The Loving Support in The Bean Trees
Vivian Greene once said that, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain” (“Goodreads.com”). In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, The Bean Trees, she brings together a group of dysfunctional people at their most desperate times. She emphasizes the importance of a community and loyalty. Every character has strengths however, they still need someone by their side that they can count on. Kingsolver reveals how someone can turn negative predicaments into something positive through friendship, abandonment and motherhood through her characters.
First, friendship is the essential key that brings everyone together and encourages one to be a better person. Kingsolver displays a strong…show more content… This is made quite clear when Taylor’s Mom is seen as one of Taylor’s greatest companions. (Kingsolver 14-15). In this novel, there are no examples of any fake or toxic friendships because the author is trying to portray the importance of friendship and togetherness. Mattie is the epitome of friendship. She is an older lady and is the owner of Jesus is Lord Used Tires. She acted as a mentor towards Taylor, gave Taylor a job and tires for her car. Taylor was scared to work at Jesus is Lord Tires because of a traumatic event in which someone ended up dying. However, Mattie not only rids Taylor of her fears but teaches her how to be brave and confident. Mattie is an all-around caring person who devotes her life to help other. She brings refugees to her facilities, and gives them shelter, clothes, food, and even tries to help them recover from the emotional physical pain they have undergone in Central America. Finally, she helps to move them on to other and safer locations, farther from the border with Mexico (DeMarr). Mattie constantly pours her heart out to others and is a role-model for each
