All about the apple tree
An integral part of the American experience, “As American as Apple Pie” (which in truth is not American), the apple is nevertheless ubiquitous in U.S. culture. We put it in desserts, give it to our favorite teachers, wash our hair with its essence and put it in our lunches. So common, it’s easy to take the simple apple for granted, but it actually has a rather interesting history.
A Member of the Rose Family
Otherwise known as Malus domestica, the apple is a member of the Rosaceae family, and its siblings include the strawberry (Fraaria L.), the plum (Prunus L.), the pear (Pyrus L.), the blackberry (Rubus L.) and the rose (Rosa L.).
Common characteristics of this family include blossoms with a hypanthium (a floral cup on the flower), radial symmetry, 5 distinct petals, and many stamen and stipules (leaf-like structures).
Recent scholarship has shown that the modern apple we enjoy today started initially with the wild apple species M. sieversii that later intermingled with M. sylvestris.
How Apple Trees Make Fruit
On an apple blossom, the parts that turn into the fruit we eat (called the “pome”) are the “basal portions of the petals, calyx [sepals], and stamen [composed of an anther and filament] . . . fused into hypanthium tissue and attached to the ovary [which is] below [the other parts].”
Apples blossoms have to be fertilized, and each blossom has both male and female parts. The stamen, with its anther and filament, is male, while the ovary and stigmas are female.
Each apple’s life begins with a bud that slowly develops leaves, then a blossom. When the blossom opens, the stamen (with the pollen-rich anther) is exposed, as is the base of blossom where the nectar is located.
Bees and other pollinators seeking out nectar brush against the anther and inadvertently pick up pollen. As the bee moves from blossom to blossom drinking nectar, some of its hitchhiking pollen is rubbed off on the blossom’s stigmas [which transfer the pollen to the ovary].
Once fertilized, the blossom’s anthers (which have shed their pollen) along with the petals shrivel up and the latter falls off. Next, the stamen dries up and the fruit quickly develops underneath the sepals [which ultimately become the brown bits opposite the stem on a ripe apple].
History of Cultivated Apples
The naturalist Henry David Thoreau noted the close relationship between people and apples, since before recorded history:
It is remarkable how closely the history of the Apple-tree is connected with that of man. The geologist tells us that the order of the Rosaceae, which includes the Apple . . . were introduced only a short time previous to the appearance of man on the globe [and] . . . traces have lately been found at the bottom of the Swiss lakes [with people] supposed to be older than the foundation of Rome . . . The apple was early so important, and so generally distributed, that its name traced to its root in many languages signifies fruit in general . . . .
Scientists believe that apples were first domesticated in the Tian Shan region of southern Kazakhstan. In fact, by as early as 2000 BC, domesticated apples were being grafted in the Near East.
The Greeks and Romans introduced the domesticated apple to North Africa and Europe during their trading and conquests. These fathers of western civilization were equally impressed with the fruit, using it as a central device in some of their most lasting stories, like this myth from about 700-800 BC that explains the roots of the Trojan War:
All the gods were invited [to a wedding] with the exception of Eris, or Discord. Enraged at her exclusion, the goddess threw a golden apple among the guests with the inscription, “For the most beautiful.” Thereupon Juno [Hera], Venus [Aphrodite] and Minerva [Athena], each claimed the apple. Jupiter [Zeus] not willing to decide in so delicate a matter, sent the goddesses to . . . the beautiful shepherd Paris . . . and to him was committed the decision. . . . Juno promised him power and riches, Minerva glory and renown in war, and Venus the fairest of women for his wife [Helen] . . . . Paris decided in favor of Venus and gave her the golden apple . . . . Under [her] protection . . . Paris sailed to Greece [and] . . . aided by Venus, persuaded [Helen] to slope with him, and carried her to Troy. . . .
It was because of the Greek usage of the apple in many tales that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden is so often depicted today as an apple. Aquila Ponticus, who was a second century translator translating the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek, took the liberty of translating it as an apple tree, even though the original text doesn’t say that. He did this because he was translating it into Greek for Greeks, and, as alluded to, in Greek mythology apples were seen as symbols of desire and destruction.
Original Colonists
The crab apple tree is the only malus species native to North America and likely greeted the first European explorers, who found the tart fruit a poor substitute for Malus domestica. This is likely why the settlers of Jamestown brought apple tree cuttings and seeds with them when they founded the colony.
Notably, however, most apples during colonial times were not eaten, but were instead used to make cider. More than just a treat, cider was commonly served, even to children, since reliably safe drinking water was a rarity in the early colonies.
Settlers
In order to grow the young country, many colonies (and later the states) set requirements before granting land rights (known as patents) including the mandate to improve the land (called “seating and planting):
The act defined . . . with great particularity, what should be deemed sufficient seating and planting. The patentee was required . . . to clear and tend three acres, or to clear and drain three acres of swamp , or to . . . there keep . . . cattle . . . sheep or goats. [For] every £ 5 expended in . . . planting trees . . . should save 50 acres [of unimproved land, also granted with the patent].
Since apples were so useful, among the trees most planted were at least two apple trees since the species needs “a second tree for cross-pollination to occur.”
