Literary Elements w Lima Bean

In the backyard, the little girl and her mother are discussing the value of community.

In the park, the little girl is waiting for her grandma to tell her a story.

In the village square, the little girl and great-grandmother are meeting with community members.

In the backyard, the little girl and great-grandmother are having a conversation.

the girl and great-grandmother

the musician and her daughter

all of the members of the community

the food that the community needs to grow to survive

"Today the great-grandmother and the girl are sitting together in the backyard in the grass under a tree . . . ." (p. 1).

"Now it's your turn--you may choose anyone you wish from my village to make a community of your own. Who will you choose, I wonder?" (p. 3).

"As the grandmother watches, the little girl picks out the dried beans carefully, one by one, to form another circle . . ." (p. 4).

"'Oh,' says the grandmother, 'let's see who you did not choose to be in your village.'" (p. 4).

internal: character vs. self

external: character vs. society

external: character vs. character

external: character vs. society

the grandmother is disappointed in the girl

the girl must decide how she views community

the girl must decide which beans to take out

the grandmother must teach the girl a lesson

"Today, the great-grandmother and the girl are sitting together . . ." (p. 1).

"This one's the old drunk man who lives down by the river. He's dirty, and he smells bad!" (p. 5).

"The girl moves uncomfortably on the grass" (p. 7).

"They all belong, don't they? Just like us" (p. 13).

She tells the girl she's been very bad to exclude others.

She explains the consequences of losing valued community members.

She tells the little girl stories to help her understand why people are the way they are.

She applauds the girl for having good judgment and protecting herself from weirdos.

She is wise and believes that all people have good in them, regardless of their actions.

She is playful and thinks the lima bean activity her grandma has for her is a silly game to pass the time by.

She is ignorant and thinks people are either good or bad, nothing in between.

She is angry and unwilling to change because she doesn't trust her grandma.

She is a gossip because she spends the whole middle of the story talking about other people's lives.

She is kind because she brought the little girl a snack to enjoy in the backyard together.

She is rude because she doesn't care what the little girl thinks and pushes her own agenda.

She is patient because she listens to the child's perspective and doesn't judge her, but still shows her how to think differently.

internal: character vs. self to decide whether to break the law

external: character vs. character to help his family

external: character vs. society for breaking the law and being put in jail

external: character vs. nature to try to be protected from storms by having a place to stay