Analysis Of Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees

The Bean Trees was published to an enthusiastic reception in 1988 and received an American Library Association award in that year (Demarr). In the novel, The main character, Taylor Greer leaves her hometown of rural Kentucky in search of a better life. Along her Journey she faces many difficulties and made long lasting relationships. Taylor never lost hope and remained optimistic. In The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver establishes the theme of hope for the future through the use of similes, motifs, and symbolism. Barbara Kingsolver was born on April 8, 1955. Being born in Maryland and growing up in rural Kentucky gave her a love for nature and a clear understanding of social discrepancies. After high school, Barbara continued her education at DePauw University and the University of Arizona. There she earned multiple degrees in biology. Barbara kickstarted her career as a freelance writer and later became a novelist. Kingsolver’s first novel, The Bean Trees, was published in 1988 and was written while battling insomnia. Her other works include Animal Dreams, Pigs in Heaven, and Holding the Line (Carchial).

The Bean Trees is about Taylor Greer, a girl who escapes small town life by packing her things and driving until she runs out of gas. Taylor makes it from

This is shown by Oral Roberts phone number, 1-800-the lord. Taylor sees the telephone number on an Oral Roberts show at a restaurant in Oklahoma. The telephone number is repeated throughout the book and becomes a security for Taylor. She describes it as an "ace in the hole ", and knows in hard times that’s where she can turn for help (Kingsolver 47). Her dependence on this number ceases after she goes through a tough period and persists through it. She no longer needs 1-800-the-lord to feel safe. This motif shows that Taylor doesn’t need to depend on something else to feel safe, and gives hope for her