Obviously, it would be difficult for settlers in the Northwest Territory (in colonial times, this meant northwest of the Ohio River) to drag seedlings along in the late 18 th and early 19 th centuries. Having learned the apple business as a young man in Massachusetts, John Chapman brought his knowledge to western Pennsylvania and started his own apple tree business in about 1801.
Planting seedlings near creeks and rivers close to where new land patents were being granted, Chapman provided the settlers with the apple trees they needed to improve their land. Working for 50 years throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, Chapman was responsible for so many apple trees and orchards, he earned the name Johnny Appleseed.
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Analysis of “Apple Tree” (extract)
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John Galsworthy is an English writer of XIX-XX centuries famous for The Forsyte Saga and he won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1932. It is important to know, that he started his literary career with long short stories, and The Apple Tree, which was published in 1917, is one of the most popular by Galsworthy. This extract does not say anything in particular about the whole story, but we can see very vividly the beginning of certain kind of events. Basically, it is an exposition of the story, where we find out two friends, Frank and Robert, who were on a tramp, met one girl, and asked her to admit them to stay for the night at hers.
In this short author shows us a great skill of describing characters, we can not only see, but also feel the characters, to understand them. Description of the landscape and the name of the story help us to know the character of Ashurst, what he is going to do. As everybody knows, an apple is a symbol of lapse from virtue according to the biblical legends. In the fourth paragraph, Frank was impressed by the girl and her beauty, and the nature helped us to recognize what kind of person is Ashurst.
So, he is romantic, scatter-brained and certainly, he is a dreamer. We can say it for sure, because author gave very poetic description for his thoughts and feelings. In the beginning of the text we see direct description of his character: “Ashurst pale, idealistic, full of absence”, and also we can see what kind of man he is through indirect portrait, for example, this sentence pictures Ashurst’s nature very vividly: “Every bough was swinging in the wind, every spring bird calling, and a slanting sunlight dappled the grass. He thought of Theocritus, and the river Cherwell, of the moon, and the maiden with the dewy eyes; of so many things that he seemed to think of nothing; and he felt absurdly happy.” Apparently, he does not know that he is going to commit a sin, at least such romantic people are not clear about consequences of their actions. Through nature description, we can recognize internal narration about the main character, Ashurst, who absolutely is the heart of the plot.
It is very interesting that the beginning and the end of the extract are almost similar, because here and there we find out the description of Frank’s image. There is only one difference; it is about the way how Galsworthy tell us. In addition, it is important to say that in the end of the extract author masterly emphasizes the nature of the protagonist, which was already descripted in the beginning.
It is only an extract but still we can say where exposition and climax are. Exposition is, obviously, in the beginning of the text, complication is “In uttering those words, he was conscious of a girl coming down from the common just above them. She was outlined against the sky, carrying a basket, and you could see that sky through the crook of her arm. And Ashurst, who saw beauty without wondering how it could advantage him, thought: ‘How pretty!”. Also, it could be a climax, because he has just fallen in love and it is the problem. It is like a crescendo, as he describes the girl, our character is more and more in love with her. But we are not able to say where resolution is, because events are just beginning to start.
What about minor characters, minor characters always opposite and different from main, because, I think, the function of minor characters is to show us problem of main and they help us to recognize the growth of the main personage. Robert Garton is the companion, who is absolutely different, he is “primeval beast”, however Ashurst is “idealistic” and romantic as well. He is not able to see the beauty of nature and girl, he has no any problems with how to start to speak to girl, however our protagonist hesitates. So, Ashurst is outlined against Garton.
Basically, our characters are round and dynamic. The narration of the text is logic and coherent, actions of personages are motivated and consistent. They are credible, but hardly interesting. How it is written is interesting, but the main character in my opinion is typical, therefore, apparently, not interesting, because his actions are obvious. In this extract, at least.
The author masterly used description, narration and exposition. The style of the text is bookish, there no any shortenings and it is very poetic. Even in the dialogues we do not see any displays of colloquial style. There are a lot of nature description, its state, and I would like to think it is a key of the whole text, which also reveal the true image of character. If the story is about lapse from virtue, here it is the key sentence, which shows the beginning of it: “The pool, formed by the damming of a rock, had a sandy bottom; and the big apple tree, lowest in the orchard, grew so close that its boughs almost overhung the water; it was in leaf, and all but in flower-its crimson buds just bursting.” Sandy bottom symbolize the fallen, “almost overhung the water” symbolize that Frank is close to the fallen.
As I can see the text is lack of stylistic devices, but there are a lot of epithets, comparisons and metaphors, because the text is full of poetic description. Here are epithets, which characterize Ashurst and Garton: pale, idealistic, full of absence for Frank; queer, round-the-corner, knotted for Robert. Here are epithets, which describe appearance of the girl and her aunt: dark hair, long and dark lashes, straight nose, straight and dark brows, grey eyes for Megan; a quick, dark eye, snaky neck for aunt. They have only appearance description, because they are strangers for Robert and Frank. Here are direct comparisons: thin as rails, like some primeval beast, like a mother wild-duck. The big metaphor for Ashurst is the symbolic description of the apple tree: “The pool, formed by the damming of a rock, had a sandy bottom; and the big apple tree, lowest in the orchard, grew so close that its boughs almost overhung the water; it was in leaf, and all but in flower-its crimson buds just bursting.” So, these stylistic devices emphasize characters and reveal their nature.
