Motherhood in The Bean Trees Essay

A nonher prominent example of motherhood is Lou Anns relationship with Dwayne Ray. Although the baby has not true a personality yet, and cannot respond with his mother, we cannot tell how Dwayne Rays part of the relationship is, but we can predict how it leave be. It can be take for granted that he will always be cared for by his mother, Lou Ann, for her worrisome ways and fear of her sons death keep her a vigilant mother, unrelenting in retention him as safe and healthy as possible. When she asked Taylor of her opinion of her motherhood skills, Taylor replied that The flip side of worrying to much is just not caringDwayne Ray will always know that, no matter what, youre never going to neglect him. Youll never just sit around and let him dehydrate, or come up without a personality, or anything like that. And that would be ever so much worse. You read roughly it happening in the paper all the sentence Somebody forgetting a baby in a car and letting It roast, or some such thing. If anything, Lou Ann, youre just too secure of a mother. (pg. 156) of which she speaks total truth that Lou Ann, although worrisome and lacking in backbone, still is a good mother, because she tries with all her efforts to make sure Dwayne Ray grows up.She is of the most passionate of mothers in the book, and will do her utmost to see to it that Dwayne Ray will live past 2000, despite whatever her dreams and nightmares may tell her. Taylor, the main mother of the book, is the still non-biological mother represented, which makes her relationship with Turtle all the more special, meaning that she took her despite their lack of family ties, and fought to keep her, although she could have easily relinquished her duties as mother.Throughout the book, she plays a use shes avoided all her life, in order to protect and care for this little girl that was given to her care against her own wishes. She has absolutely no hint what to do, and constantly worries that she isnt raising Turtle properly. Her worries are lessened, however, after Turtle beings speaking, her first noise being laughter because if Turtle was unhappy, she would have not laughed when she did a somersault.Taylor becomes more confidant in her role, and eventually accepts it to be perfectly normal, as does everyone else, and no one even considers Turtle not to be Taylors nestling, proved when many biological references are made between the two, despite their lack of blood ties. After Turtle is attacked in the park, Taylor begins to think that she isnt doing a good job as a segregate mother, and when Turtle is threatened to be taken away from Taylor, she feels that the case to save Turtle is helpless and begins to think that the domain department would do better than she would in raising the child.However, Mattie convinces her otherwise when she tells Taylor that she isnt asking the correct questions, that Youre asking yourself, Can I give this child the best possible upbringing and keep her out o f harms way her whole life long? The answer is no, you cant. But nobody else can either. non a state home, thats for sure. For heavens sake, the best they can do is turn their heads while the kids learn to pick locks and snort hootch, and then learn to keep them out of jail. Nobody can protect a child from the worldDo I think it would be interesting, maybe even sweet in the long run, to share my life with this kid and give her my best effort and maybe when alls said and done, end up with a good friend. (pg. 178). What Mattie says here when comforting Taylor is a Barbara Kingsolver definition of motherhood. Taylor worries that she is unable to care for a child, and that with this attack, even the state would do a better job than she could, but, as Mattie said, no one can protect a child from the world, and especially someone that doesnt care for them, like the state.They need a mother, a guardian, anyone that cares about them to raise as good a child as chance permits. Through th e caring and affection Taylor received as a child, the worry and organic concern Lou Ann pays Dwayne Ray, and Taylors behavior towards a child that is not her own, all show examples of how, biological or not, a mother or a mother-like role in a childs life can lead them to riches or ruin. Their moral fiber, their behavior, their ethics all depend upon what they are taught and raised(a) upon.Newt Hardbine and Jolene Shanks never had these morals and ethics instilled in them, thus leading them to terrible, even short lived, lives. Barbara Kingsolver uses these examples, even through minor characters such as Sandi at the Burger Derby and Bobby Bingo who sells vegetables out of his truck. All examples seen in The Bean Trees show that Motherhood and the role of a mother plays a predominant part not only in the book, but universally.