Allusion.
Another figure of speech that Kingsolver often uses throughout The Bean Trees is allusion. She refers to historical or famous people, objects, and events to suggest more than what she is saying. Examples of Kingsolver’s allusions include:
Taylor’s mother always told her that trading Foster, Taylor’s father, for her “was the best deal this side of the Jackson Purchase.”
When Taylor was in high school, she had a new science teacher who “came high railing in there like some blond Paul McCartney.”
As Taylor and Turtle drive across the Arizona border, they see “clouds [that] were pink and fat and hilarious looking, like the hippo ballerinas in a Disney movie.”
Because Taylor is afraid that a tire will blow up whenever she goes to Jesus Is Lord Used Tires to check on her car, she “felt like John Wayne in that war movie where he buckles down his helmet, takes a swig of bourbon, and charges across the mine field yelling something like, ‘Live Free or Bust!’”
Because the emotional effects created by allusions depend on the association that already exists in the reader’s mind, it is necessary for the reader to either have knowledge of the allusions or be willing to research the allusions to understand the various meanings that Kingsolver attaches to them.
Symbolism.
Symbols in The Bean Trees enrich the themes found in the novel and, oftentimes, suggest Kingsolver’s extensive background in biology.
A symbol functions literally as a concrete object and figuratively as a representation of an idea. Symbols allow writers to compress complicated ideas or views into an image or word. Some symbols, such as a dove as a representation of peace or winter as a representation of death, are well known; they are called public symbols. Many times, writers invent their own symbols. When Kingsolver creates symbols, she has her own definite meanings for the symbols. However, because each symbol has a myriad of interpretations, she prefers that her readers interpret the symbolism as it relates to their own life experiences.
Much of the symbolism found in the novel is biological in nature, as Kingsolver repeatedly employs birds, plants, and animals. For example, the symbiotic relationship between the rhizobia and the wisteria vines represents the theme of the interdependency between people in a community. The “bean trees,” or wisteria, that are able to thrive in non-fertile soil and the bird that builds its nest in a cactus (“You just couldn’t imagine how she’d made a home in there”) may symbolize the resiliency and ability to thrive that human beings (like Turtle) possess.
A bird is used as a symbol again later in the novel. After Turtle is molested in the park, a bird gets trapped in the house and, with Taylor’s help, is freed. This trapped bird symbolizes the fact that Turtle is once again trapped within herself—she stops speaking and has a glazed look in her eyes—but with Taylor’s help, Turtle is freed, too. This symbol reinforces the themes of interdependence between people, the importance of family, and hope for the future.
Fundamentalism as a Leitmotif.
Fundamentalism is a religious movement that interprets scripture literally and applies it to daily life. Fundamentalism flourished during the twentieth century, particularly in the South. The doctrines of the movement were published around 1910 in pamphlets entitled The Fundamentals. Modern Fundamentalism stresses Bible study, is anti-intellectual, and is revivalist (involving highly emotional gatherings that serve to promote religion).
In literature or art, a leitmotif is an intentional repetition of an idea, word, phrase, or situation. Fundamentalism used as a leitmotif in the bean trees includes the oral roberts telephone number, 1-800-the lord. Taylor first sees the telephone number on an Oral Roberts television show (Roberts is a television evangelist) when she is in a restaurant in Oklahoma. The telephone number becomes a lifeline for Taylor, her “ace in the hole.” She knows that if things get really bad, she can call 1-800-the lord to get help.
After Taylor “hit bottom and survived,” she realizes that she no longer needs the security that having the telephone number gave her. She calls 1-800-THE LORD to thank them for the emotional and psychological support that they have given her—although, of course, they have no idea who Taylor is—and finds out that she’s been deceived. The number is not a number to call for help, but a number to call to pledge money to Oral Roberts’ ministry. Instead of being upset, Taylor asks them to give her a donation and is thankful that she is no longer in a position to need the number.
