Green Angel
Encyclopedia
Green Angel is a 2003 young adult novel written by Alice Hoffman
. It tells the story of a girl's isolation, suffering and gradual recovery after her family dies in a catastrophic fire. It has elements of magic realism
and dystopian fiction. It was followed by a sequel, Green Witch, in 2010, and a further novel in the series, Green Heart, is expected in 2012.
One day, her family goes to a nearby city to sell produce, leaving Green behind to pull the weeds. While in town, her family perishes in the city as a result of a conflagration
whose cause is unknown but appears malevolent. Many of the people in the city that day die, leaving many orphans Green's age. Ashes from the fire blind Green and singes her hair, forcing her to cut her hair off. Green, deeply hurt, changes her appearance, personality and names herself Ash as she decides to destroy all her past to cover the pain she is suffering. To conceal her internal pain, she tattoos almost her entire body as the story progresses. She continues to suffer but grows indifferent toward her pain.
Over time, through interactions with several kinds of animals, a boy she calls Diamond and a kind, old neighbor, Green starts to heal. She finds her leaf and stem tattoos turning green and rosebuds turning red. Finally, on her 16th birthday, she is no longer Ash, as she once used to be, but is once again Green. Now, after her recovery, she is strong enough to tell her family’s tragic story.
Green has long dark hair and describes herself as preferring plants to people. She tends to the family garden and knows the medical uses for many plants. As Ash she cuts off her hair and wears a scarf of thorns, a heavy jacket, and her father's nail-studded boots. Also, she often tattoos herself with needles and ink. Eventually her entire body is covered in black roses, vines, ravens, etc. The old woman tells her to look closer and she discovers the ink is actually green. The tattoos begin to change color, the flowers becoming white with green centers (as they are in her dreams). The half-heart near her own heart turns red at the center.
Aurora seemed to be Green's opposite, a young girl who was outgoing and cheerful. She often danced in the moonlight, and would sleep in a corner where white moths hovered over her. In Green's dreams she sometimes appears as an older version (about Green's age) of herself, but Green comes to realize Aurora will never be any older. She accepts Aurora's death, and the loss of her family.
In Green's dreams Aurora sometimes wouldn't recognize her (this was only when she became Ash).
Green's parents die in the fire. The story doesn't talk about them in detail as it does with Aurora. Green's father was "honest and strong" and her mother was gentle and "collected blue jay feathers, preferring them to her pearls."
Aurora and Green used to steal apples from this old woman. Green assumes the woman hates her, but in reality she doesn't. Green begins cleaning up the old woman's house. Each time she visits the woman asks her what her name is. On every occasion except the last, she replies that her name is Ash. As Green walks home each time she senses something (the taste of an apple, the smell of cut grass, etc.) that reminds her of the color green, and therefore her name.
Diamond is a boy who comes to Green's house one day. He's one of the few people Green trusts. He is very silent, but Green seems to understand him perfectly. He eventually leaves to search for his mother. She was in the fire, but he doesn't believe she is dead. Green knows that she's in love with Diamond, but understands that he needs to leave. He has the other half of Green's half-heart tattoo.
Heather joins a group of teens who are determined to forget everything that happened in the fire. These teens drink, steal (they take everything from Green's garden) and dance around a fire at night. However, it becomes clear Heather can't manage this and she continually declines in appearance and personality throughout the book. The white dress she wears turns to gray. Green was once jealous of Heather and that beautiful dress, but realizes Heather isn't better than her. She gives Heather an old dress that was her mother's. Shortly after, Green and the other teenagers realize that Heather is missing so they start to look for her. Later some of the teenagers said that she drifted into the fire. They all had to accept that Heather was gone, who left memories behind.
Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman is an American novelist and young-adult and children's writer, best known for her 1996 novel Practical Magic, which was adapted for a 1998 film of the same name...
. It tells the story of a girl's isolation, suffering and gradual recovery after her family dies in a catastrophic fire. It has elements of magic realism
Magic realism
Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of...
and dystopian fiction. It was followed by a sequel, Green Witch, in 2010, and a further novel in the series, Green Heart, is expected in 2012.
