The Human Condition

Barbara Kingsolver is an inspirational American author who has written numerous novels, short stories, poems and essays. Amongst her works she is highly recognizable for her books: "The Bean Trees", "Pigs in Heaven", "High Tide in Tucson", "The Poisonwood Bible", and "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" who have all been on the New York Times Best Seller list. Her amazing ability to write novels paralleling relevant issues in society makes her worthy of a fan page. Kingsolver brings issues to light such as community, economic injustice and cultural differences. Her books are very relevant to issues occurring in the Southwest, more closely in the Hispanic culture. Immigration and poverty are also prevalent in her works, which also makes me admire her more as an author because of her understanding of issues related so close to home and the border. In addition to Kingsolver’s great talent as a writer, she also gives back to fellow authors giving them chances to succeed in publishing their own novels. Barbara Kingsolver established the Bellwether Prize for literature of social change. This award is given to previously unpublished works of fiction, which address issues of social justice written by a US citizen. Winning authors receive a $25,000 award and a publishing contract, from which they receive royalties. A panel of authors whose works show themes of social change judges submissions. This award was not only created by her but is funded by her as well. The great commitment she shows toward fellow writers is inspiring and motivating. Kingsolver is appreciative of her success and wants other writers to have the same opportunities to succeed. This amazing writer and selfless women is more than worthy of a fan page due to her inspiring novels and activism in the world of struggling authors. A novel of Barbara Kingsolver that particularly stood out to me is "The Bean Trees." "Bean Trees" is an amazing story about a girl searching for her own identity and in the process finds family in the most unexpected way. While moving across the country the main character of this novel, Missy Greer, finds an abandoned child and takes him under her wing. While on their journey they are taken in by a family of immigrants from Guatemala who are struggling to stay in the US. They all eventually become a tight knit family, supporting and loving one another. The themes of this book include motherhood; not motherhood in the usual sense, but loving, caring and being there for people that you aren’t related to is the sense of motherhood in this novel. This reminded me of "The Bluest Eye" in that Pecola was taken in and cared for by someone that was not her own mother. Another theme is one of everyday miracles. In this novel, empty places can be surprising resources for life’s beauty in this novel. The final theme I will mention is identity, which is prevalent in the ability of women to use their power of community to manage the struggles in their own lives and the lives of others. This also reminded me of Audre Lorde's " The Man Child" given that the caregiver in this story struggled with her community to create a better place for her children and future generations. Louise Erdrich's "Where I ought to be" was also related to this portion of the novel because Erdrich writes about her community while Kingsolver does as well in "The Bean Trees." The themes represent Barbara Kingsolver's culture in her writings and as a novelist. Kingsolver represents passionate moral commitment and sense of community. She is affecting her culture and reading by showing other nothing is impossible with love and the sense of family. He books often show miracles and positive outcomes in the most unlikely places.