I remember being caught speaking Spanish at reces
It's unbelievable to me that someone could be "caught' for speaking her language. It speaks to the damage that forced assimilation can cause, as the rest of the document details her experience struggling with when and where to use English or Spanish.
We're going to have to controlyour tongue,
A great quote to use as it can be seen as a metaphor for her argument about those who try to silence her. Silencing her voice is akin to having a dentist poke around her mouth.
for the planter is also an essential partner.
The planter represents a motherly figure, being the one that nurtures the plants and creates an environment where they can all grow best. It's interesting how all of the roles in this relationship are feminine ones.
This bean girl learns to be flexible, adaptable, to find a way around the dominant structure to get the light that she needs.
As a middle child, I find it interesting how beans, corn, and squash can apply so well to this relationship. I wonder how people figured out this relationship with the three plants. Does this work with other types of plants too? And why specifically did they choose to work with beans, corn, and squash?
too large and turgid for the confines of the stem
The personification of the plant and the connection to "confines", and later on, "hormones" make me believe that the plants symbolize personal growth. The story here seems similar to a child, who does not yet know how to use their voice but uses their actions, such as acting out to express their emotions as they have not yet found the words. Just like children the plants grow out of what used to be a good and comfortable way for them to live.
To their minds, a garden meant straight rows of single species, not a three-dimensional sprawl of abundance. And yet they ate their fill and asked for more, and more again.
While this could be taken literally, I think this is an interesting metaphor for colonization destroying culture. There needed to be"straight rows of single species" just as they could not coexist with the natives. The author's tone here is critical, making me wonder if they have a personal connection to Native Americans or are just passionate.