Many objects are considered a symbol of life. The sun, a circle, or children are a few examples that writers most commonly use. Barbra Kingsolver wrote the book The Bean Trees and uses many symbols for life. She not only uses symbols throughout her book, but also throughout each chapter. In chapter 8, titled "The Miracle of Dog Doo Park", she brings life out of many unexpected places, including places that resemble hell itself. Many symbols are also used in this book also for death. Dog Doo Park is one of them. The main character, Taylor Greer goes on many adventures and comes across death-like places filled with life. She goes to Dog Doo Park on a walk with her roommate, Lou Ann, and her daughter, Turtle, expecting a regular green park. She comes across a park filled with nothing but dried up plants. What she finds in that park and other places as well is the best thing of all: life. Through the skillful use of characterization and symbolism, Kingsolver shows that people stumble upon life in the most unlikely places.
Taylor, the character who stumbles upon the majority of objects that can be connected with life, is the main character. When Taylor, Lou Ann, and Turtle make their way down to Dog Doo Park for the first time, Taylor expects to see a green park, but all they see is poor soil and deadened shrubs. Taylor discusses her concerns about the dead park with Lou Ann, but being the long time Arizona resident, Lou Ann knows the park will soon change, so she tells Taylor, "Just you wait" (113). And she was right. Later on, the park flourishes with life: purple flowers getting ready to bloom, bees humming, and green trees. When Taylor sees these things, she stares in awe and plainly puts, "Flowers out of bare dirt. The miracle of Dog Doo Park" (114). This is only one of the few times when Taylor comes across something extraordinary. Taylor grew up in a less-than glamorous town, called Pittman County where " there was nothing- (112).
