Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type : Rags to Riches
Rags to Riches
Taylor Greer may not go from rags to riches in the same way that Little Orphan Annie does, but The Bean Trees charts her progress from a state of youthful independence and heroic individualism to a more fulfilled and "rich" role as an active friend, parent, and global citizen. That's right, you can be a global citizen from your little neighborhood in Tucson.
Because the novel puts so much emphasis on the moral responsibility of caring for one's fellow human beings, Taylor's youthful individualism is seen as an impoverished state—one that she overcomes by embracing a broader community of reciprocal care and kinship.
Initial Wretchedness at Home: The 'Call'
Life in Pittman County, Kentucky isn't exactly peaches 'n' cream for Marietta Greer, but her childhood and adolescence aren't totally wretched either. Marietta grows up poor in a rural town, and although that puts certain limitations on her life, it doesn't condemn her to the fate of less fortunate friends like Newt Hardbine and Jolene Shanks.
There's a reason that the first chapter of The Bean Trees is called "The One To Get Away": Marietta's job at the Pittman County Hospital gives her the rare opportunity to save some money, buy a car, hit the road, and never look back. Aside from the occasional phone call to mom, of course.
Out Into the World: Initial Success
Taylor's transition out into the world is complicated by one unexpected factor: the arrival of an unexpected child. But even with the added responsibility of caring for a traumatized little girl, Taylor's break away from Pittman County, Kentucky meets with initial success. In just a few weeks, she finds a job and a good place to live, and together, she and Turtle start settling into a new and auspicious life.
The Central Crisis
When Turtle is attacked in Roosevelt Park, all of Taylor's confidence as a caregiver evaporates. The force of the trauma overwhelms her completely, and she sinks into a deep depression that lasts for weeks, leaving others like Lou Ann, Edna Poppy, and Virgie Mae to support both her and Turtle. On top of that, Arizona's child welfare services threaten to take Turtle away. This is when the "riches" threaten to turn back into "rags." (Think Cinderella at midnight).
Independence and the Final Ordeal
Taylor begins to fight her way back from depression after she realizes that even if she can't be the world's most perfect parent, Turtle would still be better off with her than in a state home or lost in the foster care system.
Once Taylor decides to fight for Turtle, things pick up the pace. Together with Mattie, Taylor comes up with a plan to find Turtle's real family and have them name her the child's guardian for good.
Final Union, Completion, and Fulfillment
That's a lot of positive nouns in one subject heading. The novel wraps up with Taylor's successful adoption of Turtle. Having begun the story as an independent, individualistic young thing determined to head west and strike out on her own, Taylor finishes as a mature adoptive mom who has made a careful and deliberate choice to care for the child who came her way unexpectedly. More than that, she now recognizes that she is an integral part of a larger community of family and friends—a role that she accepts as a serious but wonderful responsibility.