The Bean Trees
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
BLOG 6: AMAZING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE
For this final blog, I want you to find the most amazing, powerful piece
of textual evidence. Create a lead-in and don't forget the end
citation. After this, I want you to explain why you believe it is so
powerful and amazing. I want you to ANALYZE the piece of textual
evidence.
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When Taylor gets irritated by the way that Lou Ann has been acting she says, "It's not like we're a family, for Christ's sake. You've got your own life to live, and I've got mine. You don't have to do all this stuff for me" (p.89).
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is a really powerful line because the fact that she's saying they're not a family kills Lou Ann. All Lou Ann wants is a family and people that care about her and love her. She wants a family relationship with Taylor and Turtle and Taylor pretty much put an end to that. She tells Lou Ann that she doesn't want her doing all of that stuff for her and I think that goes back to Taylor being very independent. It's irritating Taylor that Lou Ann feels like she needs to help her and do stuff for her. Taylor doesn't feel right unless she does it herself. I think that Lou Ann is just trying to build a stronger bond and Taylor doesn't want that. I also feel like Lou Ann is imagining Taylor being like the "man" of the house. Taylor goes to work every day while Lou Ann watches the kids and does stuff for Taylor. It's like the relationship with Angel, so I think that Lou Ann is just relating them and trying to make it that family situation that she's always wanted.
NO P in the parenthesis. It should just be (89).
ReplyDeleteWhen Lou Ann was talking to Taylor about how she felt about Valentines day, Taylor remembered what her mom had told her: "Hogs go deaf at harvest time." It meant that people would only hear what they wanted to hear" (91).
ReplyDeleteI think that this idea is very powerful because it shows how self-absorbed people can become. When people become so prideful and persistent in what they want, they block out what other people have to say. They're the type of people that think they're "always right" and "fine" the way that they are. These types of people think they're so on top of the world, when people see them as the opposite, which is the most ignorant. For example, let's say a friend is giving you advice, right? Usually, some people take it to heart, but other people listen in through one ear, and out the other; and, they wonder why things don't work out the way they want them to! People become so cocky about themselves that they don't recognize how far you have to get knocked back in order to learn a little something about life. These are the type of people that usually have things handed to them since they don't feel the need to fix anything. Unless you have complete relevance to their life, they wouldn’t think twice about looking back at you. This also applies to the way that people handle relationships. If there’s no sense of communication between two people, you can’t expect it to work out. Even when you’re settling out disputes, you should be able to sit on your pride to be able to hear each other out; you’d practically be surprised at what you can learn through other people. “Knowledge is power.” Blocking it out will only keep you behind from what the real world is like. You can’t expect to see how you are through yourself; dependence on other people is almost necessary.
All Lou Ann wants is a family and people that care about her and love her. She wants a family relationship with Taylor and Turtle and Taylor doesn't want that to happen, Taylor tells Lou Ann that she doesn't want her doing all of that stuff for her and I think that returns back to the fishowl in how you said she tries to be independent and mature when she's really not that independent or mature at all. It irritates Taylor that Lou Ann tries to help her out all the time because she thinks she doesn't need help but she actually does, I think that's kind of where some of the immaturity shows at because Taylor doesn't feel right unless she does it herself without help. I think that Lou Ann is just trying to build a stronger bond and Taylor doesn't want that.
ReplyDeleteWhere is your direct CD with proper lead-in and end citation?
DeleteWhen Taylor and Lou Ann are drinking beers, she says she is drunk after drinking three beers and never drinks because she is afraid of what will happen and says, " I don't know. How do I know? Just something. I feel like the only reason I have friends at all is because I'm always careful not to say something totally dumb, and if I blow it just one time, then that's it" (89). I think that this is powerful because it shows how weak and self conscious Lou Ann actually is. It shows that she has no image of herself and bases her own opinion on what other people think of her. It really reinforces our first idea of Lou Ann. It shows how dependent and lonely she is. She really needs Taylor and she needs to have them living in her house with them.
ReplyDeleteTaylor realizes she over exaggerated her fear of tires: "I had never thought of a tire explosion in relative terms, thought it stood to reason that some would be worse than others. By no means did this put my fears to rest, but still I felt better somehow. What the hell. Live free or bust" (84). This is powerful statement made in the chapter because no matter how independent and brave Taylor appears to be, there is only so much she can stand to. This acts as a 'reality check' for Taylor. It shows her that she can only control so much to certain extents. Mattie throwing the jug of water that is the same force of a tire filled with air taught Taylor a lesson. Even though she can't control everything that happens to and around her, she has to keep going. Not matter what adversities might lay ahead, don't stop moving forward.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTaylor is sad about Mattie's beautiful, purple bean vines turning black, but Mattie tells her that "That's the circle of life...The old has to pass on before the new can come around" (80).
