Birth/Creation

Creation is at the forefront of the novel, whether it be the literal creation of life, or the symbolic creation of relationships, albeit husband and wife, or parent and child. Lombardo explores the lifespan from birth to death, which runs in tandem with the symbolism of the ailing gingko tree. For Marilyn and David, the creation of their daughters stems from their love for one another, each a symbol of their passion. Yet they marvel at how different they are, and at one point Marilyn muses “Maybe normalcy skipped a generation, like baldness” (2). She fears as she observes her daughters, that "none of them seemed to be thriving" (2). Similarly, though David cares for the gingko tree and tries to prevent it from succumbing to illness, he cannot.

In contrast to her mother, Violet has an accidental pregnancy resulting in Jonah’s birth. Violet sees Jonah...