an essay response to The Bean Trees
Growing up is an event that all humans have to face. For some, leaving childhood is rough but for others the transition from a child to an adult is a needed escape. Once they reach the real world, they are faced with decisions and events that alter who they are as people. In the novel, The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver uses the bean tree to represent that life is all about growing up. You start in the dirt, as a baby, and with water, you sprout into an experienced adult who handles life in a mature way -- taking whatever life throws your way.
When compared to the development of a plant, mothers are like the gardeners; they take care of you before you are full grown. Despite Taylor Greer's urgency to leave her hometown of Pittman County, Taylor and her mother, Alice, have a very strong bond. Alice Greer had to raise Taylor on her own, living in a small home and because of this, they built a firm relationship. Before leaving her home, Taylor's mother felt it was necessary to teach Taylor -- who lacked the ability to change tires -- how to change them. “In this car I intended to drive out of Pittman County one day and never look back, except maybe for mama. “(11) This quote clearly displays the impact that mother's have in a child's life. Taylor might have been prepared for the life ahead of her -- intending to never look back -- but she clearly states that she will never be able to wipe her mom out of her memory. Mothers are key figures and their job is to prepare you for what the world has in store. This is exactly what Alice Greer did by releasing the air out of her agile daughter's tire. Like gardeners, mothers care for you and watch over you closely to make sure nothing stunts your growth. They wipe away your tears and support you, all for one purpose: making sure you come out a strong flower.
Immediately after beginning her independent life, Taylor is faced with one of the toughest, yet rewarding, aspects of being an adult: motherhood. It is a stage in life when you are prepared to take on the full responsibility of another life, when you are ready to care for another human. While at a rest stop, a mysterious Cherokee woman approaches Taylor and hands her a young child. At first, she does not know how old this infant is, or whether it is a boy or a girl, which causes Taylor to be uncomfortable. Because the idea of being a mother is so new to her, she is unable to build roots for this baby. In a plant, roots are like the glue; they keep the plant connected to its original source. Unfortunately, Taylor is unable to provide this baby – whom she names Turtle – with roots of ethnicity. In life, growing up involves a lot of root development and you must be able to build relationships – letting go of the bad, rotten ones, and hanging on tight to the healthy ones. For Turtle, leaving her birth mother was a way of letting go of her decayed roots and her new life with Taylor will be a way to grow new roots.
Not only will Taylor have to assist in the growing of roots for Turtle, she will also have to nourish her own life, in order to become a stronger plant. This involves the meeting of new people who would take an interest in Taylor and accompany her with motherhood. The first woman she meets is Mattie, an older woman who works for the local tire shop. Immediately, the two women bond, as a result of Mattie’s warm hospitality – something Taylor desperately needed. This was the first watering in Taylor’s life. Lou Ann – another young mother – was the second dose of water that Taylor desired. These young mothers talked, comforted and supported one another which their similar situations made possible for them. “She watched the dark highway and entertained me with her vegetable-soup song, except that now there were people mixed in with the beans and the potatoes: Dwayne Ray, Mattie, Esperanza, Lou Ann and all the rest. And me. I was the main ingredient.”(246) This quote demonstrates the idea that Taylor truly did have a need to water her life with friends and family. Her life was dry but after experiencing love and being shown understanding, she was able to appreciate life and love her own child. Now – after being given a mixture of people – Taylor has fully developed into a plant. This, too, affected Turtle’s life. Likewise, life is full of opportunities for us to grow as individuals. When we are shown love, we are able to love. When we are shown forgiveness, we are able to forgive. People who give others a chance, have the ability to change lives; a simple welcome, can invite in a lifetime relationship. This is exactly what happens to Taylor when she meets Lou Ann and Mattie.
In conclusion, the reason Kingsolver titled her novel, The Bean Trees, was to emphasize the idea that life is all about growing up – generally comparing this concept to a plant. She started out with Taylor as a small seed, then throughout the novel, showed her growing up into a healthy plant with the help of friends and family; plants need water, attention and care to grow. Before letting go, Taylor’s mother ensured that Taylor was a strong individual, which resulted in her being able to enter the real world and build relationships. Not only did she fully grow as a person, but she also gave roots to another plant and assisted in the growth of her daughter, Turtle.
