starts resembling that of
the maple “he made himself into a maple-familiar, frank, easy to identify”
(p.63). Birat (2024, p.85) articulates that Powers expertly uses the trees as
metaphors for human nature and personal qualities. This strategy enhances the
narrative and allows characters to connect with the vegetation and,
particularly, the trees. Hence, the form and features of the trees become the
best representation of the characters’ emotional and psychological traits.
Adam
innocently perceives that his and his siblings’ fate depends on the conditions
of the trees they are affiliated with. That is why he suggests to his father to
be careful in selecting a tree for the coming baby. He advises his father
“Daddy. We have to pick right. We can’t just choose” (p.52). The discussion
ends with choosing the black walnut, which is on sale. The walnut tree arrives
with its roots wrapped in burlap. Before the father places the roots in the hole,
Adam jumps into the hole to free the roots from the burlap that might suffocate
them. The little boy believes that if the tree is suffocated, the baby might
arrive suffocated too. In his attempt to free the tree from the entanglement of
the burlap, the log falls on Adam, causing him severe pain:
“Dad,
stop! That cloth. The tree is choking. Its roots can't breathe.”
His
father grunts and wrestles on. Adam pitches himself into the hole to prevent
the murder. The full weight of the root ball comes down on his stick legs and
he screams. His father yells the deadliest word of all (. . . ). There the boy
lies face down on the concrete, howling, not for his pain, but for the
unforgivable crime inflicted on his brother-to-be’s tree (Powers, 2018, p.52).
Adam
terrifyingly anticipates that if the walnut tree can’t breathe, his brother
might not breathe, too. His willingness to risk his life for the tree testifies
his faith in the profound connection between human beings and trees. Adam
exhibits a profound emotional attachment to the trees, holding the belief that
any harm inflicted upon them will result in detrimental consequences for human
beings.
In
the section entitled Ray Brinkman and Dorothy Cazaly, those two characters are
introduced together as “two people for whom trees mean almost nothing” (p.67).
They cannot differentiate an oak from a linden. Ray is a property lawyer who is
infatuated with Dorothy, a stenographer for his company. She agrees to go out
with him if he acts alongside her in the play Macbeth. He plays Macduff, and
she plays the role of Lady Macbeth. Ray plays Macduff, wearing oak branches
moving up the stage and attacking Macbeth.
For three nights
running, Macduff and his men, kitted out as trees, help the forest migrate from
Birnam Wood all the way to Dunsinane. Trees actually journey across the stage.
Oak, hearts of oak, armies and navies of oak, post and lintel of the house of
history. The men hold great branches…(Powers, 2018, p.69).
This
is the first time that Ray learns about the role of nature in determining man’s
destiny, as with the witches’ prophecy to Macbeth. The prophecy dictates that
Macbeth will be defeated when the Birnam Wood marches towards Dunsinane Castle.
Ray (Macduff) is described as someone with a “heart of oak”. According to Feith
(2022, p.101), trees can be apt metaphors for personal qualities, revealing the
firm connection between humans and the natural world. Ray is loyal and
trustworthy, like an oak. Thus, the straightforwardness of the oak trees
denotes honesty and decency for human beings. This reference to this scene in
the play Macbeth makes the trees as characters playing significant roles in the
defeat of MacDuff. Ray feels a weird impact while playing the role of a tree:”
Something is happening to me…that I do not understand” (p.70). The strange
feeling Ray harbors while acting as an oak tree grows into a passion for trees.
He, with Dortohy, decides to plant trees every year “Every year..., let’s go to
the nursery and find something for the yard...Not everything we plant will
thrive. But together, we can watch the ones that fill up our garden” (74).
On
the other hand, Dorothy is described as a linden, which is “a radical tree […]
a tree that cannot be mistaken for any other” (p.74). Linden trees have
specific features and forms that cannot be mistaken for any other type of tree.
In this respect, Dorothy’s personality is unique and stands quite differently
from any woman Ray might have known. This link between Ray and Dorothy, on one
hand, and the oak and linden trees, on the other hand, recalls the Greek
mythology of Baucis and Philemon. The myth relates that Baucis and Philemon
were the only ones in their village who welcomed two gods disguised as beggars
into their home. In appreciation for their hospitality, the gods bestowed them
with prosperity and allowed them to live long lives as linden and oak, growing
from the same root (Crews, 2003, p.40). With this accentuated suggestion of the
firm link between the two lovers, Ray and Dorothy, and the mythology of the
trees, the core idea is apparently expressed. The couple is anticipated to live
a long and joyful life together.
Douglas
Pavlicek is another character introduced in the novel who was leading a
purposeless life until he was rescued by a tree, which changed the direction
and purpose of his life. Douglas has joined the U.S. Air Force as a technical
sergeant. When his plane crashes in Thailand during the Vietnam War, a banyan
fig tree saves his life “His scream pierces the air, and his body tumbles into
the branches of the banyan, that one-tree forest that has grown up over the
course of three hundred years just in time to break his fall” (p.85).). He is
found by a group of pilgrims who have come to see the divine tree. When he asks
them if he is dead, they reply, a “Tree saved your life” (p.87). After this
traumatic accident, Douglas feels indebted to nature and gradually becomes
fascinated with the vegetation and forest life.
Douglas’s
transformation, which is caused by the sacred fig tree, is similar to the tree
of enlightenment or “Bodhi tree”, a divine fig tree under which Buddha
meditated on his journey to enlightenment (Sinha, 2023, p.24). Given its
connection to Buddha’s enlightenment, this sacred fig tree has given Douglas a
new awareness of the importance of vegetation and trees in the natural habitat.
