The narrator and her mother are discussing how to handle their walnut tree. One of the options the narrator proposes is to sell the walnut tree and use its proceeds to clear their house mortgage. The narrator assumes that, even if they do not cut the walnut tree, one day it will be brought down by a storm, and it will likely fall on their house and destroy it and remember that the house will still be on the mortgage.
The narrator and her mother take time to consider all the options they have at hand before settling on one. The narrator’s mother knows they are under pressure to finish the house mortgage, but she does not allow that pressure to influence her decision. The narrator agrees and suggests they must be methodical on the issue before them and ensure they do the right thing.
Besides posing possible dangers to the house, the black walnut tree has other disadvantages. For instance, the tree has many branches and leaves that fall on the compound every day, making it difficult to do regular cleaning. On the other hand, this wall nut tree is symbolic, reminding the narrator and mother of the significance of farming. Now, this brings another complexion to this tree because it is its value is beyond an estimate. The narrator and her mother continue the debate on what they should do with the tree the whole night.
At night, the narrator dreams about her ancestors who moved to America from Europe for several years and worked so hard to plant trees to make the land green and productive. The ancestors filled their lands with trees and crops, making the land beautiful and productive. Now, the narrator realizes if together with her mothers decides to cut the tree, it will be a shame and disrespect to their ancestors. Another year passes, the walnut stands strong, and it continues to get bigger. As the tree grows, they get more pressure to pay the mortgage.
