Seedfolks is a popular book by Paul Fleischman, that shows how people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, ages and nationalities can come together as a community because of a garden. A young Korean girl planted some lima beans in an abandoned vacant lot in remembrance of her father who had died before she was born. Fleischman shows how people with diverse backgrounds can come together as a community. Sae Young was forced to live a life fearing a brutal robbery, Maricela who was pregnant as a teenager but hated it, and Curtis whose girlfriend had broken up with him. Maricela felt that she was hated by everyone because “if you’re Mexican, the Cubans and the Puerto Ricans hate you”. The entire world hates you “if you’re a pregnant teenager” and they think “[you] should be burned on a stake”. She wants people to “shoot [her] and get it over with” because she is embarrassed to be pregnant in front of the crowd. Penny who …show more content…
His girlfriend "Lateesha cut [him] loose. He had a good "body" so he had lots of girls around him all the time and him "just couldn't brush [them off]" but she thought it the wrong way around and "cut him loose". Since then he has been trying to explain but she "wouldn't let [him] explain" which happened “twice”. He was trying to do “deeds” to get her back and because of the garden he had an idea to grow “tomatoes” because she had a “thing for tomatoes”. He was trying to grow the “biggest – beefsteak tomatoes” ever because Lateesha liked them. Curtis put it down in a "spot" where "she could look down and see it". The tomatoes started growing but they weren't "all the way ripe yet". He "painted a sign" and wrote "Lateesha's Tomatoes" for her to see through her apartment window. He was "walking back" and he looked up "at her window" she was "staring down at the sign". This community garden helped Curtis and Lateesha gets back to together. Therefore, the garden helps people come
While she might think that her plans are working, they only lead her down a path of destruction. She lands in a boarding house, when child services find her, she goes to jail, becomes pregnant by a man who she believed was rich. Also she becomes sentenced to 15 years in prison, over a street fight with a former friend she double crossed. In the end, she is still serving time and was freed by the warden to go to her mother’s funeral. To only discover that her two sisters were adopted by the man she once loved, her sister is with the man who impregnated her, and the younger sister has become just like her. She wants to warn her sister, but she realizes if she is just like her there is no use in giving her advice. She just decides that her sister must figure it out by
Unplanned pregnancies are very common in the show. The show tackled the topic of abortion by revealing that Jane's mother, Xiomara, had a medication abortion after learning that she had gotten pregnant from a one-night-stand. The show also touched on abortion earlier when Jane is mistakenly artificially fertilized in the pilot episode, and the topic comes up as an option when Jane is figuring out what to do about her pregnancy. But for Xiomara’s case, it was taken in a different situation. Although she had the abortion off-screen, so the episode began when she already had the abortion, it marked the first time a Latina character has had an abortion on television.
In the book Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman there are many different characters, and even some of them cross paths. A community garden was started just by one person therefore everyone follows. They all learn how to get along with other people, how to not stereotype so much, and how to depend on each other in their community. All of them struggle with something, whether it's with family, friends, or feeling stereotyped. They learn the importance of a community, and realize how much they really depend on each other. Having a community is important for all people to incorporate diversity, culture,and unique stories into their lives. You don't realize how much people depend on their community until its gone. The importance
While most movies of the 2000s somehow spoke about sex among young adults, for the first time the emphasis is on the virginity of a Mexican American female. In part this topic is not discussed openly, it is only discussed awkwardly in a mother to daughter conversation. This movie opens the eye to many families conservative other this matter, Ana’s mother openly shames her daughter to losing her virginity to a random person which was not the case. In this scene, rather than have a heartwarming conversation with her daughter she is angry possibly at her daughter but possibly at herself for not knowing what her daughter was doing. Ana is prepared to lose her virginity and is responsible to purchase contraceptives something also talked about but mostly whispered in the chicano community. Ana states that women get pregnant not because they are having sex but because they are having it unprotected or don’t know how to use different methods of contraceptive. The talk among Mexican American families is not how to use contraceptives rather it is do not get pregnant or “ELSE”. Real Women Have Curves shows that the real problem is not getting pregnant it is the lack of communication Mexican American women have with their
From close-mouthed to communicative, oblivious to obsessed, indifferent to independent, The Bean Trees shows all sorts of changes that can occur in unimaginable situations. Making these transformations seem so real, Barbara Kingsolver effectively brings the book to life by allowing the characters to uniquely grow and thrive in all sorts of circumstances just like we do in the real world. Lessons could even be taken from what these people learned through their journeys in life and applied to how we carry ourselves in our daily lives. Independence, self confidence, persistence, and perseverance all prove to be integral qualities in succeeding in life no matter what it throws at us.
Both Dumas and Cordero are growing up in a culture that is different from their parents’; this difference is one reason why both girls have a feeling of ‘otherness.’ Even though both girls feel a struggle between their heritage and the American culture they live in, they deal with this struggle in dissimilar ways. Although Cordero does love her family, she feels as though she is trapped by her Mexican heritage. She is surrounded by Mexican-American females who are oppressed, unsatisfied, and often longing for a different life. We get many stories of her grandmother, cousins, and neighbors who are stuck in a place of discontent with no way out; and she does not be part of an endless loop of females who are under the control of men.
