Bean Trees: Book Review
The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, tells the tale of a simple country girl. A book of realistic fiction, the author builds a story full of bewilderment, travel, heart-wrenching moments and nature. Throughout the novel, Kingsolver repeatedly incorporates nature into her writing, using her knowledge as a biologist. Additionally, the story deals with darker, real-world issues such as prejudice and discrimination.With all these elements, the author produces a story to be remembered.
Marietta Greer, an independent and outspoken girl from Kentucky, travels through the country looking for something more. During her journey, she renames herself Taylor and comes face to face with an old Indian woman. The Indian woman spontaneously gives her a small, previously …show more content…
For example, in the The Bean Trees, Kingsolver uses figurative language to represent the importance of community by comparing a person to a plant. In Tucson, Taylor discovers a plant that, weirdly enough, thrives in the desert. The plant, wisteria, flourishes because of a community made up of rhizobia that are, “...a whole invisible system…” like Taylor’s friends who, “...you’d never guess was [were] there.” supporting her. (Kingsolver 241). Then, Taylor concludes that, without a secret network of supporters, she and the plants would wither emphasizing the importance of communities. This also highlights the development Lou Ann, Taylor’s housemate. In the beginning of the book, paranoia rules her life to such a degree that she thinks, “..life itself was a life-threatening enterprise.” (Kingsolver 87) However, Lou Ann becomes a more stable and confident person by the end of the book. Because of Taylor’s influence, Lou Ann strongly states her opinions and speaks out against things that bother her. Furthermore, when her ex-husband calls for her, Lou Ann rejects his offer, signifying her newfound
The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, tells the tale of a simple country girl. A book of realistic fiction, the author builds a story full of bewilderment, travel, heart-wrenching moments and nature. Throughout the novel, Kingsolver repeatedly incorporates nature into her writing, using her knowledge as a biologist. Additionally, the story deals with darker, real-world issues such as prejudice and discrimination.With all these elements, the author produces a story to be remembered.
Marietta Greer, an independent and outspoken girl from Kentucky, travels through the country looking for something more. During her journey, she renames herself Taylor and comes face to face with an old Indian woman. The Indian woman spontaneously gives her a small, previously …show more content…
For example, in the The Bean Trees, Kingsolver uses figurative language to represent the importance of community by comparing a person to a plant. In Tucson, Taylor discovers a plant that, weirdly enough, thrives in the desert. The plant, wisteria, flourishes because of a community made up of rhizobia that are, “...a whole invisible system…” like Taylor’s friends who, “...you’d never guess was [were] there.” supporting her. (Kingsolver 241). Then, Taylor concludes that, without a secret network of supporters, she and the plants would wither emphasizing the importance of communities. This also highlights the development Lou Ann, Taylor’s housemate. In the beginning of the book, paranoia rules her life to such a degree that she thinks, “..life itself was a life-threatening enterprise.” (Kingsolver 87) However, Lou Ann becomes a more stable and confident person by the end of the book. Because of Taylor’s influence, Lou Ann strongly states her opinions and speaks out against things that bother her. Furthermore, when her ex-husband calls for her, Lou Ann rejects his offer, signifying her newfound