The Bean Trees
What signs are there that Turtle is beginning to recover? What is symbolic about the beans she buried in the garden?
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In Chapter Eight, Turtle, the previously catatonic child, who has a history but no defining characteristics, emerges as a more three-dimensional character with her first noises and words. This also reflects the deepening relationship between Taylor and Turtle, as the unexpected caretaker begins to view her charge as less of a burden and more of an actual person and even a daughter. The beans serve as a symbol of Turtle's transformation.