
Names are significant beyond what they may initially connote. The helicopter, as a symbol of corporations and power, "wins" against the feeble protestors, and Mimas is cut down. It is so "huge and malevolent" (325), Adam marvels, and its parts seem "beyond the power of any human to assemble, let alone design" (325). The voice that emanates from it is "metallic" (326).

The roar pierces his eardrums, killing all thought" (326). The helicopter is described as a beast, a monster: "The stench gags Adam. The helicopter that comes to order Nick, Adam, and Olivia out of Mimas is truly a hulking, terrifying beast that symbolizes mechanized power, man's puissance and avarice, and the terrible forces brought to bear on the natural world. It is eventually cut down, an augury of greater destruction to come. However, over time it sickens, just as humans infect the natural world with their greed and desiccation. It thrives, survives the blight, and becomes a beacon of hope and delight. The Hoels plant six chestnuts but only one survives.

Second, it symbolizes man's impact on nature. First, it symbolizes the Hoel family itself-their struggles, their fortitude, their growth and spreading out over space and time.

The Hoel chestnut is a symbol of many things. Buy Study Guide Symbol: The Hoel Chestnut
