(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

The Bean Trees

            This summer I read The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. In this novel Marietta "Missy" Greer runs away from her hometown in Pittman, Kentucky. As Missy drives away from home, she tells herself that she will change her name to the first town she has to stop in. She ends up in Taylorville, so she becomes known as Taylor Greer. While traveling through the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, she stops at a restaurant where a baby girl is dumped on her. The baby has such a tight grip on Taylor or anything she grabs a hold of, Taylor names the girl Turtle. The two continue on the road until they hit two flat tires in Tucson, Arizona where they stumble upon Mattie, the owner of a local tire shop. Mattie runs a safe house for Central American refugees. I see Mattie being the perfect respectful person because of the way she cares for the other characters in the novel and how she gives advice to help the other characters make good decisions.
             When Taylor and Turtle first arrive at the tire shop, Taylor cannot afford to pay for new tires, but rather than quickly turning Taylor away, Mattie brings the two into her personal section of the shop where she lives. She offers Taylor and Turtle some juice and cookies. After getting to know Taylor and her reasons behind leaving Kentucky, Mattie decides to let Taylor work for her. By doing this and running the safe house right out of her own home, I see Mattie being a very considerate person who does not mind the differences between people. Mattie also has a tendency to give advice about life and the world. Whenever Taylor is in trouble or has to think some things through, she would go to Mattie and in a round about way, Mattie would help her make the right or best decision.
             Mattie shows the reader that she has high respect for all human beings, and that she can care for everyone equally. Mattie is more concerned with the other characters being safe and taken care of than who they are and what their background is.


Essays Related to The Bean Trees

1. The Bean Trees

The Bean Trees is a book of determination, compassion, and love. ... The Bean Trees is the first book I read written by Barbara Kingsolver. ... 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 school, and now as a freshman in college, it still sticks out in my mind as the best novel I have read. The B...

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

2. Is the Bean Trees Sexist?

Is the book The Bean Trees sexist? Yes the book is sexist. Throughout the book, the author shows men as evil and horrible human beings. The first reason why the book is sexist is the author often uses the theme, oppression of women, to portray men as discriminatory towards women. The second reason i...

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

3. The Bean Trees

In Barbara Kingsolver's novel, The Bean Trees, she creates an implicit argument that a human being cannot thrive in isolation. ... That's right, that's a bean. ... 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. ... The purple beans appeared to go trooping on down the block, climbing over anything in their path (Kingsolver pg.45-46). The old car parts seem to be dead with no life at all, but in reality they are a home for the beans and vegetable...

  • Word Count: 2103
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: High School

4. 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. ... Take Taylor for example, the main character in the book Bean Trees written by Barbara Kingsolver, she has no rare god-like powers. ...

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

5. The Bean Trees

As a reader, Taylor, the protagonist of The Bean Trees is important in drawing my interest because she narrates much of the story and most of the ideas have been seen through her eyes and point of view. ... In The Bean Trees, Taylor being the narrator and speaking in first person reveals herself, which drawing the interest into this novel. ...

  • Word Count: 689
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Bean Trees

Sexist? Is the Barbara Kingsolver book, The Bean Trees, sexist against men? The book is in fact sexist against men. The first reason the book is sexist is because of the way the men in the book are portrayed. The second way you can see the book is racist is by the narrator's actions toward men....

  • Word Count: 244
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: High School

7. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

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. ... Throughout The Bean Trees, Taylor, Esperanza, and Lou Ann each experience the struggles and rewards of the difficult task of motherhood. ... She decides to name the infant Turtle because of her firm grip and she immediately cares for Turtle without question ("The Bean," Literature). ... "The adoption process Taylor undertakes is unorthodox and not really legal, but it works" (&quo...

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

8. The Bean Trees

The prevailing symbol of the wisteria vine and the information concerning this plant forms the forever appearing metaphor of the Bean Trees. ... This is apparent, when Taylor makes sweet-and-sour chicken for the dinner party rather than bean soup, which she was more familiar with (100). ...

  • Word Count: 652
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Love and Fear in The Bean Trees

Realities of Motherhood: Levels of Love and Fear in "The Bean Trees" It has been said that he who fears not gives advantage to danger. ... 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 Pittman, Kentucky for several years. ... "The Bean Trees" is an inspiring story of two loving mothers who learn for themselves while teaching us at the same time. ...

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

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question