The realization of loss

The reality of human existence is the reality of loss. Russell Banks wrote in the voice of a character, “Certainly, terrible things happen in every family, death and disease, divorce and blood feuds...� (Banks pg. 223). Is it possible for anyone to live a full life without the realization of loss, and not become a stronger person because of it? Be it the loss of a person, the loss of dreams, or the loss of one’s identity, it is essential for humankind to deal with loss. In the novels, The Sweet Hereafter, by Russell Banks, and The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, several characters confront a loss of something of value, and must come to terms with the reality of their losses in order to continue their lives in a meaningful manner. The authors of both novels write in a style which allows the reader to become aware of the circumstances under which each character faces a loss, and how that loss will be dealt with. The setting of both The Bean Trees, and The Sweet Hereafter, is a small town atmosphere in the United States of America, which affects how the characters deal with loss. Banks and Kingsolver use symbols throughout their novels to develop the sense of loss, and the characters use the objects which hold underlying

Prior to the bus accident, Billy Ansel is able to deal with the grief of losing his wife. After the tragedy however, Billy Ansel’s outlook on life changes, and he becomes a hardened person. This is evident when Billy says,

She smacked the table while I read to her in a whisper about the life cycle of wisteria. It is a climbing ornamental vine found in temperate latitudes, and came originally from the Orient. It blooms in early spring, is pollinated by bees, and forms beanlike pods. Most of that we knew already. It actually is in the bean family, it turns out. Everything related to beans is called a legume. But this is the most interesting part: wisteria vines, like other legumes, often thrive in poor soil, the book said. Their secret is something called rhizobia. These are microscopic bugs that live under ground in little knots on the roots. They suck nitrogen gas right out of the soil and turn it into fertilizer for the plant. The rhizobia are not actually part of the plant, they are separate creatures, but they always live with legumes: a kind of underground railroad moving secretly up and down the roots. (Kingsolver pg. 227)

In The Sweet Hereafter, Banks tells the story of a bus accident which kills fourteen children and affects the entire town of Sam Dent, from the view point of several different characters. Similarly, in The Bean Trees, Kingsolver focuses on several characters who all experience different types of loss throughout their lives. Russell Banks and Barbara Kingsolver develop the theme of loss, and the need for realization of loss, through the use of characterization. The school bus driver of Sam Dent, Dolores Driscoll, is a caring and content woman who enjoys her job as bus driver. Dolores’ kind nature is shown when she says,

Estevan and his wife experience a terrible loss when their daughter is taken from them, and they must come to terms with the loss before they can move forward in their lives. When Estevan and Esperanza help Taylor to gain legal custody of Turtle, they are finally able to say goodbye to their own daughter,

lying meanings as a way of dealing with their losses. The characters of The Sweet Hereafter, and The Beans Trees, are the victims of terrible losses, and must deal with the grief caused by them. Because the characters are able to deal with the losses, they become stronger people.

The description of how the wisteria plants live, is also a description of how Turtle, along with her new found family lives. By feeding off each other, they are able to deal with losses in their lives, and move onto new things.

In The Bean Trees, Kingsolver uses beans trees, which are actually a wisteria plant, as a symbol of the development of Turtle’s life, and how she overcomes the losses she faces. The author first speaks of the symbol when Taylor says, “We looked to where she was pointing. Some of the wisteria flowers had gone to seed, and all these wonderful long green pods hung down from the branches. They looked as much like beans as anything you would care to eat” (Kingsolver pg. 144). Taylor continued to speak of the beans trees when she said, “It was another miracle. The flower trees were turning into beans trees” (Kingsolver pg. 144) The bean trees were a symbol of the miracle of Turtle’s life, and Kingsolver further develops this when Taylor says,