A good man is hard to find in The Bean Trees. Not to start confusing it with Flannery O'Connor's picture of how a good man is hard to find. But anyway, for the most part, this novel is populated by women and girls: mothers, daughters, grandmothers, neighbors, sisters, social workers, and friends. Together, these women form tight social networks, and communities of reciprocal attention and care; together, they see one another through good times and bad. We could say that The Bean Trees reads like Steel Magnolias and The Babysitter's Club rolled into one. But we'll let you judge for yourself.
Questions About Women and Femininity
- How many examples of mother and grandmother figures are there in The Bean Trees?
- How does the novel define healthy, successful motherhood?
- Compare Alice Greer and Ivy Logan. Do Taylor's and Lou Ann's mothers share any striking similarities? Or is it all about the big differences between them?
- What is the relationship between Virgie Mae and Edna Poppy?
Chew on This
Although the novel suggests that some of the many mothers who show up in its pages have been more caring and stable than others, on the whole, the book represents them much more positively than fathers and men in general. With very few exceptions, father figures in The Bean Trees are uncaring, wayward, and/or abusive. In comparison, women are shown to provide the best care, protection, and support.
Although Taylor is willing to care for Turtle, she doesn't want motherhood to limit or define her. Above all, she refuses to make her life conform to a strictly gendered pattern—one that would expect her to fulfill the roles of girlfriend, mother, and wife.