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:
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Taylor's mother always told her that trading Foster, Taylor's father, for her "was the best deal this side of the Jackson Purchase."
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When Taylor was in high school, she had a new science teacher who "came high railing in there like some blond Paul McCartney."
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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."
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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.
