Arcadia

Hannah is Bit’s mother and one of the original Arcadians, who struggles with other Arcadians’ judgment. She tries to overcome depression (likely due to a miscarriage) for the good of her community, highlighting the danger of communal influence over individual needs. She is devoted to her husband, Abe, and son, Bit, and helps lead Arcadia through historical and philosophical speeches and strong principles. Hannah is a complicated figure in Bit’s life, as she raises him to be empathetic but also leaves him vulnerable to hunger and hopelessness due to personal issues. She is eventually diagnosed with ALS, and she and Abe choose suicide over prolonged pain. However, she alone survives. Hannah tries to regain her strength for Grete’s sake, but eventually dies by assisted suicide (specifically, by fellow Arcadian Astrid). Her death is a symbolic moment because it frees Bit from Arcadia for good.

Abe is Bit’s father and one of the original Arcadians, who eventually becomes a leader. He is devoted to his family and the larger community. He is the one who takes initiative to renovate the Arcadia House, providing his community with safety and security. However, this productivity threatens leader Handy, who lives for his own pleasure. Abe is paralyzed when he falls off the roof of the mansion, further symbolizing his devotion to Arcadia. He leaves Arcadia when it falls apart, but returns at the cost of his relationship with Hannah. He and Hannah eventually reconnect, only for Abe alone to die by suicide when he and Hannah make a pact—devastating her and Bit.

Helle is an Arcadian, the daughter of Arcadian leader Handy and midwife Astrid. Despite being raised by powerful people, she fails to develop self-worth due to Arcadia’s ethos. She is exposed to drugs and sex at a young age, and without the guidance of adults, she becomes lost. Helle briefly leaves for the Outside as a teenager and returns hardened: She develops into a beautiful woman who is sexualized by boys and men, even being pressured into sex on Cockaigne Day. This makes her objectify herself, as she equates self-worth and sex. Despite their bond, Helle betrays Bit when she steals (and enables fellow Arcadian Armand to steal) marijuana from his family’s Pot Plot. She leaves Arcadia when her father is arrested, and moves to Norway to live with her grandmother Margrete. When she returns to America, she works as a model and develops a drug addiction. Helle reunites with Bit in her 30s, and they get married and have a daughter, Grete. However, she leaves the family due to unresolved trauma. Her journey emphasizes the importance of structure and stability for children.

Grete is Bit and Helle’s daughter. Abandoned by Helle at age three, the only parent she knows is Bit. While they have a close relationship, she struggles to deal with adolescence—as it comprises life without a mother or a healthy Earth (due to climate change). Grete is a typical teenager in many ways, trying to find herself and test boundaries. When Hannah survives her and Abe’s suicide attempt, Grete and Bit move to Arcadia. This transition is difficult for Grete, but she finds purpose in her high school’s track team and taking care of Hannah. While Hannah represents the past and Bit represents the present, Grete symbolizes the future—a child equipped to deal with life’s challenges as a more secure version of her parents.