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Archetypes In Kingsolver's The Bean Trees

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Because flowers go in cycles of life and death, we can look to them as archetypes. The cycle is really closely related to the circle which is a very prominent archetype in the world today and the past. The other thing I think of when I hear the word flowers is gardens. When I looked for the garden archetype I found that gardens symbolize love and fertility (YourDictionary 2). Flowers and gardens also have many symbols associated with them depending on who you ask.
Missy and her mother are shelling peas together talking about Missy getting a job (Kingsolver 5). This section reminds me of when I shelled peas with grandma. There aren’t any bean plant specific archetypes but the color green symbolizes earth and growth (YourDictionary 3). Shelling beans can constitute a change. In the book The Bean Trees this means that Missy is likely going to come out of her shell and show who she really is. This foreshadows a little about how likely she is going to start a life of her own and leave. This use of the symbol really adds to the story because it shows a growth of the main character early on. …show more content…

When I think of the marigold I think of the time when I was a child and I loved to see marigolds. They remind me of grandma’s house and the beauty of the garden. When I looked it up I found that the marigold is the flower that is most associated with the desire for riches (Month 2). By the end of the book Missy is still interested in riches, but it’s different than we would expect. Missy is interested in the riches of knowing and raising a child who she loves and cares for. This adds depth to the story because there is a drastic difference between the beginning riches and the riches at the end of this

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