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. He enjoyed watching animals, especially ants, and believed that trees could speak. As a child, Adam had no friends because he was sympathetic to nature but not to people. 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). Thus, the traits of Mimi’s self-confidence and stubbornness show that her interactions with other characters will be just as direct and dominant.Īnother character is Adam Appich, one of five children in the Appich family. 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. 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). She teaches engineering like her father and is a responsible student, although she is stubborn, self-confident, and independent. The father had been showing his children national parks, so Mimi Ma loves nature and understands its value (Powers, 2018).

The second character is Mimi Ma, the daughter of a Chinese migrant and engineer. 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 Nicholas tree is a chestnut, a symbol of his family and one of the first motives for choosing his profession. 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.

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. 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. The first character that the author describes is Nicholas Hoel.

The overstory sparknotes