Our Infinite Fates: Bone Imagery in the Underrealm, Explained

The Bone Trees of the Underrealm: A Landscape of Suffering and Defiance in Our Infinite Fates

In Laura Steven's Our Infinite Fates, the Underrealm is not a conventional hell of fire and screams but a stark, silent expanse where the very terrain is built from the remains of the dead. The most striking element of this landscape is the forest of bone trees—jagged, white, and leafless—which serves as both a literal setting and a potent symbol of the death and suffering that sustain the Mother. As the protagonist Evelyn and her immortal counterpart Arden navigate this realm, the bone imagery evolves from a passive backdrop into an active weapon of rebellion, ultimately dissolving when the cycle of suffering is broken. This analysis traces the literal presence of bone in the Underrealm, its recurrence and shifting meaning, and its connections to character and theme, concluding with study questions for deeper engagement.

What the Bone Imagery Literally Is

In chapter 40, Evelyn describes the Underrealm as a place of “rows of jagged white trees” and a “dark, desolate ground” like black glass. The trees are bare, with no bark or leaves, and have a “glossy, pearly sheen” that immediately evokes bone. When Evelyn and Arden attempt to snap a branch for a weapon, they discover the truth: the trees are made entirely of bone. The text makes this explicit when Arden murmurs “Bones” in horror. The trees are not merely shaped like bones; they are bones—likely the remains of countless souls who have been trapped in the Underrealm, their suffering feeding the Mother.

The bone imagery also extends to the weapon Evelyn fashions. She selects a slender twig with a sharp point, breaking it free with a “crisp snap.” This bone shard becomes her primary tool against the Mother, a makeshift rapier that she later plunges into the Mother's neck, shoulder, and heart. The bone is thus both a part of the landscape and an instrument of violence, blurring the line between environment and weapon.

Recurrence and Evolution of the Bone Motif

The bone trees appear throughout the Underrealm scenes, establishing the realm's oppressive atmosphere. In chapter 40, Evelyn notes that the trees glow “white as though lit from within,” and the shadows move with a “hideous kind of orphic sentience.” The bone forest is not static; it seems to pulse with the suffering it contains. The bone shard recurs as a physical object, carried by Evelyn as she confronts the Mother. In chapter 41, she uses it to attack, and after the Mother heals, the shard is removed from her chest. The motif culminates in chapter 42, when the Underrealm crumbles: “bone trees blurring into ash snow.” The bones that once formed the landscape dissolve into nothing, signaling the end of the Mother's reign and the cycle of suffering.

How the Meaning of Bone Shifts

Initially, the bone trees represent the sheer otherness and horror of the Underrealm. They are unnatural, sterile, and deathly—a stark contrast to the living world above. As Evelyn and Arden move deeper, the bones become a symbol of the Mother's power: she is sustained by suffering, and the bones are the physical residue of that suffering. The text suggests that the trees are made from the souls the Mother has consumed, making them a monument to her cruelty.

When Evelyn breaks off a bone shard, the meaning shifts from passive symbol to active tool. The bone becomes a weapon of defiance, a way to strike back at the source of suffering. Evelyn's internal monologue reveals her intent: “There would be something immensely satisfying about plunging a bone into the Mother’s throat.” The bone, once a marker of oppression, becomes a means of rebellion. However, the shard's effectiveness is limited—the Mother heals using Arden's suffering, and the bone is removed. This suggests that the cycle cannot be broken by violence alone; the bone weapon is a temporary, desperate measure.

Finally, when the Mother dies, the bone trees dissolve into ash. This transformation signifies the end of the suffering that gave them form. The bones are no longer needed; the cycle is broken. The imagery thus moves from a symbol of death and entrapment to one of liberation, though the cost is the loss of love and memory.

Character and Theme Connections

The bone imagery is deeply tied to Evelyn's character arc. As the protagonist who has lived countless lives, she is intimately familiar with the Underrealm, having “come of age” there. Her recognition of the bone trees triggers memories of her childhood in this realm, including a moment of climbing a tree and feeling a “soaring feeling of freedom.” This nostalgia complicates her horror, showing that the Underrealm is not purely evil but a place she once called home. Yet her resolve to destroy the Mother is strengthened by the bone weapon, which she uses to reject her role as a reaper.

Arden's connection to the imagery is more indirect but equally significant. While Arden does not wield the bone shard, they are subjected to the coal beds—another form of suffering that sustains the Mother. The coal beds are described as “white-hot” and are part of the same landscape of pain. Arden's torture on the coals produces a black vapor that heals the Mother, paralleling how the bone trees are built from suffering. This reinforces the theme that the Mother feeds on all forms of agony, whether from the dead or the living.

Thematically, the bone imagery intersects with several key ideas in the novel. It embodies the ancient bargain that binds the cycle, as the Underrealm is the physical manifestation of that bargain's cost. The bones also relate to the eighteenth-birthday death curse, since Evelyn and Arden die and are reborn repeatedly, their suffering accumulating in the Underrealm. The motif of memory erasure and the persistence of identity is present in Evelyn's fragmented recollections of the Underrealm, which she must piece together to understand her situation. Additionally, the bone weapon reflects love as a double-edged force: Evelyn's love for Arden drives her to fight, but it also makes her vulnerable to the Mother's manipulation. Finally, the dissolution of the bones at the end speaks to the longing for an ordinary life, as the destruction of the Underrealm offers a chance to escape the cycle, even if it means losing memories.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the bone imagery in the Underrealm function as a symbol of the Mother's power?

The bone trees are the physical residue of the suffering that sustains the Mother. They are made from the remains of souls, and their presence indicates the scale of her consumption. The Mother's power is directly tied to this suffering, as seen when she heals by drawing on Arden's pain. The bones thus symbolize the death and torment that fuel her existence.

2. In what ways does Evelyn's use of the bone shard challenge the Mother's authority?

By breaking off a bone and using it as a weapon, Evelyn turns the symbol of the Mother's power against her. The act is both literal and symbolic: she takes the material of suffering and repurposes it for rebellion. However, the shard's failure to permanently kill the Mother shows that violence alone cannot break the cycle; it requires a deeper sacrifice.

3. How does the dissolution of the bone trees at the end of the Underrealm sequence reflect the novel's themes of memory and identity?

When the bone trees blur into ash, the physical manifestation of suffering is erased. This parallels the loss of memories that Evelyn and Arden experience as their love is drained. The destruction of the bones signifies the end of the cycle, but it also means the erasure of the identities built through countless lifetimes. The imagery thus ties the end of suffering to the loss of self.

4. Compare the bone trees to the coal beds in the Underrealm. What do they reveal about the nature of suffering in the novel?

Both the bone trees and the coal beds are sources of suffering that sustain the Mother. The coal beds are used to torture Arden, producing a black vapor that heals her, while the bone trees are the accumulated remains of past suffering. Together, they show that suffering is both a resource and a weapon, and that the Mother's power depends on its continuous extraction. The imagery underscores the novel's critique of a system that thrives on pain.