ReplyDeleteI think that this quote is so powerful and amazing because it sort of shows a bit of vulnerability in Taylor when it comes to change. We have always seen her so okay with change, and now we are seeing a new side of her- the apprehensive, anxious side. Although she is a risk taker and takes a lot of chances, she is still a bit uneasy to start off with. It shows a bit of foreshadowing for the book because it talks about change and I think Taylor will face many more changes between now and the end of the book. I feel like it goes deeper and we will be able to see the different ways that she will cope with new changes in her life. We have seen her undergo so many changes, such as moving from place to place, changing her name, getting Turtle, meeting and working for Mattie, and moving in with Lou Ann. She has dealt with all of these situations in a mature way, for the most part, but I wonder how she will handle newer and smaller changes. She had difficulty accepting something as small as the plants changing color, so I feel like this shows that she finds big changes easier to cope with than smaller ones. Also, I think that she deals better with the changes that she inflicts upon herself (like moving from place to place) than the ones that she has no control over (like the plants changing color).
I really like this! I agree that the quote is extremely powerful and it does show some vulnerability. It shows that she's not always okay with the change that's happening. Some times it actually does get to her.
DeleteI like how you said that Taylor was a risk taker, and later on grew to become independant even though she has more growing up to do. We are waiting to see more changes in Taylor as she progresses in life
DeleteI definitely agree with you on this one because I do feel the same way for ho Taylor and Lou Ann will face more changes throughout their lives.
DeleteAs Mattie and Taylor began talking about her fear of exploding tires, Mattie told Taylor to dump the 28 pounds of water onto the sweet peas, "While the water glugged out over the sweet peas I noticed Mattie looking at me with her arms crossed. Just watching. I missed Mama so much my chest hurt" (85). This being said, I questioned what the true message of this was. I think that Mattie resembles Taylor's mom in that she watches over her and cares for the people whom she loves. I also think that although Taylor left her hometown, Mattie is there to serve as a mother figure to her, guiding her through her fears (ex: Taylor's fear of tires) and also being there to help her. This piece of textural evidence portrays the relationship between Taylor and Mattie and how close they have gotten overtime. I feel that this is important because it shows that Taylor can have someone to rely on instead of being totally dependent on herself. Not to say that being independent is bad, but having company there for you such as Mattie can help you persevere through any struggles you may have.
ReplyDeleteAfter talking to Mattie about her fear of tires, Taylor states: "'Okay' I said' We'll handle this together,how's that?'" (84)
ReplyDeleteI believe that this is powerful because it shows that everyone has limitations, even a n independent person like taylor. But together, as human, we are stronger and better. This is true in this situation. Taylor is a scared of tires, so Mattie helps her handle her fears. This also shows that supports systems can help with fears. In this situation, Mattie is Taylor's support system to help her get over her fears.
When Taylor comes back to the aprtment grumpy, she realizes: "We were like some family on a TV commercial" (88).
ReplyDeleteI feel that this is a powerful piece of textual evidence because family was a major topic in this chapter, along with many others. It expressed how a family doesn't always have to be a father, a mother, and their biological children. And even though Taylor didn't exactly enjoy the fact that she, Turtle, Lou Ann, and Dwayne Ray were starting to become a family, it still showed that she believed they were one. She saw Turtle as if she were her own daughter and she was concerned about the physical and emotional well-being of Lou Ann. And this topic isn't just shown through these four people, but also through other characters mentioned in the chapter, like the relationship between Taylor and her mother and the concern about sending her mother a card for Valentine's Day. And there is also the relationship that has been established between Taylor and Mattie that has helped Taylor look at the things in life through a different perspective. These relationships that Taylor has developed with other people have expressed the theme of being a family.
I do agree with your commentary in that how a family doesn't always have to be a father, a mother, and their biological children. I like how you stated that Taylor, Turtle, Lou Ann, and Dwayne Ray were starting to become a family, because i do agree with that.
DeleteI agree with you because i too agree that even though Taylor was trying so hard to run away from forming a family inevitably she came across Turtle and now she has Lou Ann and Dwayne Ray in her life as well. The topic of family is a big topic and it is true that Taylor does not want to be part of the family, but the family was already created with her encounter with Turtle.
