Question

Which quote best supports the coming-of-age theme of The Bean Trees? A. "The whole Tucson Valley lay in front of us, resting in its cradle of mountains." B. "It's terrible to lose somebody. I mean, I don't know firsthand, but I can imagine it must be." C. "The grass was scraggly, struggling to come up between shiny bald patches of dirt. Mostly it put me in mind of an animal with the mange." D. "Do you know, I spent the first half of my life avoiding motherhood and tires, and now I'm counting them as blessings?"

Answer 1

In Barbara Kingsolver's coming-of-age novel, The Bean Trees, the quote that best supports the theme is B. "It's terrible to lose somebody. I mean, I don't know firsthand, but I can imagine it must be." This is because her novel focuses on the importance of family and community especially during hard times. The quote implies that although the person hasn't experienced losing anyone, one can only imagine how difficult that must be.