Analysis Of The Poisonwood Bible - 1548 Words

Barbara Kingsolver s novel The Poisonwood Bible captures a white southern families struggles through cultural collision and avid yet destructive faith. Kingsolver utilizes personal narratives to highlight the effect of western presence in Africa, not only pertaining to the natives but to the intrusive westerners themselves. The Price women display an array of different reactions to their quest in the Congo— each character contributes a different perspective which furthers the plot. Leah Price, one half of the highly intelligent twin dynamic, the only difference between the two is that, Leah is able bodied. Leah undergoes significant changes throughout their sojourn in Kilanga, in which she is forced to reevaluate the importance of†¦show more content†¦She longed for his approval, while Nathan busied himself yearning for God’s. The changing factor was the natural elements of the Congo, which severely altered their dysfunctional relationship. Leah began to see Na than’s true colors due to his blatant disinterest in the well being of his family. Despite their impending danger following the Independence of the Congo, the lack of basic living necessities, never ending rumble of empty bellies, ghostly pale skin, and lifeless bodies,even death could not encourage Nathaniel abandon his mission and Kilanga. Ruth May’s death by a green mamba, Leah began to despise her stubborn, father and everything he supports. Subsequent to her dear little sister’s demise, Leah no longer viewed Nathan as a man who could do no wrong, and likewise her faith in Christ dwindled. â€Å"I found I couldn’t picture God at all. He just ended up looking like my father (Kingsolver 423). Leah s image of God became warped due to the teachings of her father which caused her adult self to abandon Christianity altogether. Nathan s version of Christ was an unmerciful tyrant, which uncoincidentally mirrored Nathan. She began to rebel against her father and his ideals. Leah outwardly disobeyed her father and his wishes when she hunted with the village men in spite of her father telling her she couldn t and defied the gender roles prevalent in the Price household and Kilanga. Leah began to live for herself andShow MoreRelatedPoisonwood Bible Analysis920 Words   |  4 Pages No one is truly understood until they are described from many points of view .In Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, she uses Nathan Price to create her conflict between the cultures of America and the Congo. However, she never gives Nathan a voice. Rather, he is described through his wife and four children. Kingsolver fully develops the character of Nathan Price and his interactions with his family and his environment by using all five of the women’s voices, therefore driving the plot ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poisonwood Bible1093 Words   |  5 PagesTitle of Work: â€Å"The Poisonwood Bible† Author: Barbara Kingsolver. Date of P ublication: 1998. Genre: Historical Fiction. Writing Style: five narrators to show different perspectives of the events that occur. Orleanna creates vivid images of her past and uses descriptive language, Rachel talks informally, Leah uses a lot of dialogue and is informed, Adah uses palindromes, has a sarcastic tone, uses descriptive language as well, and Ruth May’s style is simple and playful. Point of View(s): first-personRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible Analysis903 Words   |  4 Pages as it is idealized in the western world, it is in different forms than what westerners are used too, but unwillingly, individuals are forced into the westerns way of teaching, compelling them to believe it can fix all their problems. In The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver criticizes the way religion affects an individual’s arrogance, political stance, and guilt, due to a belief that religion can fix dilemmas, and this conflicts the main characters and their own beliefs. In this novel, the PriceRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Barbara Kingsolvers The Poisonwood Bible850 Words   |  4 PagesBased on the book blurb, The Poisonwood Bible is described as a very straightforward story about a family of missionaries who travel to Africa to spread the good word, but run into problems when the Congolese people are not as open to the new religion as hoped by the missionaries. However, once the reader begins to analyze the text, they realize this family was not at all predictable or straightforward. From beginning to end, Kingsolver uses detailed imagery of the Price family, the Congo settingRead MoreCharacter Analysis : The Poisonwood Bible819 Words   |  4 PagesPassions like love may conflict with a person’s beliefs or responsibilities. In The Poisonwood Bible, Leah has both passion and responsibilities. She is supposed to do what her parents expect of her. Her love, however, go against what she is expected to do. It love goes against what her father and tradition wanted. Her love is conflicting, and affects her and The Poisonwood Bible in many ways. Throughout The Poisonwood Bible, Leah develops a deep love for Anatole (Kingsolver). Her love becomes conflictingRead MorePoisonwood Bible Character Analysis960 Words   |  4 PagesAP English 11 25 October 2012 In the book The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, the narration is done by five of the main characters: Orleanna, Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May Price. When analyzing the narrative led by Leah Price, a 14-year old tomboy, the reader may notice her progression from a young girl who idolizes her father and loves him more than anyone else, into a rebellious young woman who despises her father. Some of Leah’s more prominent characteristics are her compassionRead MoreAnalysis of Book Titles in the Poisonwood Bible Essay1313 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysisPart II: Analysis of Book Titles Genesis Just like the first book in the Bible, the first book of The Poisonwood Bible is named Genesis. As well as the beginning, Genesis can also mean rebirth. When characters arrive in the Congo they realize the things they brought with them are changed by Africa and can no longer be as they once were. In this way, Genesis symbolizes the process of becoming their new selves. For instance, the first chapter in The Poisonwood Bible, narrated by OrleannaRead MoreAnalysis Of Wuthering Heights And The Poisonwood Bible1468 Words   |  6 Pagesunable to stand against the wrongs dealt unto them until a later time or event when they are better suited to fight back; thereby gaining the reader’s sympathy and vote for eventual victory over their antagonist. In Wuthering Heights and The Poisonwood Bible, the victimized children lacked outside support from other members of their respective communities. The same does not have to be true in the U.S. Americans have the power to make a differenceRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible: Analysis of Orleanna Price865 Words   |  4 PagesWaterhouse AP Literature- Period 2 3 December 2012 Character Analysis: Orleanna Price The Poinsonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, tells the story of a Southern Baptist family spending their time on a missionary trip to the Congo. This story, which takes place over a span of 30 years, primarily engrosses the Price’s involvement with the Congolese people, a kind very different and much more â€Å"savage† than themselves. The Poinsonwood Bible, told by Reverend Price’s wife, Orleanna, and four daughtersRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1998 Words   |  8 Pagesexpected from the other; this is a continuous theme found in her novel, The Poisonwood Bible. However, Kingsolver did not learn what had really been going when she was there during the 1960’s: The United States secretly manipulated a coup where they assassinated elected President Patrice Lumumba and installed the dictator Joseph Mobutu, robbing the Congo of its independence. Enraged and betrayed, Kingsolver wrote The Poisonwood Bible after thirty years t o expose the atrocities and injustices the United