The Bean Trees

February 14, 2011

Best Place in Life

Author's Note: This is the last response for this book.  We decided to do something different that an essay.  We had written stream of consciousness based off of a scene/theme in the book and created a poem with it.  I did mine when they went to Lake 'O the Cherokees.  I am trying to be very descriptive.  I also want my poem to be smooth and easy to read. 

A scenic view
The lake, sparkly as jewels
Pine forests stretching across
Grassy hills roll on forever
Charming flowers grow along the creek

Small family cottage
Lined along a flowing stream
Comfortable and lovely
It's perfect

Middle of the lake
Stenched with fishy aromas
Filled with shimmering reflections
As the warm sun glows

Sun begins to set
Falling below the horizon
Clouds turn pink
As they sail across the sky

Lake 'O the Cherokees, a picturesque sight
Peace with the world
Exquisite and relaxing
Heaven on earth

February 2, 2011

Author's Note: This is the fifth book response to The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.  Our prompt was: Discuss how they eat in heaven and how it relates thematically to the novel.  To respond to this prompt, I went back and based it off chapter 7, How They Eat in Heaven.  This was a tough topic to respond to for me.  I am working on balance and vocabulary throughout this response. 

Heaven, a place people go after living a long, happy, life.  In the chapter, Estevan tells a story about how they eat in the underworld, and heaven.  He said that the people in heaven were very happy and well-fed.  As for those in the underworld were so miserable and starving, but they had the both had the same stew, mop-long spoon, and room.  A great theme of the novel is when you are with people you love and care for, no one will ever struggle for food, health, happiness or love. 

In heaven, they all eat surrounded by all that they love and care for.  Even with the impossibly large spoon they can still be well-fed and happy.  They are not starving and in despair because they lived a good life and are now with people that they care for in heaven.  When telling about the underworld Estevan had said, "Oh, how they swear and curse each other!"  It meant that they did not care or love for each other.  They were just egocentric and wanted food for themselves.  Blaming, swearing, and cursing each other did not help either.  In heaven, the people love each other, so they all will help to get food for everyone until they are all served.  The love from others is sacred.  The way people are so cruel to each other is profane. 

Heaven is not a place were you will struggle.  People will love and nurture you, meaning that they will not let you starve or become melancholy.

January 31, 2011

Author's Note: This is the fourth book response for The Bean Trees.  The prompt is: Write about any significant event that takes place in any of the three chapters, and discuss it within the context of the theme of the novel. In the beginning, I am giving some insight on the chapter that my response is based on.  I am still working on balancing statements and text evidence. 

It is terrifying when someone gets attacked or abused.  Sadly, in our world, this happens quite often.  In the chapter Into a Terrible Night, Edna Poppy had taken Turtle to the park.  As the was sun falling, a man was creeping around the park and getting closer.  Edna Poppy is blind so she never saw him, but she was able to hear the sound of someone lurking around.  When the person got extremely close, she swung her cane high enough to not hit Turtle, but she did hit him quite hard.  There is an important theme in this chapter that is not most pleasant, yet it happens very often.

Somewhere around the world people are getting attacked or abused by somebody else.  It is a part of life that some people have to suffer through or live with because it has already happened.  Similarly in The Bean Trees innocent people like Edna and baby Turtle get attacked for no reason.  Luckily, Edna had used some self defense to protect herself and Turtle by whacking the person with a cane.  Unfortunately, some of those with disabilities or those who cannot defend themselves end up hurt in some way.  Attack or abuse could happen anywhere even in your safe town.  Or Edna and Turtle's experience in a small park. 

It is disappointing or heartbreaking to discover such awful happenings.  When hearing about attack or abuse, I wish that there is no such thing.  If only things like that would never happen and everyone can live in peace.

January 27, 2011

Author's Note: This is the third book response to The Bean Trees.  The prompt is: After reading the chapter The Miracle of Dog Doo Park, discuss how the events, specifically the description of the park and activities that take place there, could be in relationship to the theme of the novel.  (Can we tell the difference between the sacred and profane.  My first paragraph gives a small amount of insight on the scene.  I am also working on balancing my text-evidence with statements. 