DeleteI agree, this is breaking the stereotype that family is not a male, female, and child(ren) and they don't anyways have to get along. The four of them as a family is not the picture perfect image everyone aims for.
DeleteI really like your response. It was really thoughtful and analytical. I like how you based your response on the topic of family. I totally agree with all of your ideas. I loved all the details you put into it. It was only a one sentence quote but you were able to elaborate and be so thoughtful about it when you talked about it.
DeleteAfter Taylor becomes annoyed, she tells Lou Ann: "It's nice of you to make dinner for us, and to watch over turtle sometimes. But you're acting like we are a family." (...) (88).
ReplyDeleteTaylor explained to Lou Ann that she moved in because she was nice and she could see herself getting along with her. But after seeing her magazines on parenting and other parental tips she gets annoyned because Lou ann is trying to make it seems as if they are a family. But after a brief talk she brings lou Ann back to realilty telling her tha they are basically roomates. And she concludes that a family is suppose to have a father and mother, and not to mothers
When Lou Ann is depressed about Angel, Taylor decides to share something funny and inspiring with her: "'Parts are included for all installations, but no installation requires all of the parts.' That's kind of my philosophy about men. I don't think there's an installation out there that could use all of my parts'" (92).
ReplyDeleteThis really stood out to me because it sounded so meaningful, without the intention of it sounding that way. I feel like it was a clever thing to say to Lou Ann, and it will probably make Lou Ann really ponder her situation and issues with Angel. I feel like it could be referred to later in the story, and maybe play a topical role in the story. It's an inspiring quote, if you will, even though the words are just directions written on a flapper ball package for the toilet. Sometimes good things are found in the most unexpected places, right when you need them. I feel like it really spoke to Taylor, since she hasn't really been in a relationship with anyone. Maybe it's even foreshadowing in the faintest way, when she says "I don't think there's an installation out there that could use all of my parts" because she might find someone and get in a relationship with them.
When Taylor and Mattie went to see their destroyed crops from the killing frost, Mattie said to Taylor, "That's the cycle of life...The old has to pass on before the new can come around (80)." I believe this is powerful because sometimes change in life is good and can really help people succeed in their goals. In order to move on, old habits and ways has to be forgotten and replaced with better ones. Letting go or changing our weaknesses into strengths is what really matters in life because that is life and thats how ti works. Eventually, strengths will also change positively or negatively depending on how well life is going. After all, Taylor and Lou Ann are both really good examples of having good and bad changes in their life.
ReplyDeleteI like this response because it is relevant to the story and to us. It shows the different ways that Lou Ann and Taylor think, and how their different opinions can help them live and prosper together. I also liked how this CD shows what they both need to get over in life.
DeleteWhen Taylor and Mattie went to see their destroyed crops from the killing frost, Mattie said to Taylor, "That's the cycle of life...The old has to pass on before the new can come around" (80). I believe this is powerful because sometimes change in life is good and can really help people succeed in their goals. In order to move on, old habits and ways has to be forgotten and replaced with better ones. Letting go or changing our weaknesses into strengths is what really matters in life because that is life and thats how ti works. Eventually, strengths will also change positively or negatively depending on how well life is going. After all, Taylor and Lou Ann are both really good examples of having good and bad changes in their life.
Deleteexplains chapter 8 well gives good examples of good and bad changes in life
DeleteWhen Taylor gets annoyed by Lou Ann, she tells Lou Ann: "'Lou Ann, I moved in here because i knew we'd get along. it's nice of you to make dinner for us all, and to take care of Turtle sometimes, and i know you mean well. But we're acting like Blondie and Dagwood here'" (88-89).
ReplyDeleteI believe that this quote from this chapter is so significant because it shows to us who in the story fills in what roll. Before this we concluded that even though Taylor is not as independent as she believes she is, she still has a stronger desire of doing things by her own terms compared to Lou Ann's need and desire for a man in her life to support her and give her assistance and dictate her actions. With this quote we can see that Taylor stands strong with her motives of independence that is why she is angered by Lou Ann's pursuit of trying to create the independent and dominant figure in their household. Lou Ann wants Taylor to be her replacement of Angel, that is why she enjoys making dinner and doing all the typical female role duties, while Taylor continues to push that away. With this we can see that even though the two of them have many things in common their views in how their roles for the household are are still contradictory, hence we see two distinct characters and what different roles they are pursuing.
I like how you understood where Taylor was coming from when she said that to Lou Ann because you went deeper into that and really expanded on what it meant to you.
