Jahren’s Son Character Analysis

Before her son was born, Jahren was worried that she would not be able to give a child all of her love; however, she adores her son, and he has changed her outlook on parenting. After a grueling pregnancy that involved hospital stays and electroconvulsive therapy (she couldn’t take her bipolar medication during pregnancy due to health risks for the baby), Jahren delivered a healthy nine-pound baby boy, whom she immediately fell in love with. Her son is different from her in many ways: he uses his favorite tree, the foxtail palm, for batting practice rather than scientific inquiry, and is more emotionally balanced like Clint, while Jahren is more emotionally tumultuous.