The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver

Nathan sees the Congolese religion as vague, he is portrayed as ignorant and continues to preach what is morally and religiously right in his opinion rather than taking into account the things the Congolese face that effect their ideas on what religion is, or a god that cares for their needs. From a political point of view, Kingsolver shows the superiority of the western ways of government, even though the Congolese aren’t ready for these systems of government yet. The Congolese people

By providing an in-depth analysis of what really occurred with Leopold and his exploitative proprietorship of the Congo “Free” State, Hochschild cogently convinces readers that beneath all of Europe’s coaxing and flattery about their imperialism, there is an underlying nature of terror and an almost inescapable and pervasive essence of death and slavery. Hochschild perfectly depicts the drama arising from the deceitful manipulations, courageous resistances, and uncut greed into an enthralling piece of literature. Not only does Hochschild use the perspectives of Europeans, but he tells the untold truths of the natives in their abysmal states, having to face inevitable horrors and atrocities. The reader experiences the magnitude of effects that resulted in this imperialism, which may still last in modern-day Africa. Hochschild’s persuasion perfectly captures what it is that he wants the readers to take in the most: that Leopold’s imperialism of the Congo did not only affect Europe and himself. Separating from the common curriculum of history class, Hochschild doesn’t want to tell the readers that imperialism led to European nations gaining more markets, population, and raw materials: he wants the reader to understand that this all came at a cost. This imperialism led to the deaths of ten million natives in the Congo alone. This imperialism led to brutal torture of the

During the beginning of the Price family’s arrival at the Congo, the family settles in an unfamiliar land of Kilanga and Nathan is being portrayed as the physical representation of the American perspective on the African people by creating conflict. Since the family is from Georgia, the surroundings and the atmosphere of

In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, The Poisonwood Bible, the reader is introduced to Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo, through the voices of the fictional Price women. Unlike the Price family, Patrice Lumumba was a non-fictional character who was elected and served only 7 months as the Congo’s Prime Minister. His reign was brought short by his execution in 1961. Though his tenure may have been short and occurred more than 50 years ago, Patrice Lumumba remains to this very day, an important man in history.

The European conquest in Africa reinforced the notion of seizing seemingly primitive nations occupied by natives whose culture and lifestyle must be rationalized and modified to fit the standards of a modern country. Following the post-World War II era came the opportunity for the world's most powerful nations to make a significant impact on a war-torn world. The two super-power nations of the time, the United States and the Soviet Union, craved to influence vulnerable and poverty-ridden nations like Africa as these natives were easily to manipulate. A desire to spread and influence western ideology, specifically Christianity, to rural nations is depicted in Barbra Kingsolver's novel The Poisonwood Bible. Kingsolver portrays an American missionary Reverend Price and his family as they attempt to spread and make a significant impact on the people of the Belgian Congo, whom the Reverend describes as a place where he can "save needy souls". American intervention in the Congo highlights few of the many results of attempting to revive a nation ridden of post-colonial damage, including the fusion of two cultures, the abuse of political power and, international perception and relations.

Father to the Price family, Nathan Price emerged his family into this mission in the hopes to spread religion to Congo. He chose to endanger his family in the hopes that he would be able to affect the religion of everyone he influenced. Similar to Rachel, Nathan also represents western ideals influencing Congo. Nathan believed that an education for women was a waste. "Sending a girl to college is like pouring water in your shoes. [...] It's hard to say which is worse, seeing it run out and waste the water, or seeing it hold in and wreck the shoes." This proves that Nathan Price was sexism towards his family was driven by his belief of Christianity. Throughout the book Nathan represents the Christianity in America in the sixties.

As their journey to and through the Congo is just beginning it is already seen that compromise will be the key source for survival. The Congo did not have much to offer the Price family, though Leah has high expectations for it. She “expected everything: jungle flowers, wild roaring beasts. God’s Kingdom in its pure, unenlightened glory.” ( Kingsolver, 17) The Congo is already revealing an expectation Leah would never have found between the pages of a King James version, the rewiring of her thoughts on equality and her inner need to fight for justice are compelling emotions that are overtaking her. She can see that this place poses a potential challenge much greater than anything a hot Georgia summer put her family through. Still measuring her worth in the few short breaths her father permits her, Leah is still determined the Congo would not stop her from gaining the acceptance of her father. “If only I could ever bring forth all that I knew quickly enough to suit father” (Kingsolver, 37), but little did she know that nothing her female mind could do or say would suit the righteous Nathan Price. Similar to The White Man’s Burden, once given the thought of superiority nothing “beneath’ that was beneficial. Leah’s cognitive thought process is starting its shift into survivor instead of

We live in a paternalistic society which is defined as a society controlled and run by men. Men not only dominate in government and business, but they also make the rules for the world that we live in. It is said to be a "man 's world." In essentially every past and present known society, women have not been treated as the full equals of men. A woman 's main value is to support a man, bear children, and housekeeping duties. This is how it has always been in most cultures. The novel, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, shows the paternalistic society in which the Price family lives in. In 1959 an obstinate Baptist minister named Nathan Price drags his wife and four daughters deep into the heart of the Congo on a mission to save the unenlightened souls of Africa. Nathan Price is a prime example of an arrogant father. He, a servant of God, seems to think that he is God. This complex is magnified by the fact that the minister has a low opinion of the female sex in general, and he does not exclude his daughters or his wife. In a society where men and women are not seen as equals, women struggle to find their identity.

