Themes and message

Moving on and emotional dependency

In “Old Growth” by Lisa Alward, Ray and Gwyneth are two ex-spouses who have apparently moved on after their divorce, which happened a long time before the events described in the story (ll. 59-60). Gwyneth is married to another man, Ben (l. 49), while Ray is pursuing his dream of living independently on an isolated property (ll. 55-57). Gwyneth refuses to criticize Ray and the property, probably as a way to emotionally distance herself from Ray (ll. 59-60). However, the two characters are still connected in various aspects of their lives, both from an emotional and practical point of view. For example, the fact that Gwyneth is still connected to Ray is suggested by her accepting his invitation to see the property, as this makes her feel like he cares about her (ll. 39-41). This further suggests that she likes the idea of Ray taking her feelings into consideration, highlighting her emotional dependency on him and his feelings towards her. Gwyneth also realizes that “He is as stuck as she is. Even now, he can’t make a move without turning back to see if she will stop him.” (ll. 15o-151).

Also, Gwyneth appears jealous, as she notices various details about Fern (l. 3) and Ray’s interactions with her (ll. 12-14). But, at the end of the story, she uses a metaphor to characterize Ray’s relationshi...