Red

Red is not only the novel’s main character, but also its setting. Since Red is the narrator and it is an immobile tree, all of the novel’s action takes place where Red can witness it, in the yard shared by the blue and green houses. Other characters move in and out of this setting, but the reader will only hear about other places if the characters talk about them. For example, the Mothers discuss possible futures homes, and Stephen and Samar sometimes talk about school.

The Current Neighborhood

The novel has two major time settings, and the most important is the novel’s present-day neighborhood. This time setting ranges from shortly after Samar’s family arrives in January up to the first of May that year. These three months contain all of the novel’s action, from the carving to Samar and Stephen’s new friendship...