The Island of Missing Trees Part 6, Chapter 9: Fig Tree Summary & Analysis

The fig tree says that when she died, she floated aimlessly for a while. She saw herself from above, lying in a hospital in a coma as she watched Ada walk into the room with flowers. After the funeral, she decided to take refuge in the tree. She felt bad for the tree, which then fell inexplicably in love with her husband. Unlike the Daphne of myth, Defne sought refuge in a tree to hold onto love rather than avoid it. Defne says she metamorphosed into the tree to remain “anchored in love.” And she knows that any moment now, Kostas will come to dig her out of the ground. When she looks into his eyes, she’ll see both the remnants of Cyprus and the remains of their love.

Defne reveals that after her death, she metamorphosed into the fig tree, which explains the attraction the fig tree feels toward Kostas. The idea that Defne’s spirit animates the tree can also be seen as a way to explain Shafak’s decision to anthropomorphize the tree throughout the novel. By depicting the fig tree as having thoughts and feelings similar to a human’s, the novel is not arguing that trees operate or communicate similarly to humans but is instead arguing that the presence of Defne’s spirit in the fig tree allows the tree’s pre-existing thoughts and feelings to be translated in a way that is more readily understood by humans.

Active Themes

The Island of Missing Trees: Part 6, Chapter 9: Fig Tree Summary & Analysis