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The Overstory


"Monumental… A gigantic fable of genuine truths."—Barbara Kingsolver, The New ...
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Doug asks Adam, "What were we hoping to accomplish? What did we think we were doing?" How do you think the various characters would answer this?

Created: 07/26/19

Replies: 3

Posted Jul. 26, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Doug asks Adam, "What were we hoping to accomplish? What did we think we were doing?" How do you think the various characters would answer this?

Doug asks Adam, "What were we hoping to accomplish? What did we think we were doing?" How do you think the various characters would answer this? Did their actions have any lasting impact or were they ultimately futile?


Posted Aug. 06, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
paulak

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 264

RE: Doug asks Adam, "What were we hoping to accomplish? What did we think we were doing?" How do you think the various characters would answer this?

Each character develops a deep connection to nature, and specifically to trees, but from very different vantage points. Each of them help us develop a greater appreciation for trees, whether as a marriage ritual with Ray and Dorothy or as an electronic version with Neelay. In turn, this love of trees connected the characters to each other much as trees share a root system.


Posted Aug. 07, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
susiej

Join Date: 10/15/14

Posts: 363

RE: Doug asks Adam,

In each his own way, the characters connect to nature, particularly the genus of trees, and share their awareness, love, and concern for it with their world - just as the author is hoping the readers of this work will hear and understand his concern for trees and what is happening to them in and among our culture and society today. He uses his various characters to present and hopefully convince his readers of the need for more action - and the characters all do so in unique ways - some write, some become activists, some internalize. In like manner, readers will do the same.


Posted Aug. 21, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
MarieA

Join Date: 10/12/11

Posts: 256

RE: Doug asks Adam, "What were we hoping to accomplish? What did we think we were doing?" How do you think the various characters would answer this?

I think they were intent on trying to show how important saving the forest and its inhabitants was for future generations even though they put themselves in jeopardy. In his own literary way, Powers is asking his readers how they will contribute to the goal of preservation in their own ways.


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