Bee's physical struggle with the earth seems to reflect his spiritual conflict and frustration. He is in the hot sun with "his back wet down with perspiration". He exerts much physical effort "lifting up the iron fork in the air and bringing it down and burying it in the earth and lifting up the fork again, sinking it into the earth with his strength as if it was the earth that hurt him and he wanted to stab it, stab it, stab it until he kill it".
Eva is looking at Bee. She wonders "if all this digging and uprooting and sweating and grunting going to bring forth anything, or if all a man could do is dig and uproot and bury seeds in the earth and pray and hope things grow...".
This image of struggle, frustration and even the violence of wanting to stab and kill the land is reflected in other events throughout the novel. Can you think of any?
i think another image of struggle and fustration, but not violence. that was when Bee stood by the door in a "christ-like" position.
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