Finish questions for The Bean Trees in groups (or alone), discuss your answers and post.
Complete any remaining work on Book of Qualities.
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Montana 1948 Readings/Natalie Goldberg Test 1 "I remember"
Montana 1948 Readings/Natalie Goldberg Test 1 "I remember" Marcy Gamzon • Sep 21 (Edited Sep 21) 100 points Due Tomorrow AGENDA:...
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AGENDA 1, For classwork credit: Read the following two stories by Sandra Cisneros. Then discuss the questions for Barbie-Q with a p...
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In James Longenbach’s “The Art of the Poetic Line,” he mentions three kinds of line endings: End stopped lines end with punctuation, as ...
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Choose ONE of the following topics and discuss it in a well-developed essay. You may use your book to provide text-based details. Post yo...
1. Describe the “voice” or tone of the narrator.
ReplyDeleteThe tone of the narrator is very childish at first, with the fear of filling a tire and the uncertainty of whether she wants a job or not. But once Taylor decides to leave home, her “voice” changes to be more mature.
2. How does Alice Greer compare to/contrast with Mr. Hardbine or Mr. Shanks in terms of parenting skills?
Alice Greer is a big part of her daughter’s life and doesn’t try to control Taylor’s childhood, but supports her.
3. Why does Taylor leave Kentucky?
She leaves Kentucky because she wants a change of scenery and she thinks that it’d benefit her to leave and start somewhere new.
4. Describe Taylor’s reaction to the Cherokee Nation.
Taylor’s reaction is that it’s plain and cliché; she makes a comment that her ancestor was right to have left because the Cherokee Nation is a place that you go to only if you are escaping someone or your life is in danger.
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.)
A home is the place that you can go where you are comfortable and content; you don’t feel like you are judged there and you feel like you belong. Taylor’s definition of “home” changes because she no longer wants to be in Kentucky, where she has grown up, but she wants to find her own way and settle down in a place that she chooses. She writes to her mother saying she’s taking her “head rights” with her because she has accepted the Indian in her.
6. How are women (or girls) treated in Chapter One?
Women are not looked at as equals, which isn’t so unusual where Taylor’s grown up.
7. Describe the shift in narration in Chapter Two. Who is telling the story now?
Lou Ann is the narrator in Chapter Two, instead of Taylor.
8. Why is it relevant that Lou Ann came from Kentucky?
It’s relevant because she is from the same hometown that Taylor is from.
9. How is Lou Ann different from Taylor?
Lou Ann is different because she is soft spoken and doesn’t have any confidence. Taylor is like a firecracker, with a sarcastic sense of humor and smart-ass remarks if she feels it’s necessary, but she is opinionated and doesn’t mind asking questions.
10. Describe Angel.
Angel is Lou Ann’s husband who leaves her right before their child is born. He is an ex-rodeo man with a prosthetic leg from the knee down. He is not very considerate of Lou Ann’s feelings, especially when he leaves without saying a word to her.
11. How did Taylor react to Arizona? What made her decide to stay there?
ReplyDeleteShe finds Arizona a lot more welcoming than she found Oklahoma because she didn’t like Oklahoma since it was all plains with no hills.
12. Why does Taylor find “Jesus Is Lord Used Tires” and “1-800-THE-LORD” so humorous?
She finds this humorous because there’s nothing that involves Jesus in them.
13. Compare/contrast Mattie’s garden to the Garden of Eden.
Mattie’s garden is very welcoming and overflowing with all different types of fruits and vegetables. The Garden of Eden is also very overflowing and beautiful, but in Mattie’s garden, you are welcome to whatever she is, whereas the Garden of Eden had limitations.
14. What is Lou Ann’s conflict in Chapter Four? How does she resolve it? What does this say about her character?
Lou Ann’s conflict is that her mother and grandmother are in town and they do not know about Angel. She resolves this by having him stop by to pretend he still lives there and not mentioning anything to her family. This says that her character is meek and doesn’t stand up to people well, especially her family.
15. What does Chapter Four say about the bonds between women?
Chapter Four describes the bonds between women as very heavy and prominent, like a weight in the air that you can feel even after they are gone.
16. What does the Tug Fork water symbolize?
It symbolizes that the baby is a part of the family and that he’s expected to be baptized in the same way that the rest of Lou Ann’s family was.
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?
These characters are very much like stereotypical hippies. Lou Ann is very talkative and friendly, making Taylor feel at home at once, whereas when she went to check the rent for Fei, La-Isha, and Timothy, she felt like an intruder and very awkward. Taylor chooses to live with Lou Ann because she is more comfortable to be around.
18. What does the description of Mattie’s garden in Chapter Six suggest?
It suggests that Mattie takes good care of her garden and she enjoys her gardening a lot.
19. Describe the attitude toward men on the part of the characters and author in Chapter Six.
Lou Ann still feels love for Angel and despite her tries, she cannot feel true anger towards him because she won’t accept that there’s nothing she could’ve done. Taylor is very choosy with the men in her life.
20. How is Estevan different from the other male characters we’ve seen?
Esteven is very literate and polite, with easy conversation and a sweet way with words.
21. What does Mattie do for people like Estevan and Esperanza? What clues earlier in the story hinted at her activities?
Mattie houses these people when they do not have a place to stay. The clues that are hinted are through dialogue that Estevan has with Taylor.
22. What does the “Miracle of Dog Doo Park” refer to?
This refers to how one thing seems like it won’t be anything more than ugly or bland, and then it turns out to be beautiful.
23. What does Taylor learn about Estevan and Esperanza’s past? How does this affect Taylor?
She learns that Esperanza’s brother was killed in a raid, as well as two other men. She also learns that the government took their daughter away and they never got her back. Estevan and Esperanza leave Guatemala and are not laying low at Mattie’s house.
24. How does Taylor feel about Estevan?
She feels a strong attraction for him; his proper English, his ease of conversation, and the feeling that she gets around him.
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