Nature

Certain motifs in the novel serve to explore the connections and separations between humanity and nature, for although humans come from nature, they also have a will that often seems to function counter to natural processes. Despite the fact that Ada and Father are not technically human, they symbolically function as humans in the context of this theme. For example, Ada comments, “But we’re from The Ground” (11), pointing out that she and Father are beings born/made from nature. However, they also exert a will over the same natural elements that created them: “Why’d the Burial Patch take so long to tame?” (56). These dynamics parallel the fact that humans are created by natural processes, and yet humans often focus their exertions on altering natural processes for their own gain. Ultimately, these dynamics reflect the paradoxical connections and tensions between humans and nature.

Additionally, the...