Little tree is the narrator in the book. This is evident due to the fact that the narration is in the first persons. Through the narration of the author, two main themes are evident which are life and culture. Little tree is a name that describes a five year old boy who as a result of his parent’s death is raised by his grandparents. The setting of the area from where the boy is raised is mountainous.
The book depicts little tree as an exciting child who is willing to learn all he can from his grandparents. Little tree does not provide his thoughts but rather recounts his observation of the events as they unfolded. He therefore describes what he observes. The boy is also portrayed as a respectful person who at all times is prepared to learn. This aspect is apparent from his inquisitive nature. The presence and description of little tree is imperative since the whole book is focused on him.
The life story sets in motion by a description of little tree’s parents and their demise. This, he explains, happened while he was of tender age and the circumstances made him move to his Cherokee Indian grandparent’s residence. The grandparents are depicted as civilized yet they also retained their stereotype which is apparent at some parts of the story. However, the typecast is well illustrated by the fact that they opted to retain their log cabin dwelling in the mountains. This is where little tree is also raised.
The grandfather is depicted as a tall older person. He shows his knowledge with regard to wilderness by the fact that he teaches the little boy to pay attention to the forest and foresee the acts of animals. The grandmother on the other hand is portrayed as civilized in the sense that she is able to read to the grandfather and little tree thereby providing book comprehension to both. The little tree provides information of his joyful early days with his grandparents and the valuable education regarding the Cherokee heritage which he received from his grandfather and his occasional guests.
The fact that the novel is written in the form of a life account brings to the fore the significance of simple livelihood, the devotion to nature as well as the importance of tradition. Other important lessons learnt from the grandparents include the agricultural practices, mountain life, civilization, character, making of whisky, importance of being independent minded and many other societal values. All this happened from the age of five to ten. During this period, the boy had many interactions with strangers including politicians, Christians, and city slickers who also offer great insight to little tree’s lessons which are provided in the book in many interesting ways.
Subsequently, the state compels little tree to join a residential school. However, he only spends a few months in the institution. During his stay, little tree goes through many challenges consisting of discrimination and lack of knowledge from the school caretakers especially with reference to persons of the Indian origin. The boy is the rescued from the situation by a Native American friend of little tree’s grandfather who recognizes that the boy is unhappy therefore demanding that he be withdrawn from the school.
The interesting nature of the story is achieved through the syntactic approaches. The syntactic styles are provided through short opinions which begin with the phrases and words for instance ‘which is reasonable’. At the ending the book, the momentum is amplified considerably and the information gradually fades away. The little tree experiences the demise of his grandfather and his ally Willow John. The death of both is caused by natural death and the grandmother also passes on peacefully at home. Little tree moves to the western region. He works in farms in exchange for refuge and food rations. The chronicle ends after one of the hounds belonging to the late grandfather die. The hound was the very last companion of the little tree.
Conclusion
With regard to the fore going, the utilization of the first person’s tone in the fiction gives a better understanding to the reader. The first persons unfolding of the book provides the reader with very vivid images in the mind of a reader. Such technique in writing helps readers to relive the encounters of the writer. Further, when reading the narrative, it gives readers an impression of a text written by a young boy. The way the events unfold in the novel is reminiscent of a personal diary it takes the mind of the reader to the time little tree was growing up under the guardianship of his grandparents.
Further, from the point of view of little tree at the time he was in growing up at the Appalachian Mountains, is that the natural world is communicating to him. He believes that environment is transmitting some messages and warmth to him. This is further confirmed by the fact that his grandparents have Cherokee heritage and therefore suppose that the natural world aim to bond with those who are living. With regard to the characters used in the novel, they all make a great contribution to the overall theme of the fiction which is that of spirituality of Indians and naturalism. The novel has also made immense contribution to the Native American studies. For a fiction, the ending was properly crafted providing an aspect of suspense.
References
Carter, F., Strickland, R. (2008).The Education of Little Tree. University of New Mexico Press.