DeleteLou Ann is talking to Taylor about why she does not like being drunk: "'I don't know. How do I know? Just something. I feel like the only reason I have any friends at all is because I'm always careful not to say something totally dumb, and if I blow it just one time, then that's it'" (89). This concrete detail shows why Lou Ann is really uptight and cautious of her personality. It is a very powerful concrete detail because it shows that she is shaping herself based on what the people around her want her to be. The self-fulfilling prophecy is shown here.
ReplyDeleteLou Ann is talking to Taylor she missed the meteor and something important because she drunk, “ I kept on thinking if I could miss a whole meteor shower, well, I’d probably done something else ridiculous. For all I know I could’ve run naked through the desert singing 'Skip to My Lou’ ”(90). Lou Ann’s though seems ridicule herself. She thinks all the stuff negative. She thinks she did the worst thing after she drunk but she didn’t think maybe she just fall asleep. She always thinks the worst things will happen to her that make her negative, she didn’t change another way to think the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAfter asking Lou Ann to speak to her due to the fact that she was grumpy, Taylor says:
ReplyDelete''Lou Ann, I moved in here because I knew we'd get along. it's nice of you to make dinner for us all, and to take care of Turtle sometimes, and I know you mean well. But we're acting like Blondie and Dagwood here'" (88-89) This passage entirely introduces us to the topic of family and what a family really is. Apart from that, Taylor is portrayed as this independent person but in reality it is nothing more than as act. She wants to be independent for both herself and for others to see her like that, but she is really just afraid to show others that she is dependent, because to her it is seen as a weakness. But this part of the story she is realizing that she doesn't always need to be so independent, because there are other people in the just like Lou Ann that won't let her down.
I agree with your post because i chose the same quote. It makes sense that this entry explains how a family should act and treat each other. She realizes at this point of the story that she does not have to be fully independent and could partly rely on others.
DeleteWhen Lou Ann is drunk, she is talking to Taylor and says, "'I don't know. How do I know? Just something. I feel like the only reason I have any friends at all is because I'm always careful not to say something totally dumb, and if i blow it just one time, then that's it'" (89) This passage in the book reveals how Lou Ann is really feeling. This is important because she finally lets out her true feelings to Taylor. As she is doing this, i feel like she is learning her true personality as well. She is becoming more self aware of what she is and how she will overcome her challenges in life.
ReplyDeleteI like this response because you used the same CD but looked at it from a different perspective. It is interesting to see what someone else learns or thinks of the same CD. I also agree with how you think that Lou Ann is learning her true personality.
DeleteWhen Taylor asked Mattie about the set of people that were speaking Spanish, Mattie asked her if she's ever heard of a sanctuary: " 'It's a place they set aside for birds, where nobody's allowed to shoot them.' 'That's right. They've got them for people too.' " (82).
ReplyDeleteI think that this is powerful because it shows how Mattie is referring to her taking care of the immigrants. When she says that there's a sanctuary for people too, it represents her own house where she lets the immigrants stay. She's protecting immigrants from any harm or danger. Even though, it's against the law, she thinks it's more important that the immigrants are safe and have a place to live. She's risking getting caught, but tries to help them as much as she can. She knows that what she's doing is against the law, but she cares about the immigrants' safety the most. Mattie is a naturally caring person which is what those immigrants tend to gravitate toward.
I like this response because i like how mattie treats everyone as a human. shes very sweet and caring. and this also has to deal with illegal immigrants that will come into place later
DeleteAs Lou Anne was telling Taylor about the night she got drunk when there was a meteor shower, "I always wondered if that night we got drunk had something to do with why I lost him" (91).
ReplyDeleteTo me, i feel like this is really important because its about choices. Every day we make choices, some are larger than other but the point is that choices we make can affect our future, and how we view things/people or how things/people view us. Because we have the right of freedom we have the choice to make whatever choices we want. However, not everyone has freedom and some people are forced to do things all their life, which happens to be a common reason for immigrants. to be free, and able to do whatever we want. Choices are a major part of our life that affect the outcome of our future.
i like this quote because it shows that there could be some kind of big even that happens between taylor and Lou Ann. this event could also be a reason why angel left Lou Ann or how Taylor got Turtle.
DeleteI like what you said about choices because i agree with you. making choices are sometimes hard and sometimes they're easy, and you always got to think through each choice you make because you never know you'll get in trouble with it in the future. Good Job
DeleteOn Valentine's Day, Mattie explains to Taylor about her purple bean vines that are starting to form into what looks like long strips of beef jerky: 'That's the cycle of life, Taylor,' she said. 'The old has to pass on before the new can come around'" (80).