One of which, is proving her newfound independence by participating in the village hunt of Kilanga. Before her move to the Congo, an obedient Leah would have never done anything as rebellious as this because Nathan would not have allowed it. This is evident in his failed attempt to stop her, “”(). Leah is victorious, winning the hunt by the kill of a young male impala. A man named Tata Ndu steals her meat and leaves nothing but a leg for Leah because he is embarrassed at the fact a girl possesses enough skill to beat him. As a result, Leah feels disrespected and discriminated against. Though she may not realize it at the time, Leah now relates to the Congolese on a larger scale. Just as her meat was taken from her, the Price family poses a threat to forcibly replace Congolese culture with their own Christian ideology. This is similar to when the United States of America have the Congolese Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, assassinated. Leah feels responsible and bears all the guilt because she knows that her people killed their treasured leader. After experiencing both occasions of loss, Leah begins to see from the Congo’s perspective, rather than her father’s. At that moment, it is clear that Leah has changed for the better. From that point, she begins a mission of her own. Her sole purpose consisting of fighting for justice in the Congo, rather than converting it to Nathan’s treacherous view of Christianity. This she does by educating the Congolese as an elementary school teacher. In the fullness of time, Leah’s determination to justify portrays Kingsolver’s message to the reader. The Congo is mistreated by outside entities, and anyone who claims to care for the Congo, cares for the wrong

Nathan wanted to baptize the people of the Congo to redeem his guilt in the eyes God. Nathan felt that he was doing God a favor by taking his family to the Congo and trying to convert as many people as possible. Furthermore; Nathan Price walks into the Congo with a Western attitude completely failing to adapt to the Congolese culture and ideas (even failing to realize that the people were afraid of the river because of crocodiles) making them less accepting of him and his teachings.

In a world full of blame and lack of accountability, an individual’s role in injustice needs to be questioned. In the early 1960’s, after many years under Belgian rule, the Congolese people formed an uprising and gained independance. However, the Congo was ill prepared for the organization that independence demanded. The Soviet Union offered aid to the Prime Minister of the Congo. Since this was during the Cold War, the United States retaliated and supported a coup led by Colonel Joseph Mobutu. Mobutu ruled with an iron fist, resulting in pain and oppression of the Congolese. Looking back on history, it is easy to see who was at fault. But at the time, it was not easy to identify blame, especially for the Americans. Barbara Kingsolver wrote about the Congo’s trials much later in 1991. She used a narration from baptist missionary family to symbolize the different kinds of guilt Americans share. In Anne M. Austenfield’s narrative journal, she described Kingsolver’s ability to use, "several character-focalizers whose limited perspectives project highly subjective views of history" (Austenfeld). This technique allowed for Kingsolver to not only produce a more reliable account of what occurred, but to depict her desired theme and message. Kingsolver, in her novel The Poisonwood Bible, uses a political allegory to explore the different notions of guilt through the limited perspectives of her characters.

“The Poisonwood Bible” was published in the year 1998 which is the time that the second Congo War began. Due to this war there is believed to have been 5.4 million fatalities. This was occurring in Africa.

1909, over one hundred years ago, was the death of King Leopold of Belgium the sole owner of the Congo. Even years after he has left this earth and is no longer in the reign, the long-lasting effects he has had on the people and the land has forever changed the Congo. The memories left behind from the atrocities that occurred and the diminished resources due to extreme exploitation has prompted the author Adam Hochschild to write the novel, King Leopold’s Ghost. Using an Afrocentric point of view Hochschild describes how the events that took place under Leopold’s orders were acts of true terror and inhumanity.

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.

In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, the imperialism of Africa is described. Conrad tells the story of the cruel treatment of the natives and of the imperialism of the Congo region through the perspective of the main character, Marlow. Throughout the novel, Marlow describes how the Europeans continuously bestow poor treatment to the native people by enslaving them in their own territory. Analyzing the story with the New Criticism lens, it is evident that Conrad incorporates numerous literary devices in Heart of Darkness, including similes, imagery, personification, and antitheses to describe and exemplify the main idea of cruel imperialism in Africa discussed throughout the novella.