Small Tree Case Study

At 13 years of age, Joe does not experience a gradual shift out of his childhood. The progression of summer strips his innocence, as he discovers that his mother was violently sexually assaulted and nearly murdered. During this brief period, his quest for both revenge and justice forces him to acknowledge the grey areas in the legal system and ultimately alter his views on morality and ideas of the law. This tragic event and the decisions he made as a result, catapult him into adulthood far earlier than should be asked of a child.
“Small tree had attacked my parents’ house at the foundation. They were just seedlings with one or two rigid, healthy leaves. Nevertheless, the stalky shoots had managed to squeeze through knife cracks in the decorative brown shingles covering the cement blocks … Whenever I succeeded in working loose a tiny tree, I placed it like a trophy beside me on narrow sidewalk that surrounded the house.” (Erdrich 1)
There’s an air of innocence surrounding Joe initially. He has a very black and white view on justice and he utilizes a very direct approach to address issues. In this situation, the young trees are the invaders and Joe is determined to physically to remove their presence and but it is a not a aggressive removal rather it is just matter-of-fact. In this scene, Joe and his father working in tandem to uproot the …show more content…
The murder is reminiscent of the introduction where Joe and his father are removing “small trees that [had] attacked [his] parent’s house at the foundation.” (Erdrich 1) In this case, Lark is the invader attacking the foundation and therefore it is Joe’s responsibility to remove him although this time around there is no feeling of triumph, just weariness. The invaders are no longer eliminated with care, with good intentions but rather with violence. This is the biggest example of Joe’s shift from childhood to adulthood and the cost was