This
change motivates Douglas to work to protect forest life assiduously. He
dedicates his efforts to conservation projects of planting seedlings and
propagating growth in barren lands. Tirelessly, he works on propagating timber
trees. This becomes the tree that he feels connected to, and whenever he plants
a timber tree, passionately, he speaks to it “You just have to outlast us.”
(p.93). His words reflect a deep hope that nature will endure beyond human
destruction. Douglas sees each tree as a living symbol of resistance and
renewal. Through his actions, he finds purpose and healing in reconnecting with
the earth.
Another
key character whose relationship to the natural world shapes his life is Neelay
Mehta, the son of an Indian immigrant. His passion and deep love for trees
inspired this young man to create video games based on tree structures. Neelay
suffers a back injury from an oak tree fall as a child, which leaves him
paralyzed from the waist down “Steps down onto the branch below him to descend.
And slips. There will be years to wonder whether the branches jerked. Whether
the tree had it in for him” (p.105). Being a genius in software programs, he is
enrolled at Sanford University. The diverse types of trees in the campus of the
university trigger within Neelay a passion for forest life. Gradually, this
passion became his source of inspiration to create new computer games. One day,
while sitting in the courtyard of the campus, “He has an overwhelming feeling
of being watched. All these signaling, sentient beings knock him back in his
seat” (p.112). The trees around him seem to be sending him a direct message, a
vision about a game of reality-like people and vegetation, a game that allures
millions of players from all over the world.
Neelay’s
virtual game world progressively takes on characteristics of a Baudrillardian
simulation. According to Feith (2023, p.112), Jean Baudrillard argues that new
media and computer simulations would drastically alter the nature of signs and
how they relate to reality, resulting in a collapse of meaning in which the
picture itself takes on the role of reality. However, in the story of Neelay,
computer simulations raise awareness of environmental disasters and the
problems affecting the natural world.
The
connection between science and vegetation is explored in the story about
Patricia Westerford. Since childhood, Patricia has enjoyed a high sense of
curiosity and keen observation skills. These abilities, along with her father’s
teachings about wildlife, set her apart from the other students in her class in
being able to name diverse species of trees and plants. She informs her father,
“Kids in my class think a black walnut looks like a white ash. Are they blind?
“Plant -blind. Adam’s curse,” he answers. The father refers to the inability of
the majority of people to identify different kinds of trees as “plant
blindness”. Such ignorance might be owing to the contention that animals’ lives,
to be studied and learn about, are more important than plants’ lives.
Patricia
has a strong connection to and passion for a beech tree. With the help of her
father, they both grow and propagate varied species of beech trees on their
farm. As a young college girl, Patricia joins the Forestry school. Owing to her
profound affection for trees and vegetation, her colleagues bestow on her the
labels “Plant-patty” or the “Queen of Chlorophyll” (p.121). In her seminal book
The Secret Forest, Patricia explains that plants are social beings;
trees and plants communicate with one another through chemical signals to warn
of danger or to advice about a coming drought. Through displaying varied
experiments, Patricia testifies to the fact that all living creatures
originally come from one species “You and the tree in your background come from
a common ancestor. A billion and a half years ago, the two of you parted ways”
(p.133). This insight challenges the common belief that humans are separate
from nature. Instead, it emphasizes that humans belong to an ancient and deeply
interconnected biological lineage.
The
firm connection between human beings and wildlife is dexterously depicted in
the story of Olivia Vandergriff. Olivia is a reckless and immature young woman
who shows no concern about trees “In front of her house is a singular tree that
once covered the earth- a living fossil…She has lived under the tree for a
whole semester and doesn’t know it’s there” (p.148). However, after having a
bathroom accident that nearly killed her, Olivia feels genuinely different.
She assumes she has been visited by mystical beings of light, and she wonders
what they want from her, “Someone spoke to her when she was dead…They showed
her something, pleading with her” (p.156).
This
near-death experience renders her a new person who is passionate about wildlife.
The voice she hears while unconscious says “You have been spared from death
to do a most important thing” (p.161). At first, the young girl could not
decipher what the “most important thing” that she should take responsibility
for was. But when she sees on the TV a group of activists chained around a
giant tree to protect it from being cut down, Olivia freezes as if something
whispers in her ears “This, this, this” (p.162). Hence,
Olivia realizes that she has a task ahead of her, which is to preserve nature
and the natural habitat. Olivia becomes an activist in nature conservation,
running projects that protect wildlife and the natural environment.
4. CONCLUSION
The
Overstory vividly
depicts the unique connection between humans and trees. In Adam's story, the
maple trees significantly shape his character, while Nicholas and Mimi’s
emotional bonds with their chestnut and mulberry trees reflect their ties to
their roots. Neely’s encounter with an oak tree sparks his creative development
of a virtual game that illustrates the unpredictable nature of human-tree
interactions. Patricia’s connection with a beech tree profoundly influences her
scientific endeavors, highlighting the interplay between knowledge and nature.
A banyan fig tree becomes a lifesaver for Douglas, showcasing nature's
nurturing and protective aspects. Moreover, Ray and Dorothy’s shift from
indifference to actively planting trees exemplifies how relationships can develop
and thrive. Lastly, Olivia’s near-death experience transforms her into a
determined individual committed to forest conservation. The narratives of these
nine characters emphasize the strong bond between humanity and nature,
particularly trees. Collectively, these tales highlight the deep
interconnectedness of human and natural worlds, especially regarding trees. The
characters’ journeys illustrate that trees are not just passive
fixtures; they play an essential role in shaping identity, memory,
purpose, and growth. Powers encourages readers to rethink the lines between
human and non-human lives, challenging anthropocentric views and promoting an
ecocentric mindset. Ultimately, The Overstory asserts that human and
tree existences are not merely parallel but deeply intertwined, suggesting that
human survival, identity, and moral purpose are fundamentally connected to the
health and continuity of the natural world.
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