ReplyDeleteThis illustrates how both Taylor and Lou Ann need to start getting their lives in in order for their children, since raising kids is an extremely challenging and risky task; if no knowledge is gained and they didn’t learn from their families’ errors, each generation repeats the mistakes the previous one made. Taylor and Lou Ann need to set a stable example and show right from wrong to Turtle and Dwayne Ray before they can go on, since they’re merely possessions that will grow, leave when they're ready, and settle down to have kids, who will settle down and leave too. It’s a quote about each generation having a chance to start over, and start off with new people/surroundings.
I like this response and I agree with you when you said that Lou Ann and Taylor need to set good examples for their kids so they can have good futures and not make the same mistakes that their parents did. I also like how you said that it's a new chance for the new generation to start over.
DeleteTaylor is picking Turtle up from daycare and begins to analyze her solitary nature comparing it to a cat: "It's as if they live in a separate universe that takes up the same space as ours, but it's full of fascinating things like mice, or sparrows, or special TV programs that we can't see" (70).
ReplyDeleteCharacters and the comparison to cats aside, this is an interesting observation of people who are 'invisible'. It is very true that there are many people in this world that for one reason or another, decide to detach themselves. The quote says that it seems as if they are living in their own universe and it follows by making the point that something else has taken their interest, something fascinating that others can't see (let's ignore that part about mice and TV). Often people in that seem cut off will turn to personal thought, or activities to occupy the mind and sometimes distract it from the world. It's not just people like Turtle or the socially withdrawn, everyone at some point feels or just wants to be alone. Sometimes they don't even go anywhere, sometimes you just see them zoned into whatever it is they are doing, as if the world around doesn't exist.
After Mattie asks her to pour the water on the sweet peas, Taylor thinks," While the water glugged out over the sweet peas I noticed Mattie looking at me with her arms crossed. Just watching. I missed Mama so much my chest hurt."(85).
ReplyDeleteThis was the most amazing and powerful piece of textual evidence to me because I think that it shows how Mattie acts like a mother towards Taylor a lot. It showed how Mattie's motherly instincts were so much like Taylor's mom, they made Taylor miss her mom a lot. Because Mattie acts like this towards Taylor, it probably means that Mattie thinks of Taylor as her own child and that she probably misses her own children and is trying to let Taylor take their spot.
I agree with Mihn. This is a powerful statement in the story. I hadn't really analyzed it that much in the story, but I i agree with how this shows Mattie taking up the mother figure role to Taylor.
DeleteI like this one because I agree with you on the fact that Mattie acts as a mother figure towards Taylor. Every time she looks or thinks about Mattie, it reminds her of her mom. She misses her own mom because of Mattie.
DeleteAs Lou Anne was telling Taylor about the night she got drunk when there was a meteor shower, "I always wondered if that night we got drunk had something to do with why I lost him" (91). this evidence could be for shadowing the fact that some other bigger reason why Lou ann lost Angel or some part of their history that will play a much bigger part now that it did before the two girls had met up
ReplyDeleteI like this post because I agree that Angel will play a bigger role with Lou Ann and Taylor moving forward. I predict that Angel may show up later in the story, causing an emotional breakdown as the story progresses.
DeleteI really liked this response because of the fact that I never really thought about it like that, but now that I hear it it like it's totally accurate. On top of that I really like how you connected this passage to someone from earlier in the book and to something we may learn about in the future.
DeleteWhen she asked Lou Ann to speak she said, "Lou Ann, I moved in here because I knew we'd get along. it's nice of you to make dinner for us all, and to take care of Turtle sometimes, and I know you mean well. But we're acting like Blondie and Dagwood here'" (88-89) This shows that they will be a good family and also shows a good example of how familiy members should treat each other. On one hand, Taylor is independent while Lou Ann relies more on other people. This part shows that Taylor doesnt have to be as independent as she is. This is why it is so powerful.
ReplyDeleteI like what CD you chose. You explained well and went on straight to the point. I agree that this is also powerful because now that they are moving in together it seems as if one is doing more than the other in the household.
DeleteNO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE! NO MORE COMMENTS ACCEPTED UNDER THIS ONE!
ReplyDeleteWhen Mattie was explaining Valentine's Day she said: "That's the cycle of life, Taylor," she said. " The o;d has to pass on before the new can come around.": (80).
ReplyDeleteThis shows that Mattie knows when she is ready to let things go or keep them bottled up inside of her. This also shows that Mattie wants Taylor to know that when things don't go your way you can always shake them off and keep a positive outlook on things.