The Bean Eaters (Spring 2015)

The Bean Eaters
Gwendolyn Brooks

Authorial Context:

Kent, George E. "Gwendolyn Brooks." Afro-American Writers, 1940-1955. Ed. Trudier Harris-Lopez. Detroit: Gale, 1988. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 76. Literature Resource Center. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

Kent argues that Gwendolyn Brooks view of the complexities of the universe in which her people move and the variety of their resources strength and self-reliance are keys to survival. This is made apparent in this bibliography that compares Gwendolyn Brook’s father death while she was writing “The Bean Eaters” to this strength and self-reliance. It says for Brooks he had always seemed the protector for the richer side of existence, now his very peaceful death made her feel that she would not again fear death. The poverty stricken coupe in the bean eaters enjoys the memories they have accumulated. It makes senses that Kent points out that the couple although not blessed with the riches of material goods, has a richness of memories instead.  [Regalado]

Melhem, D. H. "Article by D. H. Melhem." Gwendolyn Brooks: Poetry & the Heroic Voice. D. H. Melhem. The University Press of Kentucky, 1987. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Drew Kalasky. Vol. 7. Detroit: Gale, 1994. Poetry Criticism Online. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

Melhem strives to relate Gwendolyn Brook’s “The Bean Eaters” to being one of her best social poems. It gives an insight to her view of race, social injustice and discrimination of the time period. As well as a sense of disparity between the rich and the poor. Growing up in the south side of Chicago, Gwendolyn lacked the so called material wealth of life but made up for it in a warm and loving family life. Her poem gives us a snapshot of life on an impoverished couple that ultimately love each other despite their economic standing. [Regalado]

Historical Context: 

Black consciousness, social protest, the urban black experience, racial injustice, poverty, the Black arts movements, black pride, faith, society, tradition, Black Rebellion.

"Brooks, Gwendolyn (1917-), An Introduction to." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed.

Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 125. Gale, 2000. Artemis Literary Sources. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

Hunter explains the life of Gwendolyn Brooks, along with the specific events that influenced her poetry. These events, according to Hunter, include black consciousness, social protest, the urban black experience, racial injustice, poverty, the Black arts movements, and black pride. Her work is described as a “powerful voice of black consciousness and social protest in mid-century America.” [Molignoni]  

Sanderson, Rena. “Review: Gwendolyn Brooks: Poetry and the Heroic Voice.” The

Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association 21.1 (1998): 75-77. JSTOR. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.                                

Sanderson talks about how culture has an impact on Brooks’ poetry. Faith, society, and tradition are also among the topics discussed. It is emphasized that the work of Brooks has been influenced by her participation in the Black Rebellion. According to Sanderson, “The art of Gwendolyn Brooks includes the world, its poetic emblems, and us.” Her poetry is described as “humanistic”, and many links exist between her work and the world around her at the time.  [Molignoni]

Allusive Context:

Kent, George E. A Life of Gwendolyn Brooks. Lexington, Ky.: U of Kentucky, 1990. Print.

In Kent’s book A Life of Gwendolyn Brooks, he directly ties van Gogh’s painting “The Potato Eaters” to Brook’s family life. Kent explains that the poem’s characters and settling are loosely based off of Brook’s own family. More particularly, the characters can be drawn from Brook’s elderly aunt and uncle who were known to “make a pound of beans go further than a pound of potatoes.” This statement can be directly correlated with the title of van Gough’s painting. Brooks is working to compare the hardships of the lower class by means of only the describing the surrounding settings and food choices of her characters. Similarly, these are the two elements that van Gogh focuses on within his painting.

Richards-Gustafson, Flora. "Examples of Poetic Devices in the Poem 'The Bean Eaters'" The Classroom. Demand Media. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

Richards uncovers some of the most obvious poetic devices demonstrated in Brooks’ “The Bean Eaters.” Under allusion, she suggests that the title of the poem came about from a van Gogh painting, “The Potato Eaters.” This would make sense with the parallel to themes within both medias. Van Gogh’s “the Potato Eaters” pictures a poor family crowded around a table eating potatoes for dinner. The painting was inspired by a mining family going through such hardships. As suggested by Richards, Brooks would have been able to easily identify van Gogh’s character’s hardships with that of her own.