The Overstory Symbols

The Hoel Chestnut Tree

The Hoel family chestnut tree symbolizes the passage of time; humanity’s destructive power against nature; and the potential for storytelling and art to make a positive change in the world.

When Jørgen Hoel moves from…

Mastery

Mastery, the first major online game that Neelay Mehta creates, represents the human need to endlessly grow and consume, as well as just how unsustainable this practice is in the long term. As a…

The Three Jade Rings

The Ma family’s three jade rings symbolize the passage of time and how it can be perceived differently by different beings. The rings first appear when Ma Shouying gives them to his son Ma Sih…

Seeds

Throughout The Overstory, seeds represent hope for future life and new growth, as well as resiliency and adaptation in the face of disaster.

Seeds feature prominently in several characters’ storylines. The book begins with…