In consideration, many unexpected events can occur to us, which helps to shape one’s belief in something that they should avoid having. The novel, The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver portrays the life of Taylor Greer, a young and spirited woman who is brave enough to move out of a rural home in Kentucky with the goal of avoiding pregnancy. Little did Taylor know, she faces a human condition of accepting a three-year-old American Indian girl named Turtle. Throughout her journey, she creates many friendships with other people and love toward Turtle so there are many things that
Later on, Lil Mago brings both Casper and Smiley to La Bombilla. La Bombilla’s a place beside train tracks on where illegal immigrants wait aside on passing trains so that they could travel toward the United States. Throughout the time being in La Bombilla, the MS-16 gang members robbed passengers for all valuable belongings. Thru all this chaotic behavior, Lil Mago spots a beautiful Honduran teenage girl n...
For instance, in Sam’s chapter, a young boy named Royce is introduced. He is an African American teenager that Sam hires to help him plant something in the garden. People automatically assumed he was a trouble maker or someone who couldn’t be trusted. Later in Amir’s chapter, it is revealed that Royce was one of three men who stopped a robber trying to steal a woman’s purse. This is when everyone forgets about the previous stereotypes and realizes that Royce is actually a very generous, trustworthy teen. So in addition to helping people overcome their prejudice, the garden also helped the people who were victims of stereotyping. It made them feel like a real citizen in the community. On page 50, Nora explains, “Many people grew plants from their native lands- huge Chinese melons, ginger, cilantro, a green the Jamaicans call Callaloo, and many more.” Later on the page she continues, “We, like out seeds were now planted in the garden” Nora’s first quote explains that people that may have been judged for bringing their culture to Cleveland, now felt proud to show off all of the unique parts of it. Her second quote explains that the garden was making people finally feel welcome because all of the stereotypes were melting away. This shows that when people from different communities come together, it can make them stronger and more
Donna’s father is angry when he finds out and automatically assumes it means she’s going to have sex with many men. This example is representative of the double standard held between men and women. It wouldn’t be an issue if one of the boys had multiple partners or used birth control, but as soon as one of the females does, it is frowned upon. When Jackie hears that Donna is on the pill, she exclaims “you’re going to be so popular,” which implies women can only be well-liked if they please men. Then, Eric’s parents give him “the talk” and while Kitty mentions that foreplay is important, Red disagrees. This implies a woman’s pleasure is not important, as long as men are taken care of. While Laurie is home, Eric finds out that she is failing classes, perpetuating the “dumb blonde”
the modern garden. She interprets how we have the need to control and create what we consider perfect with our sciences and labs. While rules reign, sanitation demands, and socialization take control of the perfect scene for a pleasant environment, the unpleasant side of these malls such as their trash is kept out of the vision of the consumer. Most of these consumer products that are used to entice the population to enter into this heavenly place on earth became waste that is not entirely recycled
Kingsolver develops the story of a strong young woman, named Taylor Greer, who is determined to establish her own individuality. The character learns that she must balance this individualism with a commitment to her community of friends, and in doing this, her life is immeasurably enriched. Many books speak of family, community, and individuality. I believe, however, that the idea that Barbara Kingsolver establishes in her book, The Bean Trees, of a strong sense of individualism, consciously balanced with a keen understanding of community as extended family, is a relatively new idea to the genre of the American novel.
The Bean Trees is a novel which shows Taylor’s maturation; it is a bildungsroman story. Taylor is a developing or dynamic character. Her moral qualities and outlook undergo a permanent change. When the novel begins, Taylor is an independent-minded young woman embarking on an adventure to a new world. She has no cares or worries. She is confident in her abilities, and is determined to make it through life on her own. As she discovers new things and meets new people, Taylor is exposed to the realities of the world. She learns about the plight of abandoned children and of illegal immigrants. She learns how to give help and how to depend upon the help of others. As she interacts with others, those people are likewise affected by Taylor. The other developing characters are Lou Ann Ruiz, Turtle, and Esperanza. Together they learn the importance of interdependence and find their confidence.
In the novel, The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, we watch as Taylor grows a great deal. This young woman takes on a huge commitment of caring for a child that doesn't even belong to her. The friends that she acquired along the way help teach her about love and responsibility, and those friends become family to her and Turtle. Having no experience in motherhood, she muddles through the best she can, as all mothers do.
...cy’s life on that fateful night. The man told me something along the lines of “Had we not stopped, Stacy would have lain on the ground for about 5 minutes, woken up, walked back home to Justin, and been beaten even more” Then he told me something that took me a moment to comprehend. “Stacy is pregnant and had been basically drinking herself and the baby to death. Although there is a bright side, Stacy sobered up and confessed to Justin’s abuse and now has a recovery plan and wants to start up a new life.”