This Other Eden

Ethan Honey is the grandson of Esther and son of Eha. He is a talented artist who goes out into the world because, unlike the other children of the island, he can pass as white. Ethan expresses himself and explores the world around him through his art, and he is largely influenced by a book he receives from the relief society. Due to Ethan’s talents and ability to pass as white, he struggles with his identity, as he does not quite fit in anywhere.

Ethan is a tragic hero, undergoing a journey of self-improvement only to be met with resistance and condemnation due to a perceived “flaw” that he cannot control. He is shocked by the world he finds on the mainland, in awe of its size and splendor. He is dynamic, his worldview and future changing, and just as he begins to grow, his journey is cut short by Hale’s discovery of his relationship with Bridget. This results in him being expelled from the Hale estate, his future schooling canceled, and Ethan set adrift. He experiences an exile similar to his family, with the future he believed secure ripped away because of societal standards that he had not been taught.

Matthew Diamond is well-intentioned, but he represents the greater antagonistic nature of society toward the people on the island. He is a white man who comes to the island to educate the children and teach, but the attention he brings to the island with his work results in the eviction of the islanders and the institutionalization of the Larks and Annie Parker. While Matthew makes meaningful suggestions as to the islanders, the government decides to take their autonomy and homes, forcing them into exile.

Matthew’s good intentions rarely manifest in positive ways. He means well, but his actions only cause pain for the people on the island. He is a static character, unable to see past his commitment to improve the community. Even when he tries to save Ethan from the coming exile by securing him a place on the mainland to paint and convincing Eha to let him go, he sends Ethan into a new world completely unprepared. Matthew is unaware of the consequences of his helpful actions, unlike Esther who sees right through them, and he is frequently exasperated and confused by the events that follow.

Bridget Carney is the maid on the Hale estate and the love interest of Ethan Honey. She is from an island off the coast of Ireland, working away from her family for the first time. Bridget’s relationship with Ethan is at first supported by their comparable ages and positions as the only two outside residents of the estate other than Hale. However, when Bridget finally understands why she feels connected to Ethan, their love blooms, and a romantic relationship begins in earnest. Even when she discovers his identity and he is exiled from the estate, she carries the painting and their child to Apple Island in search of him, demonstrating genuine devotion.

Eha Honey is the son of Esther Honey and her father. He is the father of Ethan, Charlotte, and Tabitha, and a secondary character who supports his mother. In the early parts of the novel, Eha is one-dimensional, preoccupied with his work and family. He struggles to put his thoughts into words, but his thoughts are deep, personally connected, and often trapped inside. He depends on Esther and Zachary, his father figure, throughout his life.

However, with the eviction coming, Eha takes charge, taking some of the burden of guiding the family from his mother. He disassembles their home and thinks of Ethan finding his way back for them, suggesting that he is prepared to take up the role of family leader. He becomes a dynamic character in these final moments, recognizing that Esther, the strong matriarch of the family, needs his support.

Zachary is the next-oldest islander after Esther. He is a carpenter and artist like Ethan, but follows his artistic pursuits on the island, within his tree rather than in the outside world. He is a father figure to Eha, and a guardian and mentor to Esther. Zachary came to the island after the Civil War, finding sanctuary on the island. As the island’s community begins to dissolve, he rages against the forces from the mainland that cause it. He condemns their attempts to destroy the unique and free lives the people on the island have. Zachary is in many ways the moral pillar of their community, and when he breaks, so too does the community.