Ecotopia

In Ecotopia, one of the most prominent symbols is wood, and the trees wood comes from. In the article, “In Ecotopia’s Big Woods,” Weston writes, “Ecotopians regard trees as being alive in almost a human sense—once I saw a quite ordinary-looking young man, not visibly drugged, lean against a large oak and mutter, ‘Brother Tree!’” (58). The almost religious adoration most Ecotopians show for trees represents their respect and love for nature. If they see themselves as essentially animals, one link in the natural order, then trees are indeed just as vital and alive as Ecotopians. This respect for nature and the central role trees and wood play in Ecotopian society is never more apparent than when Weston writes that anyone wishing to use wood in construction must first arrange to do a period of “forest service” (55).This in turn reveals the importance Ecotopians place on knowing where materials come from, the processes of production, so that they are intimately intertwined in their ecosystem, rather than divorced from it.

In a more personal sense, trees are symbolic of Marissa, the person who most prompts and facilitates the dramatic shift in Weston’s character, from American to Ecotopian, since Marissa’s love of trees is such a prominent and integral aspect of her character.