Because of Winn-Dixie

The Mistake Tree is a more complicated symbol in the novel. It is symbolic of mistakes, as its name indicates, but it is also symbolic of forgiveness. The Mistake Tree is a large tree in Gloria’s backyard, where she has hung thousands of empty liquor bottles. When Opal asks what the bottles are for, Gloria replies, “To keep the ghosts away… the ghosts of all the things I done wrong” (95). The tree is a symbol for Gloria of her haunted past, and the mistakes she made when she struggled with drinking. Opal relates these mistakes to her own mother, thinking, “I wondered if my mama, wherever she was, had a tree full of bottles […]” (97). Though the tree literally represents Gloria’s mistakes, it is also a symbol of her recovery, and her forgiveness of herself. Gloria explains to Opal that the tree reminds her of what she has learned about life, and what makes it worth living. The novel ends with Opal at the tree, coming to terms with the mistakes of others, and putting aside her own grief to forgive her mother for leaving. In this way, the tree is also a symbol of forgiveness, and the way characters are able to move on once they come to terms with the realities of their past.