This passage is located on page 192 of Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees. At this point in the novel, Taylor has recently learned that she has no legal claim over Turtle, and must either hand her over to the state or figure out a way to adopt her. In the passage above, while considering which choice she should make about the young girl, Taylor is intrigued by a photo on a calendar in the kitchen. The image depicts a man carrying a woman, presumably his wife, who is unconscious in his arms, and represents the stereotypical idea of a man being the strong and masculine protector of his partner. As is routine throughout the novel, however, Kingsolver takes this stereotype and turns it on its head. Not only does she tell the reader that it