Pear (Afterward)

The pear tree is part of the Rosaceae family and has its origins in Europe. It has been cultivated there by people since ancient times and is nowadays one of the most important fruit trees in the world. The Europeans brought the pear to America as they started to settle there. The pear is apparently quite vulnerable to plant diseases (Britannica.com).

Because of the longevity of the pear tree, the Chinese connect pears with immortality. It is furthermore a Chinese tradition that couples, friends or lovers do not divide pears among themselves because the Chinese word for pear also means separation (Encyclopedia.com).

Due to the shape of its fruit, the pear tree is often connected to feminity. One might have heard that sometimes, the shape of a woman is described as that of a pear, meaning a normal chest and wide hips (Allaboutheaven.com). This belief is furthermore reinforced by the fact that in ancient Greece, the pears were sacred to the goddesses Hera and Aphrodite. Hera was the mother of the Olympian gods and the goddess of marriage and childbirth. At the same time though, Hera was jealous and vengeful (Wauters). Thus, the pear tree and especially its fruit are symbols of love, fertility, growth, insight, recognition, positivity, independence, comfort and forgiveness. Most importantly though, the pear tree is believed to be a guide that makes it easier to deal with difficult people (Brottrager).

In “Afterward” the pear tree is espaliered. Espaliering means that a tree is planted and that, as it grows, the branches are tied to the support. This is done again and again as the tree grows to give it a specific style (Baylaurelnursery.com). With support, it is meant that the tree needs something to be tied to, most commonly wire. What is essentially done, is that the freely growing tree is trained to grow in a specific pattern, appealing to its master. The pear is a good tree for espaliering due to its fast growth (Thevenot).

The symbolism of the espaliered pear tree in Edith Wharton’s “Afterward” could be the following: The pear tree symbolizes feminity, maybe Mary Boyne herself. Add to this the notion that the tree is espaliered. Espaliering means that the tree is not free, it is controlled, guided and shaped in a certain way. This could mean that Mary is not free, she is instead tied to her husband who has full control over her.

Image 1: Espaliered pear tree

Allaboutheaven.org. “Pear”. All About Heaven. All About Heaven.org. 15. June. 2019. https://allaboutheaven.org/symbols/pear_2/123

Baylaurelnursery.com. “Basic Guide For Espaliering”. Bay Laurel Nursery Fruit Trees Online. Bay Laurel Nursery. 15. June. 2019. https://baylaurelnursery.com/growing-fruit-trees/50-planting-guides/91-basic-guide-for-espaliering.html

Britannica.com. “Pear”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. 25. June. 2018. 15. June. 2019. https://www.britannica.com/plant/pear

Brottrager, Irmgard. “Der Birnenbaum: Wesen & spirituelle Bedeutung”. Everyday Feng Shui. Everyday Feng Shui Berlin. 15. June. 2019. https://www.everyday-feng-shui.de/der-birnenbaum-wesen-und-bedeutung/

Encyclopedia.com. “Fruit In Mythology”. Ecyclopedia.com. Ecyclopedia.com. 15. June. 2019. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fruit-mythology

Thevenot, Peter. “How-To Espalier Trained trees lend structural elegance to garden”. Fine Gardening. The Taunton, inc. 15. June. 2019. https://www.finegardening.com/article/espalier

Wauters, Laural Virtues. “Pear – Separation – Five of Fruit Trees (Cups)”. Tree Spirit Wisdom. WordPress.com. 15. June. 2019. https://treespiritwisdom.com/minor-arcana/fruit-trees-cups/pear/

Image 1: Espaliered pear tree: https://outofmyshed.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/espalier-pear-tree-in-bimham-2.jpg (Retrieved 15/06/2019)

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