40 pages 1 hour read

Richard McGuire

Here

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Adult | Published in 2014

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Symbols & Motifs

Tree

On page 114, in 1775, there is a tall tree that extends past the upper limit of the page. At the base of its trunk is a small panel, dated 1564, that shows a small sapling. On page 116, the tall tree appears again, with a larger panel depicting a taller, yet still thin, tree in 1579. This tree is a motif that explores the theme of The Fluidity of Time, by layering panels of the tree’s growth over the mature tree. The overlay of these smaller panels over the tree on the page creates a narrative of growth over time, in which the tree matures in the same space over hundreds of years. While this suggests a chronological narrative, a panel on a later page provides a different view of that same spot. The tree does not survive into the 20th century, and where it once stood now stands the room. On page 124, a panel dated 2014 shows a potted plant in the space once occupied by the tree. The return of a plant to this space represents renewed growth in the same place, showing how, despite hundreds of years passing, a plant once again grows.