Final answer:
Planting a garden in the story sparks the characters to remember their pasts. The garden triggers both happy and nostalgic memories for the characters and serves as a metaphor for their personal histories. The characters are forever tied to their pasts but the garden helps them start anew in a positive way.
Step-by-step explanation:
The act of planting a garden in the story sparks the characters to remember their pasts. The garden serves as a symbol of their personal histories and experiences. In the passage, the characters discuss how being in a garden reminds them of their past happiness and reality. This suggests that the garden triggers both happy and nostalgic memories for the characters.
The characters in the story seem to be forever tied to their pasts. The quote, 'Aren't they one's past, all that remains of it, those men and women, those ghosts lying under the trees, one's happiness, one's reality?' implies that memories and past experiences are an integral part of one's identity and cannot be escaped. The garden, therefore, serves as a reminder of their pasts and their connection to it.
The garden helps certain characters to start anew in a positive way. For example, the character Caroline mentions a significant memory of a kiss, which had a profound impact on her ability to paint. The garden represents not just the past, but also the potential for new beginnings and opportunities. It allows the characters to reflect on their past experiences and use them as a foundation for personal growth and creativity.
Overall, the garden serves as a metaphor for the characters' pasts and triggers memories, both happy and nostalgic. While they may be forever tied to their pasts, the garden offers them a space for reflection, starting anew, and finding inspiration.