Plot summary
Green is a quiet, pretty, and shy 15-year-old girl, who is approaching her 16th birthday. She lives with her mother, father, and sister Aurora, in a house on the city's green outskirts. While her sister is wild, careless, and impatient, Green is shy (often not talking to people outside of her family), and has the infinite patience required to tend to the family garden. After mastering the art of tending the garden, she becomes the garden's main caretaker.One day, her family goes to a nearby city to sell produce, leaving Green behind to pull the weeds. While in town, her family perishes in the city as a result of a conflagration
Conflagration
A conflagration or a blaze is an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, health, or property. A conflagration can be accidentally begun, naturally caused , or intentionally created . Arson can be accomplished for the purpose of sabotage or diversion, and also can be the consequence of...
whose cause is unknown but appears malevolent. Many of the people in the city that day die, leaving many orphans Green's age. Ashes from the fire blind Green and singes her hair, forcing her to cut her hair off. Green, deeply hurt, changes her appearance, personality and names herself Ash as she decides to destroy all her past to cover the pain she is suffering. To conceal her internal pain, she tattoos almost her entire body as the story progresses. She continues to suffer but grows indifferent toward her pain.
Over time, through interactions with several kinds of animals, a boy she calls Diamond and a kind, old neighbor, Green starts to heal. She finds her leaf and stem tattoos turning green and rosebuds turning red. Finally, on her 16th birthday, she is no longer Ash, as she once used to be, but is once again Green. Now, after her recovery, she is strong enough to tell her family’s tragic story.
Characters in "Green Angel"
- Green, the protagonist (after the fire and before healing, she refers to herself as Ash)
Green has long dark hair and describes herself as preferring plants to people. She tends to the family garden and knows the medical uses for many plants. As Ash she cuts off her hair and wears a scarf of thorns, a heavy jacket, and her father's nail-studded boots. Also, she often tattoos herself with needles and ink. Eventually her entire body is covered in black roses, vines, ravens, etc. The old woman tells her to look closer and she discovers the ink is actually green. The tattoos begin to change color, the flowers becoming white with green centers (as they are in her dreams). The half-heart near her own heart turns red at the center.
- Aurora, Green's sister, who visits Green in dreams
Aurora seemed to be Green's opposite, a young girl who was outgoing and cheerful. She often danced in the moonlight, and would sleep in a corner where white moths hovered over her. In Green's dreams she sometimes appears as an older version (about Green's age) of herself, but Green comes to realize Aurora will never be any older. She accepts Aurora's death, and the loss of her family.
In Green's dreams Aurora sometimes wouldn't recognize her (this was only when she became Ash).
- Mother and Father, Green's parents
Green's parents die in the fire. The story doesn't talk about them in detail as it does with Aurora. Green's father was "honest and strong" and her mother was gentle and "collected blue jay feathers, preferring them to her pearls."
- Old Woman, Green's neighbor who helps Green to heal
Aurora and Green used to steal apples from this old woman. Green assumes the woman hates her, but in reality she doesn't. Green begins cleaning up the old woman's house. Each time she visits the woman asks her what her name is. On every occasion except the last, she replies that her name is Ash. As Green walks home each time she senses something (the taste of an apple, the smell of cut grass, etc.) that reminds her of the color green, and therefore her name.
- Diamond, Green's friend who helps Green to heal
Diamond is a boy who comes to Green's house one day. He's one of the few people Green trusts. He is very silent, but Green seems to understand him perfectly. He eventually leaves to search for his mother. She was in the fire, but he doesn't believe she is dead. Green knows that she's in love with Diamond, but understands that he needs to leave. He has the other half of Green's half-heart tattoo.
- Heather Jones, Green's former classmate
Heather joins a group of teens who are determined to forget everything that happened in the fire. These teens drink, steal (they take everything from Green's garden) and dance around a fire at night. However, it becomes clear Heather can't manage this and she continually declines in appearance and personality throughout the book. The white dress she wears turns to gray. Green was once jealous of Heather and that beautiful dress, but realizes Heather isn't better than her. She gives Heather an old dress that was her mother's. Shortly after, Green and the other teenagers realize that Heather is missing so they start to look for her. Later some of the teenagers said that she drifted into the fire. They all had to accept that Heather was gone, who left memories behind.