This document provides an introduction to the 1988 novel The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. It includes biographical details about Kingsolver, noting she grew up in Kentucky but also lived in the Congo and Tucson, Arizona. The document outlines the themes of the novel, including overcoming adversity and the importance of family. It also discusses some of the social issues the book addresses, such as the plight of illegal immigrants and the burden of womanhood. Finally, it raises questions about ethics and universal moral values.

1. The Bean Trees
INTRODUCTION

2. Barbara Kingsolver
Author, b. 1955
 Grew up in Kentucky (Kingsolver, 2014, p. 2)
 Moved to the Republic of Congo in 1963, where
her father volunteered as a doctor (Kingsolver,
2014, p. 4)
 Lived in Tucson, AZ, where she and her husband
were “active in organizations that worked to
investigate human-rights violations in the boarder
and support Latin American refugees seeking
asylum” (Kingsolver, 2014, p. 8)
 Lives in Kentucky on a sustainable family farm
(Kingsolver, 2014, p. 17).
Photo of Barbara Kinsolver, n.d.
“These jarring stints [abroad] were double-edged,
giving me both a sense of the world beyond my
own small hometown, and an uneasy status as an
outsider in a peer-group that valued conformity”
(Kingsolver, 2014, p. 5)

3. The Bean Trees (1988)
Themes
 Overcoming adversity
 All human beings have the same needs
 The importance of family
 Sacrifices bring reward
Social Issues
 The burden of womanhood
 The plight of illegal immigrants
 The process of adoption
Cover of The Bean Trees , n.d.  Respect for the environment

4. Ethics in The Bean Trees
What is ethical behavior?
 A commitment to a system of universal moral values
 How we tell right from wrong
 Universal moral values—values that “affirm our fundamental human worth and dignity”
(Lickona, 1991, p. 38)
 What values would you define as universal?

5. References
Cover of The Bean Trees [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kingsolver.com/books/the-bean-trees.html
Kingsolver, B. (2014). Barbara Kingsolver revealed: An autobiography (Slide presentation]. Retrieved from
http://www.kingsolver.com/biography/autobiography.html
Lickona, T. (1991). Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. New York: Bantam Books.
Photo of Barbara Kingsolver [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://readingrainbowbookgroup.blogspot.com/2012/02/poisonwood-bible-
by-barbara-kingsolver.html