Characters

The most important characters in “Old Growth” by Lisa Alward are Gwyneth, as the main character, and her ex-husband, Ray. Ray’s realtor, Fern, and Gwyneth’s new husband, Ben also play some role in the story. Ray and Gwyneth's children, Cam and Jenna, are also briefly mentioned. 

For most of the story, Gwyneth seems to struggle with mixed feelings about Ray and their relationship. Their shared history still matters to Gwyneth, and although she wants to distance herself emotionally from Ray, she is apparently still drawn towards him.

The story suggests that Ray is immature and unreliable, but that he masks these flaws by thinking of himself as free and independent. However, he is emotionally dependent on Gwyneth. This ironically shows that Ray is not as independent as he would like to be. It could also suggest that he is not sure how to live his life without Gwyneth, because of their shared history, even though their relationship is now over.

You can find Gwyneth's and Ray's characterizations in the next pages.