Be Its Conscience The Eyes In The Trees Orleanna Analysis

The novel opens with an interesting request that seems to be directed towards the reader. “Imagine a ruin so strange it must never have happened. First, picture the forest. I want you to be its conscience, the eyes in the trees” (Kingslover p. 5). This directive is used to create a connection with the reader. A way that the reader can immerse themselves into the story with little effort. It is a simple request; imagine, yet with the beautiful language and imagery that the author uses it soon blossoms into a whole new world made from words. Not only does this directive cleverly introduce the reader to a whole new world, but it also makes the reader feel a part of it. When the narrator says “I want you to be its conscience, the eyes in the trees,” we immediately feel essential to the unfolding of this story. This directive is a brilliant way to engage …show more content…
Because she is speaking from a perspective after the fact, we can conclude that this story will be about tragedy, regret, and how one deals with grief. We already know that Orleanna regrets a lot of what happened and is trying to get it off her chest. In this way she deals with her grief as she retells the events leading up to the ruin of her past. The author chooses to have the girls speak in present tense to allow the reader to follow the aforementioned tragedies as they unfold. Because the girls speak in this manor, emotions are very vivid and accurately show how they feel in a particular moment.
This novel is made up of seven separate “books” which act as markers for turning points in the story. The first book in this seven “book” novel is titled “The Things We Carried.” As with many of Kingsolver’s names or titles, this one also contains a clear and distinct meaning behind it. Just from the title alone it is made obvious that this section of the novel will be about the things they brought with them to the