The oak tree in Valerie’s backyard symbolizes multiple concepts. The narrators describe how the community was first started when a newly liberated Black girl had been traveling with her father when she died giving birth beneath the tree. By sharing this story, the tree is turned into a symbol of the history of Oak Knoll, which was founded by liberated Black individuals.

The tree also symbolizes both the delicacy and the destruction of the environment. The root system of trees is large and complex, and while they can sustain some damage, the amount of trauma caused by Brad’s house and pool construction was more than the tree could bear. The tree serves as a reminder that people should remain cognizant of the environment surrounding them. What humans do has a profound impact on trees, and trees have a profound impact on the health of the environment.

To Valerie, the tree is a symbol of Xavier and her memories of him. When she looks at the tree, she is reminded of her life with Xavier. The dying tree must be cut down shortly after Valerie moves out of her home, and the destruction of the tree symbolizes Xavier’s death. As the old oak tree symbolizes Xavier’s youth and his death, the new oak trees that she plants at the farm symbolize Xavier’s 18 years of life.