Firm Roots in the Midst of Change: The Significance of Trees in Modern English Fiction
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2024-01-23
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en
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In recently published literature, there seems to be an increase in the mention of and engagement with trees. While there have been some case studies with regards to trees in literary works, there has not yet been a study that examined a possible over-arching societal relation of the role of trees in recent publications. This thesis therefore examines how the representation of the tree(s) in literature from English speaking countries, published between 2018-2020, engage with that period’s societal issues of climate change, digitalism and the crisis of identity. Its method involves a close-reading of three novels (The Overstory by Richard Powers, Greenwood by Michael Christie and The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak) in which of the role of the tree is examined in relation to the societal issues mentioned above. Alongside the close-reading, this study will also include an engagement with artistic research, as every chapter will include a visual representation that examines the relationship between the human and the tree in the primary works. The close reading and the artistic research show that the tree functions as a symbol for predictability, connection and stability as opposed to the human challenges of unpredictability (climate change), loneliness (lack of meaningful connection) and instability (uncertain about the formation of identity). This leads to the conclusion that the trees in the novels form a counter-narrative to postmodern fragmentation and that the hopeful projection of trees adjacent to the human concern in the novels is a possible expression of Metamodernism.
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Faculteit der Letteren