- Taylor- a run away teen from the South that "inherits" a baby girl along her journey to the west. She is intelligent, independent and maternal.
- Turtle- the baby girl that Taylor adopts. Abused and shy at first, Turtle grows and matures along with Taylor's nurturing.
- Louann- a twangy, single mother, Kentucky native whom Taylor lives with. A girly girl, Louann is sappy but tough.
- Maddie- woman who gives Taylor a job at JesusIsLord Tires. She appears grandmotherly at first, but we discover that she is running some mysterious illegal immagrant operations.
- Estevan and Esperanza- two immigrants who help Taylor maintain custody of Turtle.
Plot-
- Taylor leaves home in Kentucky to go cross country in her Volkswagon
- She is given a baby girl at a truck stop along the way (in reservation land)
- Taylor and Turtle find a home along with Louann, Dwayne Ray and Maddie
- Taylor is forced to fight for guardian rights of Turtle
- She takes Esperanza and Estevan to Oklahoma where they testify to be Turtle's parents, giving Taylor custody
Setting-
- The setting of The Bean Trees is, perhaps, one of the most shaping factors of the story. A review by the New York Times Book Review sums up how it is, “the Southern novel taken West.” Having lived in both the South (GA), as well as the West (CO), it is almost nostalgic for this novel to mix the two worlds.
- The Kentucky origins are reflected in the language, as I can almost hear Taylor’s southern accent as I read. However someone who doesn’t share my background can get a good idea of the scenery from the great imagery.
Central Conflicts-
- One central conflict was Taylor's conscience when dealing with Turtle. She didnt feel fit to be her mother. She struggles on whether or not she can care for Turtle or if her care is what's best for the little girl.
- Immigration! Very controversial, especially for the 1960's.
Theme-
- An interesting theme seemed to be the debate of luck vs. destiny. All along Taylor believes that it is luck that breaks her rocker arm in Oklahoma and lands her with Turtle. And it seems to be luck that busts her tires near Jesus Is Lord Tires, eventually giving her a job and a family. In the end, it seems to be more like destiny that steers Taylor in these directions in order to fill her life with things that make her complete.
Emotion-
- I really enjoyed The Bean Trees. Being a girl, I think the maternal undertones appealed to me but the excitment and reality of the immigration and race issues of the 60's were interesting as well. Turtle's situation made me very sad, initially, but the story had a nice, happy ending!
Imagery-
- “Constellations of gum-wrapper foil twinkled around the trash barrels.” (116) The word “twinkling” makes the gum-wrapper tin foil sound more sparkly and glimmering and glamorous than it really is.
- “Little threads of bubbles streamed up like strings of glass beads.” (42) I can vividly picture the delicate scene she is describing; while the fact is that they are doing tire work.
- “..the Jesus bugs walk on the water, their four little feet making dents in the surface but never falling through.” Comparing the bugs to Jesus walking on water gives a quirky mental image.
Diction-
- When I read Taylor’s narration, I can practically hear her southern accent.
- She and Lou Ann, both being from Kentucky, use funny little southern expressions, like “I’ll be thrilled sideways,” and “Well, I’ll swan!”
- Estevan, an English teacher from Guatemala, is shown using perfect English. “’Exquisite’ was what he actually said, and ‘tom boy’ as if it were two words.”
- Mattie shows a more western accent than southern. “Well, heck yes, girl!” (47) She has funny expressions as well that are still insightful of her background.
