Day 3

The Overstory Lesson Plan

Discussion of Thought Questions

  1. 1

    Discuss the narrative structure of today's reading.

    Trunk finds Powers’ characters starting to come together, most notably in the protests in the “timber wars” of the 1990s. Nick and Olivia, as well as Douglas and Mimi, forge relationships that are based on their common desire to protect the trees as well as, later, their affection for each other.

    Though Powers is undeniably focused on the “overstory” of the trees, he still cares about his human characters, and provides readers with meditations on what it means to be human, both the good and the bad (Douglas, tellingly, says the main question he’s interested in is, “What the Fuck Went Wrong with Mankind?”).

  2. 2

    How...

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