Unfortunately, we cannot define the main idea of the story, because it is only an extract, but the title can reveal the idea of the text, as we say above it is about failure, about sin.
I entirely admire by Galsworthy’s manner of describing and narration. He always raise problems, which are very close and familiar to everyone, and he makes it very lightly, so that you can both enjoy and think. Not every work can made people think. The Apple Tree is interesting first of all for revealing characters, their psychology, but plot, in my subjective opinion is not interesting.
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I’m going to analyze a long short story “The apple tree” by John Galsworthy , an English novelist and playwright, one of the most popular writers of the early 20th century. He was born in Coombe, Surrey in August 14, 1867. John Galsworthy was educated at Harrow and New College, Oxford.
Although Galsworthy is best known for his novels, he was also a successful playwright. John Galsworthy was awarded the Order of Merit in 1929 and the Nobel Prize for literature in 1932.
In “The apple tree”, John Galsworthy tells the story of Asherst, a middle-aged man who once goes to a village with his wife. While being there he remembers that 26 years ago just at that place, when he was a young man and just graduated from the university, he met a young girl, Megan by name, whom he fell in love. He promised to marry her and they decided to go away together. The next day he went to Torquay for money but there Asherst met his old friend, Phil Halliday by name , who invited him to spend a day with him and his sisters. Then the author passes on to say that Asherst fell in love with Phil’s sister Stella. The story ends with Asherst’s desire to look at the farm where Megan lived. There he meets an old man, who tells him that Megan commited a suicide because of unhappy love.
There is an external type of a conflict in the story. The two parties are Asherst that is protagonist, and Megan, antagonist. The author describes them combining two methods of characterization. The main character of the story is Asherst. He is a middle aged married man. He is well-educated. It’s quite clear that 26 years ago Asherst was inexperienced and young. He is very romantic as he says that he was always in love with somebody. It is important for him to have a person to admire and think about. Galsworthy succeded to show different sides of Asherst’s being. In the beginning of the story, when Asherst first meets Megan, we sympathize with him. The author managed to make the reader believe it to be real deep love which would end happily. But in Torquay he behaves as fully another person. He didn’t even want to explain everything Megan, whom he was supposed to love very much. He just decided to avoid superfluous problems pretending that he didn’d notice her.
Another main character of the story is Megan. She is a beautiful girl of seventeen years old. It doesn’t do the readers any difficulty to understand that she is very naïve and romantic young girl “with a loving heart” as an old man said about her. She doesn’t happen to be anywhere but in the farm. She is always busy doing all the job on the farm as she is the only woman there except her aunt. The author tries to make us sympathize with her. He shows that there isn’t any person on the farm with whom she could have heart-to-heart talk. Every day’s talks with Asherst make her be deeply attached to him. She is also a very honest and faithful person because it doesn’t come to her mind that Ahserst’s absence is caused by his unwillingness to come to her again. She doesn’t believe it because it is not in her nature and she doesn’t think it to be in somebody else’s nature. Megan is shown as a virgin character who has never loved before, never been anywhere, never faced with another people. Her commiting a suicide is an important part of the story. Even if she didn’t do that, she wouldn’t be that Megan that is shown in the story. She would be completely another person, would lose her naivety and “loving heart”, because such kinds of incidents totally change a person.
Galsworthy uses third-person objective narration. That means that the narrator doesn’t participate in the actions but knows everything concerning the characters. I think it to be a very objective and reliable type of narration because the author can enter the minds of the characters and the reader is able to know more.
The story is written in simple language. While showing the conversation with the children or with an old man on the farm, the author writes in dialectal words in order to make the reader deeply feel the atmosphere of that farm. He also writes that the two friends while going “haven’t met a soul for miles”. This metaphor is used in order to show that the farm is situated by itself and people on the farm live exclusive lives. While describing Megan the author also uses many epithets and metaphors. “Megan’s eyes were the wonder – dewy as if opened for the first time that day”. Using this stylistic device the author shows Megan’s beauties of nature. Such epithets as “greyish blouse”, “worn and old”, “split shoes” show her pressure of work. The language of an extract helps us to understand that the characters that day were all in good mood as they joke and try to be as friendly as possible.
The syntactical pattern is not very difficult and it doesn’t do any difficulty to follow the main idea.
The story is devoted to the problem of relationship between people from different social classes. It is difficult for Asherst to decide to go back to Megan as he understands them to be too different to live together. It is important for some of us to get on with people from our social class. There would be too many things on which we would have different points of view. And of course misunderstanding makes it more difficult to get on with a person.
And also there is another problem in the story. The problem of responsibility of our words. If we say something, we should do it. Asherst prefers to disguise himself instead of coming up to Megan and explaining his intentions. We should think in advance whether we could do something or not. No matter how difficult it is to be responsible for our words. It is better not to promise than to disappoint a person who believed you.
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