Miracles happen to someone everyday.  A miracle is when you receive a great blessing that you should be thankful for.   Dog Doo Park, a nearby park that Taylor, Lou Ann, and the children visited is dead and lifeless.  The park is a disaster.  There is dead grass and dirt, only a couple places of decent shade, and a pointless palm tree.  A significant theme in this novel is how miracles happen to everybody and everything.

While at the park, everything seemed to be dead and plain.  Sometimes, we feel as if our lives are bland and boring, thinking that nothing great will happen.  Lou Ann had told Taylor about the wisteria vines that were all around the park.  Along with everything else in the park, Taylor said that they looked dead.  Then at the end of March the most amazing thing happened.  Popping out of the dirt was a beautiful violet wisteria blossom that came from a fat bud.  In that lifeless park, miracles can happen giving life and color to it.  It's not profane at all when a miracle can give life.  Have life is sacred and it is the most important thing because without life, there's nothing else.

When something as astounding as a flower popping out of dry dirt, it is true miracle.  When there is something as unique as life, it is sacred. 

January 24, 2011

Author's Note: This is the second response assigned to the book The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.  The prompt is: Select any quote from the text that you read so far, and explain how you found that quote significant to the theme of the novel.  I am working on balancing my response with text evidence and statements.  I also want to make you think as you read through this.

In everyday life, people make decisions.  Some are small and others are great.  In The Bean Trees Taylor Greer made many important decisions of her own.  It's significant to the theme of the novel when Taylor decided to stay in high school.  Then she got a job.  "Everyone makes their own decisions that will determine their future" is a very important theme in this novel. 

When we get old enough, we can make all of our own choices.  For instance, either staying in high school or not completing it.  This one decision can affect our whole future.  An education is needed for many jobs.  In The Bean Trees Taylor has the same choice.  Though some of her classmates became high school drop-outs, it didn't influence her to discontinue learning.  Taylor graduated from high school. 

What if you saw advertisements for job offers that are great, but you needed at least a high school education for them, and you didn't even finish high school?  For example, Taylor got a job offer at Pittman county hospital.  The novel never stated whether she needed any education or not, but imagine if she did.  What if Taylor didn't finish high school?  Fortunately, she did graduate.  Taylor accepted the job and worked there for five years.  She made enough money to buy a car.  That car drove her on with life.

Taylor made many considerable decisions.  But just like us, one decision such as finishing high school or not can affect every part of our future.
 

January 20, 2011

Author's Note: I was assigned to do a response to the book The Bean Trees.  This is one of my first responses for a book this year so I am trying my best for this post.  Following is the response prompt: Select any scene from the novel  so far, and discuss how it is significant to the theme of the novel.  You may address the idea of making decisions to guide and control your life as a co-creator, or the notion of needing to separate the Sacred from the Profane, in case, be sure to balance text evidence and interpretation of the text.  My response is based on a scene in the first chapter in the book.  I began by summarizing that scene.  Then I used the text to write a response to the prompt. 

In the scene, Missy Greer was finishing high school and then graduating.  She decided to avoid pregnancy because many of her classmates that had dropped out of high school and had children.  Then she gets a job at Pittman County Hospital.  Missy worked there for five years.  Once she earned enough money, she used it to get an old, run down '55 Volkswagon bug.  She used her car to leave Pittman permanently, but before she goes she says her last goodbyes to her mom.  Missy kept a promise to herself that whatever city her car ran out of gas in would be her changed name.  She stopped in Taylorville and became Taylor Greer.

This scene addresses the theme to guiding and controlling her own life.  Taylor's idea of a good life is different from what others might think.  It was her own decision to leave Pittman, change her name, and never have a child.  She kept promises and broke some too.  All of this leads me to what I found is sacred to Taylor.  An education was important to her because she decided to graduate and go on getting a job.  She was definitely an individual knowing that she had not followed what some of her classmates did and again setting her life how she wanted it.

When I think of this scene, I imagine a girl following her own goals and dreams, guiding herself in her own ways.