Tree Character Analysis in The Marrow Thieves

One of the twelve-year-old twins in Miig and Frenchie's family. He and his twin Zheegwon are extremely close, to the point that they're essentially the same person in terms of behavior and speech. Tree is a quiet and levelheaded boy. He and Zheegwon were captured and tortured by people who wanted to extract their marrow but didn't have the tools or skills to do so. Both boys are covered in scars and are missing their pinky fingers. They comfort each other by passing a single baseball cap back and forth, touching each other, and reassuring each other that things will be okay.

Tree Character Timeline in The Marrow Thieves

The timeline below shows where the character Tree appears in The Marrow Thieves. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Cyclical Histories, Language, and Indigenous Oppression Theme Icon

...is sixteen, Métis, and wears his long hair in a braid. There are twelve-year-old twins, Tree and Zheegwon, who are covered in scars, and Slopper, a round nine-year-old. Wab is almost... (full context)

...need watches, but now, nobody knows how to tell time by the sky. Zheegwon and Tree open cans of condensed milk and Minerva stashes the lids in her bag. After a... (full context)

...coughing. She's sitting in a chair and waves to Frenchie. He looks around and sees Tree and Zheegwon lying perpendicular across the bottom of the bed, Wab and Chi-Boy sleeping close... (full context)

Frenchie asks Miig to stop, but Miig continues. He says that Tree and Zheegwon were captured by a small town, whose residents tried brutally to extract their... (full context)

...to the men that Wab saw, and he sends Chi-Boy out to patrol and asks Tree and Zheegwon to set more alarm wires. Frenchie climbs a tree, hoping that the lunchbox... (full context)

...vehicles. Wab confirms that these are the men she saw a few weeks ago, and Tree suggests that they're "townies." Zheegwon's face goes pale, and Tree puts his cap on Zheegwon's... (full context)

...begin to head in the direction of the men. Frenchie can't shake a story that Tree and Zheegwon told a few weeks ago about the wiindigo people, who are cannibals. Rose... (full context)

...hears Wab scream, pushes the body off of his tent, and unzips it. Travis has Tree and Zheegwon at gunpoint, Chi-Boy has a knife in his arm, and Miig is standing,... (full context)

...Lincoln grabs RiRi and starts to run. Miig and Wab chase Lincoln while Zheegwon and Tree tie up Travis. When Travis is secure, Frenchie follows the others into the dark. He... (full context)

...looking panicked. Travis pleads as Frenchie points the rifle at him. Frenchie can barely hear Tree trying to reason with him and points the rifle first at Travis's face, then his... (full context)

Outside, Frenchie's family is around the fire. Slopper is already asleep. Tree and Zheegwon seem surprised and relieved that Frenchie chose to sleep with them, not with... (full context)

...and stews jealously. The next dance is a two-step, and Derrick gives his drum to Tree and then pulls Rose into the circle. Derrick meets Frenchie's eye and gives him a... (full context)

...the car driver. A Recruiter steps out of the van with his hands up and Tree and Zheegwon tie him up. The twins whoop in celebration and everyone meets at the... (full context)

...two dads now. He feels it can't last. On the way to the newcomers' camp, Tree and Zheegwon say that they hope they find an Elder who can help them fight... (full context)