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The Bean Trees

            
             In order to succeed and have a happy, fulfilled life one needs something or someone to help support and encourage them to grow. In Barbara Kingsolver's novel, The Bean Trees, she creates an implicit argument that a human being cannot thrive in isolation. Each character is strong in their own way but they still need someone by their side they can depend on and someone to depend on them. To thrive and prosper in life, one must have that added support to help find the true meaning of life and keep hope that there is something or someone to love and live for. .
             Taylor Greer is on an adventure to find a new identity for herself. In her hometown, which is in Kentucky, she does everything she can to not get pregnant and be stuck in a farmer town like all the other high schools girls ended up being. "Believe me in those days the girls were dropping by the wayside like seeds off a poppy seed bun" (Kingsolver pg.3). Ironically though, on Taylor's journey, she is given a small Indian child she eventually names Turtle. The two .
             of them struggle together to find a new life in Arizona. Turtle was abandoned and looking for security; Taylor came to her rescue and was willing to raise this child as her .
             own. Turtle who was abused, was a quiet and scared girl that clung to Taylor with all her strength. "The most amazing thing was the way that child held on. it attached itself to me by its little hands like roots sucking on dry dirt" (Kingsolver 22). This gave Taylor even more reason to continue her journey to find a better life. These two people needed each other in a time that was vulnerable for the both of them. As the novel goes on Taylor and Turtle help each other grow into strong individuals. "I picked up Turtle and gave her a hug. That's right, that's a bean. And you"re just about the smartest kid alive" (Kingsolver 97). The ironic thing about Turtle's first word being "bean" is that the beans are also working to survive and live off of something that needs them or wants them to live.


Essays Related to The Bean Trees

1. The realization of loss

... pg. 98). In The Sweet Hereafter, and The Bean Trees, the authors use characterization to develop loss, and the need for realization of loss. Each character has specific traits, which make the way they deal with grief for their losses unique. The setting of The Bean Trees, is the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona, a small town where the characters meet, and the stories of each person's loss develop. Comparably, the setting of The Sweet Hereafter, is a ... loses its meaning. (Kingsolver pg. 78) Because Sam Dent is such a close-knit town, the loss of the children affects everyone, and the peopl...

  • Word Count: 2556
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Chocolate - The Fruit of the Gods

... range between one thousand five hundred to two thousand millimeters with high humidity. This climate is exclusively found in rainforests. The cacao trees, which grow under the canopy of larger trees, must mature to five years old to produce the cacao fruit. The Mayans and Aztecs mixed ground cacao seeds with herbs and seasonings to make a drink that was spicy, bitter and frothy ... which there are several, fermentation times vary from two to three days to five to seven days, depending on the type of Cacao tree the beans were harvested from. The more bitter the bean, the longer the ferme...

  • Word Count: 1886
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. The Bean Trees

... , is to share her life with the kid and give Turtle her best effort. The Bean Trees is the first book I read written by Barbara Kingsolver. Her storytelling magic absorbed me completely from the beginning. I could not put the book down and read cover-to-cover. Great tale on love and friendship, abandonment and belonging. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bean Trees : A Novel > Customer Review #2: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEST NOVEL EVER I read The Bean Trees, as a junior in high scho...

  • Word Count: 580
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

4. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

... leaves their priorities behind as they begin to put their children's needs before their own, showing their unbelievably deep love for them. In "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver, the women Taylor, Esperanza, and Lou Ann all share the monumental task of being a mother, each coming from very unique backgrounds. Taylor is handed a baby as she is trying to escape pregnancy, Esperanza is ... his or her mother- you simply need to love and protect them as if they are your own (Adamson). Throughout The Bean Trees, Taylor, Esperanza, and Lou Ann each experience the struggles and rewards of t...

  • Word Count: 1912
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Role of Women in Bean Trees

... of today's world are starting to become so independent that one-day they will out number men in the working environment. In her novel, The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver develops the theme that women in community have the power of the world and the ability to survive on their own. She portrays this through character. Taylor was raised by her mother alone in a community where men were primarily ... by herself and could use a little company. Taylor and Lou Ann became really good friends. "Within ten minutes Lou Ann and I were in the kitchen drinking diet Pepsi and splitting our gussets la...

  • Word Count: 1481
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Is the Bean Trees Sexist?

... makes men to be either evil, oppressing dirt bags, or nice men who can't fulfill their duties as providers. The oppression of women is the main theme in the Bean Trees. Throughout the book men oppress women. Jolene's father repeatedly called her a slut. Because of her father Jolene decided that she would just become a slut. "Why not my daddy"d been calling me a slut ... to live in safe house. " This is why I like chopsticks: I work in a Chinese resteraunt. I am the dishwasher." By making Estevan have a bad job with little pay the author portrays the only nice man to be a weak guy who c...

  • Word Count: 326
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Love and Fear in The Bean Trees

... ; It has been said that he who fears not gives advantage to danger. No matter what kind of fear it is-even the anxiety that is so deeply engraved into parental DNA- fears weakens the mind and the body. In Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees, main character Taylor obtains a completely unanticipated child upon her arrival in Tucson, Arizona after rigorously avoiding motherhood in her hometown of ... 't let go till it thunders" (30). Turtle never lets go of Taylor's affection and returns that love the best she knows how to. "The Bean Trees" is an inspiring story of two loving mothers who lea...

  • Word Count: 954
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Bean Trees

Hero's Journey Essay Bean Trees After surviving and conquering many blood battles, Samson was considered by many to be a great hero. He was a great mythological warrior who saved lives and ... a hero is defined by their noble deeds and brave tasks. Anyone and everyone can be a hero, it just depends on your perspective. Take Taylor for example, the main character in the book Bean Trees written by Barbara Kingsolver, she has no rare god-like powers. In fact, she did not even realize that she was a hero. A hero can come in ... find a decent job so she could provide for Turtle and herself. She ...

  • Word Count: 833
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Bean trees- survivoral

There were many sacrificial elements that existed in The Bean Trees. In the novel, the characters survived to benefit others or themselves. These survival techniques played a significant role to the development of other characters in the novel. Some prime examples of surviving are Mattie's will to offer sanction to illegal immigrants, the fact that Taylor survived the whole success of her excursion when accepting an unwanted, abused Native-American infant ... to go after Ismene is what they wanted" (Kingsolver 184). They had to sacrifice Ismene for their survival to a free nation. The three s...

  • Word Count: 640
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

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