Reckless

Prodigal has a number of means and each could apply to many of the characters in this book.
According to the dictionary the adjective prodigal means a.) wastefully or recklessly extravagant, b.) giving or yielding profusely, and c.) lavishly abundant. The noun prodigal applies to a person “who spends or has spent his/her money or substance with wasteful extravagance. I think only one of Kingsolver’s characters fits this definition of wasteful in reference to the environment. Garnett is all about reckless destruction in his use of sprays. His counterpart, Nanny represents conservation and a healthy earth. Deanna is the protector of the vast forest and lives very modestly, she also appears to be the opposite of prodigal when it comes to the environment. And Lusa, the lonely new comer who admires moths in a strange likeness is not wastefully, she seems to come from a place where conservation and using everything you have is a virtue. But one might apply the use of the word prodigal to the actions of the individuals’ love lives. Deanna, despite being dedicated to the hunt and continued protection of her beloved coyotes, finds herself lusting after a man who seeks to destroy them. Lusa seeks to find the place where she belongs in her lovely existence. The humans in this environment are the ones who have lost control and their emotions are running wild throughout the forest.