Shea Schuldt

Mr. Pace
DC English IV
21 November 2015
The Lord of the Beans
In The Fellowship of the Ring, by J. R. R. Tolkien, the hobbit Frodo Baggins begins a
journey replete with danger. From the moment he steps out his door, he is pursued by dark
wraiths and hunted by orcs, among other creatures of the shadow, all striving to kill him and take
the One Ring, which he seeks to destroy. Along the way, he is helped by an immortal wizard, the
heir to Gondors throne, and an elf and a dwarf, among others. In contrast, Taylor in the Bean
Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, leaves Kentucky for Tucson, Arizona, picks up a baby, and goes to
work for a used tire shop. These two stories have seemingly nothing in common. However, both
The Fellowship of the Ring and The Bean Trees have a central element running throughout them;
a journey. To be more specific, an inner journey. In their respective external journeys, both Frodo
and Taylor learn more about themselves and use this self-knowledge to prepare for the
challenges ahead.
Before exploring the similarities between Frodos and Taylors journeys, it is first
important to note the differences. The main difference between these twos journeys is in the
trials they face. As Frodo exists in a fantasy world, the trials and dangers he faces are both
fantastical and decidedly more dangerous. Taylor, who resides on the other end of the spectrum,
faces more realistic and everyday trials and dangers, like earning money and providing for and
protecting a child. Another big difference is the goals of the external journeys Taylor and Frodo
set out to complete. Frodos quest has a clearly defined goal and ending; he must destroy the
Ring of Sauron. Taylors journey, on the other hand, aims to defend her independence and give

her room to grow. Frodos goal is kill a life that lives in inhospitable conditions, namely fire and
darkness, while Taylors goal is grow a new life in seemingly uninhabitable places.
With these differences noted, the ways that Frodo and Taylor respond to the trials they
face and their growth on their journeys can be examined. One of the most telling ways a
characters growth can be seen is by looking at how they respond when face-to-face with death,
which is a certainly a trial common in books. For Frodo, this benchmark, if you will, is easy to
measure, as he faces death on a regular basis on his quest. When he first encounters the Nazgul,
his reaction is to hide, both in the woods and with the Ring. In the mines of Moria, though, he
joins with his protectors to fight off the orcs and trolls, and when faced with the possibility of the
creature Gollum strangling him in his sleep, he attempts to take action by himself. Granted, he
does goes back to hiding with the ring when Boromir tries to take it, but he has two books left to
finish his journey. For Taylor, measuring her reactions to death is harder, as she is never faced
directly with the possibility of her own death. Instead, her reactions to danger to others must be
used. There are three clear cases of this in The Bean Trees. The first comes when she is working
the Pittman County hospital, when Newt shoots his wife and kills himself. Taylor throws up
twice after talking to the wife, but afterwards she hardens both her emotions and her resolve to
get out of Pittman. The second time Taylor faces death, it is when Turtle is threatened by an
unknown assailant, and it leaves Taylor an emotional wreck. This is progress, though it may not
look like it, as here Taylor faces these emotions, rather than suppress them. Finally, when
Estevan and Esperanza are faced with being deported to and most likely killed in Guatemala,
Taylor acts on her feelings of love and concern for the two by helping them escape to Oklahoma.

In addition to facing death, both Frodo and Taylor have to face decisions that have farreaching consequences on their lives. Perhaps the most important decision and challenge they
face is to even leave their homes. From an outside perspective, this decision seems like an easy
one to make. Both characters have no future if they dont leave their childhood home. Taylor
would be stuck in Pittman County unsatisfied with her life, and, if her fears came true, pregnant.
If Frodo hadnt left his hole, well, he would be dead. However, for these two to leave their homes
and everything they have known is not easy. Granted, for Taylor the decision comes easier than it
does for Frodo, but this is merely indicative of the nature of her inner journey, for hers is one of
rediscovery of home, family, and interdependence. Frodos inner journey is one of discovery of
self-strength and independence.
But how can these two characters inner journeys, their quests for self-knowledge, be
similar if their ultimate goal is different? After all, Taylor sets out to preserve her independence,
and in the process learns to survive and thrive through relationships with others, while Frodos
learns to stand on his own. This difference isnt as irreconcilable as it may seem, as while Frodo
does gain independence on his journey, he also learns to trust and depend on his companions,
especially in the case of Sam. This growth on Frodos part can be seen when he agrees to let Sam
accompany him on the last and most dangerous part of the trip, even as the ring solidifies its hold
on him and corrupts Boromir. The same holds true for Taylor, as she must learn to be both
independent as a single mother and dependent on the friends she makes.
It is this balance between independence and trust in others that Taylors and Frodos inner
journey ultimately leads them toward. In the process of their journey, they gain the skills,
experiences, self-knowledge, and growth that prepare them for their future journeys. For Frodo,
this impending journey is the continuation of his quest to destroy the ring, while for Taylor, it is

any challenges that being a mother may bring. While the twos external journeys may be
radically different, their inner journeys lead them to the same place.