Powers effortlessly shrinks and expands time, allowing characters’ stories to unfold alternatively from the viewpoint of trees and humans. This absence speaks for the anthropocenic concern of the future of ecosystems. Powers stresses the resilience and longevity of the chestnut tree that has witnessed the lives of many Hoel family members, while acknowledging the absence of other chestnut trees that could have grown from the seeds planted by the Hoel family. Through the Hoel family’s tradition to keep photographic evidence of their tree, Powers reminds readers to dignify regularly overlooked, yet incredibly valuable natural resources. In that context, Powers writes: ‘If (y)our mind were only a slightly greener thing, we’d drown you in meaning.' The use of active voice of trees appears to respond to two main anthropocenic challenges, namely the overwhelming under-appreciation of trees and apathy toward ecological degradation. Powers adopts the point of view of trees, as evidenced through tree monologues and events that unfold on the timeline of trees. In an effort to highlight their immesurable contribution to the upkeep of ecosystems, trees are depicted in an active voice. In the Overstory, trees are more than romanticised backdrops to human activities. It focuses on the life of trees and tree enthusiasts and delivers a wake-up call to conserve nature, in light of anthropocenic transitions. Richard Powers' Pulitzer-winning novel T he Overstoryforms part of the emerging genre of climate fiction, or cli-fi .
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |