Bean Trees Critical Discussion Questions

In your book group discuss some of the following questions and post your group's comments:

1. Analyze the "women's world" in which The Bean Trees takes place.

2. How do the characters in The Bean Trees demonstrate that the role of women in America in the twentieth century has changed?

3. List the social issues that Kingsolver presents in The Bean Trees and explain how these issues affect the lives of the novel's characters.

4. Explain how the struggles faced by the characters in the novel are inspiring.

5. How is Taylor Greer like Barbara Kingsolver?

6. How are the people in Taylor's life interdependent?

7. Why does Taylor participate in the Sanctuary movement?

8. Compare the adventurous character of Taylor to the character of Lou Ann, who is terrified of life.

9. Research the Cherokee Indian and Guatemalan peoples to learn more about the cultures Kingsolver refers to.

10. Discuss the ways in which Taylor is a heroic character.

11. One of the novel's themes is the importance of community. Why is community valued?

12. How is the link between rhizobia (the microscopic bugs that live in the roots of legumes, turning nitrogen gas into fertilizer and allowing the plants to thrive in poor soil) and wisteria vines ("bean trees") similar to the relationships that form between the women in the novel?

13. Kingsolver is a poet. Analyze selected passages of description as poetic prose, paying attention to such elements as metaphor, simile, and imagery.

14. Compare the settings of Pittman County, Kentucky, and Tucson, Arizona, as Kingsolver describes them. How do these descriptions portray the moods of these places?

15. How is language important in The Bean Trees?

The Bean Trees

Finish questions for The Bean Trees in groups (or alone), discuss your answers and post.

Complete any remaining work on Book of Qualities.

Book of Qualities page

The most important thing to work on today is your Book of qualities page (s).

These pages will be saved on Ms. Gamzon's flash drive when you have completed them.

Continue with the next 5 vocabulary words and your readings in The Bean Trees as time permits.

HWK: read Ch. 5 and 6 for Thursday

The Bean Trees

Post vocabulary sentences for the next 5 words.

Check out the videos with Barbara Kingsolver on this page.

With a small group of 3-4 people (be sure to list your names for credit), discuss and post answers to the study guide questions covering Ch. 1-3 in The Bean Trees.

Continue to design your Book of Qualities page for our first publication.

Study guide The Bean Trees

For homework and classwork, write 5 sentences using the first 5 vocabulary words. Answer the first 6 study guide questions relating to Ch. 1. Read Chapters 2 and 3.


Study Guide for The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver
1. Describe the “voice” or tone of the narrator.
2. How does Alice Greer compare to/contrast with Mr. Hardbine or Mr. Shanks in terms of parenting skills?
3. Why does Taylor leave Kentucky?
4. Describe Taylor’s reaction to the Cherokee Nation.
5. What is a “home”? How does Taylor’s definition of “home” change in Chapter One? (Think in terms of the comment she made in the letter to her mother about taking her “head rights” with her.)
6. How are women (or girls) treated in Chapter One?
7. Describe the shift in narration in Chapter Two. Who is telling the story now?
8. Why is it relevant that Lou Ann came from Kentucky?
9. How is Lou Ann different from Taylor?
10. Describe Angel.
11. How did Taylor react to Arizona? What made her decide to stay there?
12. Why does Taylor find “Jesus Is Lord Used Tires” and “1-800-THE-LORD” so humorous?
13. Compare/contrast Mattie’s garden to the Garden of Eden.
14. What is Lou Ann’s conflict in Chapter Four? How does she resolve it? What does this say about her character?
15. What does Chapter Four say about the bonds between women?
16. What does the Tug Fork water symbolize?
17. Describe Fei, La-Isha, and Timothy. How are they different from Lou Ann? Why does Taylor choose to live with Lou Ann instead of the others?
18. What does the description of Mattie’s garden in Chapter Six suggest?
19. Describe the attitude toward men on the part of the characters and author in Chapter Six.
20. How is Estevan different from the other male characters we’ve seen?
21. What does Mattie do for people like Estevan and Esperanza? What clues earlier in the story hinted at her activities?
22. What does the “Miracle of Dog Doo Park” refer to?
23. What does Taylor learn about Estevan and Esperanza’s past? How does this affect Taylor?
24. How does Taylor feel about Estevan?
25. How does Lou Ann demonstrate more confidence in herself in Chapters Ten and Eleven?
26. What does the snake symbolize in Chapter Twelve? Think about what is going on at home with Turtle…
27. What does the trapped bird symbolize?
28. What does Taylor learn about Turtle from the doctor?
29. What does the bird outside the window represent?
30. How does Taylor respond to the news that she has no legal claim over Turtle? How does Lou Ann respond? What perspective does Mattie bring to Taylor about parenting?
31. What does the Night-Blooming Cereus symbolize?
32. Describe what happens at the routine immigration check in Chapter Fourteen.
33. What changes have taken place at the Broken Arrow Motor Lodge?
34. What does Taylor discover about the Cherokee Nation in Chapter Fifteen that changes her impression of the area?
35. Why does Turtle bury her doll?
36. Describe what happens in Chapter Sixteen. What does this moment represent for Esperanza? What does Taylor mean when she says all of them buried someone they loved in Oklahoma?
37. Why does Taylor decide to call 1-800-THE-LORD? How does she feel about the conversation she has?
38. What does Taylor discover about wisteria? How is this discovery related to the theme of the novel?
39. What is a “family”? How does this novel ask you to question your definition of “family”?
40. How is “home” defined in terms of geography? How is it defined in terms of people?
In addition to these questions, we will also discuss several important quotations.
Themes we will discuss:
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
1. The Shared Burden of Womanhood
2. The Plight of Illegal Immigrants
3. Respect for the Environment
Motifs we will discuss:
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
1. Rebirth
2. Motherhood
Symbols we will be discussing:

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
1. Beans and Bean Trees
2. Ismene
3. Birds
Vocabulary:
1. presume
2. ornery
3. indelible
4. repulse
5. transient
6. conniption
7. ascendant
8. reticent
9. apoplectic
10. meager
11. dilapidated
12. reverence
13. aptitude
14. pandemonium
15. picayune
16. invocation
17. perturbed
18. prudish
19. compulsion
20. gumption
21. deprivation
22. incarnate
23. dormant
24. pungent
25. noncommittal
26. befuddled
27. cantankerous
28. meandering
29. catharsis
30. rigamarole