The Bean Trees: Character Studies--Poem
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Objective: Students will explore the characters and language of The Bean Trees by using Kingsolver’s language to create a poem about a character in the novel.
Directions:
- Choose a character in the novel (Taylor, Lou Ann, Mattie)
- Find passages that relate to that character.
- Decide which words, phrases, and sentences would be most relevant to a character study. Condense Kingsolver’s language, but (aside from verb tenses, minor prepositions, transitions, and conjunctions) do not change it.
- Organize those words, phrases, and sentences into a poem. Make sure that the piece is organized in a meaningful way (in a way that reflects the character, themes, or progression of the novel).
- To the right of the poem, place the page numbers from which you found the text.
Click for example poem.
Sample Poem:
Turtle
The way that child just held on: 22
Wet and cold and amazing… 21, 22
Hands constantly catching my fingers 22
Not letting go 22
like a mud turtle 22
A girl, poor thing. 23
Bruises, bruises, 23
more bruises, 23
and worse. 23
Click to close example poem.
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Click here for assignment rubric.
For example, in “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D. H. Lawrence, the narrator enters into the thoughts and secrets of every character, revealing both the “hard little place” in the mother’s heart and Paul’s determination to “compel her attention” by being lucky.
NEXT: Lesson 2 The Bean Trees: Quotations and Themes
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