Patrice Lumumba Research Paper

She is never the same after Ruth May’s death and it is shown through the novel on multiple occasions. It is most prevalent when Adah says “My mother’s sanest position is to wear only the necessary parts of the outfit and leave off the rest” (Kingsolver 492). This does not only show the effect of the Congo on her, but of how she thinks that Ruth May is still with the Congo in spirit. This has greatly affected her emotionally as seen in this quotation. Orleanna when she first found out that Ruth May died acted differently than how most people would act to the news. Leah says that, Mother did not rant or tear her hair. She behaved as if someone had already told her,” (368). The death of Ruth May affected her so greatly that she did not know what to do with news of her death. This shows how much Orleanna loved Ruth May and that the shock of her death affected her emotionally very much.

Over a period from 1960-1965, the first Republic of the Congo experienced a period of serious crisis. There was a terrible war for power that displayed senseless violence and the desperation to rule. There were many internal conflicts among the people. The country eventually gained independence from Belgium. For many countries this would be a time for celebration. Unfortunately for the people of the Congo this became a time to forget. Almost immediately after independence and the general elections, the country went into civil war. Major developed cities like Katanga and Kasai wanted to be independent from the Lumumba government. Different factions started to fight the government and Katanga and Kasai tried to secede from the rest

“Where was I, the girl or woman called Orleanna, as we traveled those roads and crossed the lines again and again? Swallowed by Nathan’s mission, body and soul” (Kingsolver 198), Orleanna Price reflects, looking back on her marriage to an emotionally abusive, religious zealot. Her entire being and life, as well as her children’s lives, are swallowed by the power of his barbed words and extreme beliefs. Over the course of The Poisonwood Bible, Orleanna struggles to free herself and her daughters from the power of her rage-filled and fanatical husband, and she is finally able to do so after she experiences the loss of her daughter. “I married a man who could never love me…

She felt guilty for not being able to care properly for her daughters, the way Nathan criticized them for being women, and later in the book the death of Ruth May, her youngest daughter. Being passive and guilty were what made Orleanna weak. She expressed herself through implications and smashing plates, along with jokingly adding endearments to make her opinions sound less suggestive. It did not help that she had no authoritative voice and was suffocated by Nathan. This leading to no way of speaking out or

The rule of King Leopold II instilled disturbing methods of ruling. He enslaved the people of The democratic republic of Congo (Congolese) to gather him resources that would only benefit him. He was willing to do whatever it took to gain resources, even if it meant enslaving the people. “ King Leopold II nearly enslaved many of the Congolese people in order to gain wealth, and to bring power” (Citation) imperialism had a negative impact on the country, it had a long lasting impacts on the country because he depleted them of their resources which means they don't have much to export as a country now. King Leopold II used the people as slaves to gather their resources due to the danger of the work, which resulted in many casualties and injuries. He wanted to rule the country as he wanted rather than what was right for the people. He lied to the Belgian government in order to gain power of the country, by saying that his

Oreleanna lost a child and is burdened by the guilt, while she regains her freedom to use. The mother recognizes her loss having connection to her freedom; as “I lost my wings. Don’t ask me how I gained them back, the story is too unbearable” (201). Oreleanna is referring to the loss of her “wings” or her freedom because of her relationship with Nathan, but when her youngest dies she regains it back. Oreleanna refers to her regain as too unbearable, because she has lost too much with Ruth May’s death since she could not save her, and does not want her other children to die as well. The impact of Ruth Mays death has made Oreleanna hold on to her guilt, and makes her find some type of self-redemption. This self-redemption is with the civil rights movement using her freedom to give others voice because she did not have one as. Therefore by doing this she doing something Ruth May be proud of, and shows her ….. Overall Oreleanna has been transformed in her motherhood and her entire life after the Congo, due to Ruth May’s

Orleanna is a faithful wife and when Nathan decides to go to the Congo she follows and obeys him. Later she again betrays him by leaving the Congo against his wishes only after he indirectly betrayed their family by staying in the Congo which led to the youngest daughter, Ruth Mays death. When Ruth may dies she walks away from the Congo. Leah compares her mother to lots wife in the bible and says," Unlike Lot's wife, she doesn't look back" she then continues to say "Mother never once turned around to look over her shoulder" (36). Adah doesn’t think too highly of her father, therefore, she follows her mother and sticks to her mother's love and teachings.

In July of 1956, Lumumba was sentenced to two years imprisonment for embezzling $2,520 from the post office for the Association des Evolués. After the Association returned the money, Lumumba’s sentence was reduced to 12 months, which began his career as a prisoner, leaving and re-entering the prison system for the next five years. During his 1956-1957 imprisonment, Lumumba wrote Congo, My Congo, 200 pages to “make a contribution towards the search for a solution for the present and future problems of the Congo” (Lumumba 7). Because this book was not published until after Lumumba’s death, it did not have an impact on the independence movement, but the views Lumumba wrote about certainly did.

