Bean Trees Essay Essay, Research Paper

At the very beginning of the book, in the first chapter, the author

makes it very clear that Missy (Taylor), did not want to get pregnant,

like all the rest of the girls in Pittman County. In fact it was the last

thing on earth that she wanted. Funny thing about that I guess, in that

the last thing on earth that she wanted to happen to her, happened to

her. After all those years of not having sex, and not wanting to get

pregnant, and after all the precautions she took, she ends up with

Turtle, and now she is just like all the other girls in Pittman County.

Tayor had a goal of not becoming pregnant and it definitely was

reshaped when Turtle was given to her.

The author shows commitment to Taylor s goal by stressing

abstinence, and all that other no sex stuff, but the main commitment

shown to Taylor s goal by the author, is when Taylor leaves Pittman

County. All the other kids wanted to party it up and spray paint Class

of 75 on the water tower, but Taylor had a different plan. While she

was working she had saved enough money, on top of help paying for

the bills etc., she was able to save up enough money to buy a car.

This shows great commitment to a goal by Taylor. She sacrificed

enjoying graduation, because she had her own goal, and that was to

get out of Pittman County.

Taylor seemed to have everything in check. She was leaving

Pittman County, she was going to try and get herself a new name,

and things were looking pretty good, but Taylor s lucky streak would

eventually end. Taylor was hit with huge adversity when Turtle was

given to her, and at first Taylor didn t want Turtle tagging along on her

journeys. Taylor s goal had now been bent out of shape and now

Taylor worst nightmare had come true. Think of Taylor as an elastic

band. The elastic band was twisted, pulled, and bent, but it did not

break, and this becomes key in the reshaping of her goal.

Taylor could have just passed Turtle down to someone else and

say Here you deal with it, but she didn t she did not justify or blame

she took responsibility for what she was given and in time treated

Turtle like she was her own. Taylor s goal had now shifted from I

don t want to get pregnant and be like all the other girls in Pittman

County, to I want to be a responsible mother for this child. She deals

with her situation very well. First of all she pulls over and gets some

rest, and thinks about her options. After she makes her decision to

keep Turtle, their relationship grows immensely, and Taylor starts to

fulfill her goal of being a good mother and taking good care of this

child. Later on in the book Taylor meets Mattie, Lou Anne, Edna,

Esperanza, Estevan and many more people who eventually Taylor

becomes good friends with. As the book moves along Taylor builds a

very strong love for Turtle and Taylor becomes closer to achieving

her goal, but hang on!! Turtle gets molested, and all of a sudden

Taylor feels like she has let Turtle down and feels like she is a bad

parent. This was the second time that Turtle had been molested and

after the first time Taylor had spent 8 or 9 months trying to convince

Turtle that no one would ever hurt her ever again. So, again the

elastic band is twisted, bent, and pulled and this time is breaks.

Taylor starts to vent her thoughts of the world to Lou Ann, and Lou

Ann just takes it all in, and does what any good friend would. She ties

the elastic band back together for Taylor, comforting her etc., and

Taylor once again starts to focus on her goal of being a good parent

and taking care of Turtle.

From here on out Taylor is flawless, she takes very good care of

Turtle and in the end of the book, Taylor accomplishes her goal by

officially making Turtle her s. Taylor s consistent persistence,

enables her to achieve her goal. Her initial goal was not only

reshaped, it was changed entirely. Taylor paid the price for a worthy

goal. She got a job, read to Turtle and did all the things a normal

parent would do for their own son/daughter, and in the end Taylor was

able to achieve her goal and adopt Turtle.

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