Analysis Of Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees
In this passage of The Bean Trees, author Barbara Kingsolver uses the subtle nuances of literary diction, language, imagery and syntax to develop a familiar, colloquial tone. Her demotic English creates the conversational tone – everyday spoken language lends to a casual, relaxed effect. Additionally, Kingsolver creates a genial sense of writing by building warm imagery and a spirited sense of comfort.
The piece uses concrete, pedestrian diction. It expresses a casual encounter between Lou Ann and the vendor, and is mostly conversational dialogue. This captures the folksy language of plain people in an informal environment. Kingsolver also uses strings of monosyllabic words to further emphasize informality and simplicity. The characters refer
to each other as “tomato lady,” and “vegetable man,” showing the familiarity between them. Kingsolver appeals to the sympathetic emotions of the audience by describing a man who sells “vegetables out of his dilapidated truck” and a young woman who has to “collect the nerve to how much they cost.” The vegetable truck is “one block down and across the street,” emphasizing the simple, very colloquial feel. These descriptions make for a very down-to-earth relationship between the author, the audience and the characters.
The imagery exalts the ordinary literary climate. References to the color red occur throughout the excerpt; the woman stops to buy tomatoes and “flushes” when the merchant recognizes her. He packages the tomatoes in a bag with “red letters on it,” and is friendly to her by “picking a red apple” and offering it to her baby. Their actions are natural and unaffected, and red with warmth. They are not “hard” or “pink” toward each other like “sickly city fruit.” The narration shines through complex, descriptive sentences, which balance and contrast the characters’ short and informal dialogue. These are juxtaposed in such a way to add to the tone. The descriptions capitalize on Lou Ann and Billy Bingo’s ability to give wisdom to each other, adding to the allusions of amenability between them. The combination of syntax and language amount to a very clear sense of what is happening in the scene, and exemplify a simple tone.
Barbara Kingsolver engages the utilization of a congenial, straightforward tone in a relaxed situation. Her prosaic choice of words to display a casual exchange between two people, combined with simple language and warm imagery, give charm to an everyday scenario. Her syntactic arrangement demonstrates an appeal to the comfort of friendliness between strangers, and creates an artistic balance of flowery descriptions and solid details.
The piece uses concrete, pedestrian diction. It expresses a casual encounter between Lou Ann and the vendor, and is mostly conversational dialogue. This captures the folksy language of plain people in an informal environment. Kingsolver also uses strings of monosyllabic words to further emphasize informality and simplicity. The characters refer
to each other as “tomato lady,” and “vegetable man,” showing the familiarity between them. Kingsolver appeals to the sympathetic emotions of the audience by describing a man who sells “vegetables out of his dilapidated truck” and a young woman who has to “collect the nerve to how much they cost.” The vegetable truck is “one block down and across the street,” emphasizing the simple, very colloquial feel. These descriptions make for a very down-to-earth relationship between the author, the audience and the characters.
The imagery exalts the ordinary literary climate. References to the color red occur throughout the excerpt; the woman stops to buy tomatoes and “flushes” when the merchant recognizes her. He packages the tomatoes in a bag with “red letters on it,” and is friendly to her by “picking a red apple” and offering it to her baby. Their actions are natural and unaffected, and red with warmth. They are not “hard” or “pink” toward each other like “sickly city fruit.” The narration shines through complex, descriptive sentences, which balance and contrast the characters’ short and informal dialogue. These are juxtaposed in such a way to add to the tone. The descriptions capitalize on Lou Ann and Billy Bingo’s ability to give wisdom to each other, adding to the allusions of amenability between them. The combination of syntax and language amount to a very clear sense of what is happening in the scene, and exemplify a simple tone.
Barbara Kingsolver engages the utilization of a congenial, straightforward tone in a relaxed situation. Her prosaic choice of words to display a casual exchange between two people, combined with simple language and warm imagery, give charm to an everyday scenario. Her syntactic arrangement demonstrates an appeal to the comfort of friendliness between strangers, and creates an artistic balance of flowery descriptions and solid details.