The Bean Trees: Notes on Chapter 3

"Jesus is Lord Used Tires"

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Chapter Title, "Jesus is Lord Used Tires" (Kingsolver 36).

THEME: Where does one turn for spiritual guidance and relief? Nature? Organized religion? A tire shop sanctuary? As you continue reading, where does Taylor find support and fulfillment?

You just never knew where something was going to end up (Kingsolver 40).

THEME: Much of life must be navigated without knowing where one might end up (remember the maze symbol?) though one does control how one acts/reacts to choices along the way. Example: Taylor ends up in Arizona with an abused Indian baby, but she doesn't abandon the child.

Hi, darlin'...These bugs aggravate the dickens out of me...(Kingsolver 41).

LANGUAGE/DIALECT: Kind-hearted Mattie (she won't squash the ants because "A bug's just got one life to live, after all. Like us.") speaks in non-standard English, a dialect, or regional variation of English. What effect does Mattie's informal, and slang-filled speech (ex. "dickens") have on establishing Mattie's character?

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