The protagonist of The Bean Trees, Taylor Greer was given the name Marietta at birth, although her mother nicknamed her “missy” because of her precocious self-confidence. She’s described as appearing white, although her mother tells her that they have distant Cherokee ancestry and could claim the right to be counted in the tribe. She’s known for wearing bright colors, claiming, “I had decided early on that if I couldn’t dress elegant, I’d dress memorable” (6). This brash attitude exemplifies her independent and self-assured personality. Taylor often speaks using idioms and folksy expressions, although she admires Estevan’s more perfect and grammatical English.

Taylor grew up in Pittman County in Kentucky in an underserved community. However, while most of her female classmates got pregnant and married local boys after high school, Taylor wanted to leave Pittman County and make her own way in the world. Part of her desire for independence is exemplified through the way that she chooses her own name, resolving to take the name on the first road sign she sees when she runs out of gas. While she has no reason to hate or resent her birth name, picking a new name allows Taylor to create her own identity.