Through Orleanna Price, the reader learns that upon marriage, Nathan was drafted for the war. While on the Philippine shore, his company fought their way into Luzon. After being struck in the head with a shell fragment, Nathan was spotted on the beach and picked up by a PT boat. It wasn’t until a few days later that Nathan learned that his fellow soldiers did not make it out alive. Orleanna states, “It would permanently curl one soldier’s heart like a piece of shoe leather” (196). Nathan’s guilt for surviving the war makes him fearless when placed in dangerous situations, such as life in the Congo. Not only does Nathan Price carry the burden of guilt throughout the novel, but Orleanna does as well. Upon the death of Ruth May, Orleanna carries the guilt of not guiding her daughters out of the Congo to safety. Orleanna states, “The substance of grief if not imaginary. It’s as real as rope or the absence of air, and like both those things it can kill. My body understood there was no safe place for me to be” (381). Through these words, Orleanna expresses to the reader that guilt can truly never be escaped. Its burden will follow you wherever you

Moreover, Orleanna is the one who resolves Ruth May’s death in a competent and efficient manner, overcoming any feelings of grief to complete the important task of Ruth May’s burial and the subsequent exodus of the rest of her daughters. Describing this event, Leah narrates, “It couldn’t be, but it was, and Mother alone among us seemed to realize that...With determined efficiency she gathered up everything she would need from one room before she moved to the next…” (369). She conducts the burial procedure systematically and proficiently, while Nathan flounders. Beyond her decisive conduct during Ruth May’s burial, she also gives the contents of their home to the people of Kilanga, a gesture which demonstrates her own practicality and also the positive impacts Orleanna was able to leave with the village despite the overall malevolent presence of their family in totality. Finally, an event where Orleanna demonstrates immense sacrifice in the best interest of their family becomes evident as she recalls, “...drinking for glasses of water before he [Nathan] arrived so I could watch him eat whatever there was without my stomach growling...I sometimes went out at night on my hands and knees and

It’s Done, but it’s Not Over. Patrice Lumumba had a very large roll in African nationalism. Lumumba was born in 1925, worked as a service clerk in the 1940’s, and later worked as an accountant. He was very passionate about his writing and poems with the intent to send out a message. Because he was aware and educated he became very interested in issues of reform.

The newly independent Congo was only two weeks old when Moise Tshembe declared the city of Katanga a separate nation. This decision had affected both countries mainly because of how wealthy and desired Katanga’s land was. Because of the city’s copper belt and profitable mining operation, when it succeeded the Belgians, French, and British rushed to support it in hopes to take advantage of its valuable land. The countries even took stabs at manipulating the unexperienced, tribal leader. Even though this was against U.N. rules, the countries placed mercenaries in katanga’s army. Back in the Congo, this was bad news for Patrice Lumumba. He soon appealed to the U.N. for weapons and soldiers to end the secession. The U.N. at first refused and deemed

This is a tale of horror and tragedy in the Congo, beginning with the brutal and exploitative regime of King Leopold II of Belgium, and culminating with the downfall of one of Africa’s most influential figures, Patrice Lumumba. The Congo is but one example of the greater phenomenon of European occupation of Africa. The legacy of this period gives rise to persistent problems in the Congo and throughout Africa. Understanding the roots and causes of this event, as focused through the lense of the Congo, is the subject of this paper.

Lumumba’s alliance with the Soviet Union fractured the Congo government. Kasa-Vubu dismissed Lumumba from service on 5 September 1960, citing as his excuse, a massacre conducted in South Kasai. At the same time, Joseph Mobutu took control of the military and began recruiting supporters. Though he dismissed Lumumba, Kasa-Vubu did not have a majority within the government and fighting ensued. Mobuto saw his opportunity to successfully implement a coup and have both Lumumba and Kasa-Vubu replaced. Mobuto dismissed the Soviet advisors sent to assist Lumumba and effectively sided with Kasa-Vubu. Mobuto would reinstate him as president in February 1961. Lumumba on the other hand, was placed on house arrest. He managed to escape but was caught shortly thereafter and was tortured before being sent to Katanga to death. His death sparked an international outrage with demonstrations being held in New York and London. (Nzongola-Ntalaja 69).

Prior to 1960, Belgium and their King, Leopold ruled the Congo region. They held great interests in the rubber industry and created harsh labor camps that exploited the people. That is why after gaining independence in 1960, the nation then known as Zaire plunged into chaos. Military unrest coupled with oppressive warlord throughout the region made it a very unstable state, ready to collapse. Nowadays, U.N. peacekeeping forces hold posts in the nation to maintain its stability. The United States has had foreign relations with the country from 1960 and has signed many treaties to help promote growth in the region. One such document is the Peace, Security and Cooperation framework that exists between the United States and the Democratic