Examples Of Imperialism In The Poisonwood Bible

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.

Nathan Price struggles with survivor's guilt from WWII. This grief weighs him down, and it not only causes him to be hard on himself personally, it causes him to be hard on his wife and four daughters. He sees himself as a coward, however, in order to hide how he truly views himself, he shows himself off as brave and strong. In reality, Nathan is a coward for hiding himself behind God, and a selfish man for not letting himself commiserate with others. Along with trying to make himself seem like something he is not, he convinces himself that he is going to save the souls of the Congolese people using God’s power. In reality, he is just trying to save his spot in Heaven since he is so guilty about not dying in WWII. Nathan Price has a certain moral code and if anyone, including his family, disobeys it, he believes they should then be punished by God. He also thinks that God will frown upon any actions that are not centered on God. For example, Nathan does not even take the time to love his own wife and daughters. "Father would sooner watch us all perish one by one than listening to anybody but himself"

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.

Much like Natty Bumpo in The Last of the Mohicans, Nathan sets out to expand the boundaries, not of America, but of Christianity. His inroads into the frontier have destructive repercussions that are disguised as progress. Just like James Fenimore Cooper, this author deals with the "ideal boundary" that is the "frontier" and the difference between the "civilized and cultivated" and the "wild and Lawless" (Fiedler 179). Kingsolver adds to this list, however, the 'Christian and heathen' in much the same way. Nathan Price refuses to see the beauty of the system that is in place and struggles to bend Africa to his will; however, the real story lies in the women.

In the novel The Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, the reader is introduced to the Price family, Baptist missionaries who are attempting to “Christianize” the country of Congo, more specifically the village of Kilanga. As the story progresses, the family realizes that they are not changing the Congo; instead, the Congo is changing them. The development of the characters within the novel is due to the instrument of cruelty. Although distasteful to regard it as such, cruelty motivates the development and choices of its subjects, whether politically, culturally, or socially. Rendering itself as a main theme throughout the book, different aspects of cruelty are illustrated through the interactions of the Price family, internally and externally, as well as the overall relationship between the “white men” and Congo, or more generally the continent of Africa.

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.

From a land of poverty, rises a country of evil. The Price family stumbles upon a plethora of misfortunes upon the first month of their arrival to the Congo. What is meant to be a mission trip instantly turns into an experience of uncertainty. Leah, a member of the Price family, even states “Without that rock of certainty underfoot, the Congo is a fearsome place to have to sink or swim” (Kingsolver 244). Throughout The Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, the Republic of Congo owns the residents; with it’s revenge for betrayal of traditions, the multiple extremities within it, and the inability for further modernization, the Congo inevitably controls everything within it.

If The Poisonwood Bible had another name, it would be called injustice among humans because of how much injustices there are between the community. The people of Congo have to carry the heavy burden of the greedy leaders of their own country, and of others like the United States of America, not such a surprise. These atrocious leaders could care less about the million of people suffering because of the affluence for social hierarchy and wealth. Injustice is only caused through affluence. An example of this can be seen in page 123, “I was glad nobody wanted to cut off my hands. Because Jesus made me white, I reckon they wouldn 't,” (Kingsolver). Ruth May, one of the youngest family member of the missionary family, learns about white privileges, a topic considered to still be controversial in today’s society. However, the family quickly learn

Over the course of human history, many believe that the “Congo Free State”, which lasted from the 1880s to the early 1900s, was one of the worst colonial states in the age of Imperialism and was one of the worst humanitarian disasters over time. Brutal methods of collecting rubber, which led to the deaths of countless Africans along with Europeans, as well as a lack of concern from the Belgian government aside from the King, combined to create the most potent example of the evils of colonialism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s. The Congo colonial experience, first as the Congo Free State then later as Belgian Congo, was harmful to that region of Africa both then and now because of the lack of Belgian and International

Marlow and his fellow Europeans in England believe that since their country has taken control of the Congo, their people by proxy have complete influence over the lives of the Congolese. The irony is found in the fact that the Europeans who come to the Congo to harvest its resources are subject to the influence of the African jungle once they arrive, and are twisted in both mind and soul. Conrad

Conrad likens the Congo River to a snake with “its head in the sea… and its tail lost in the depths of the land.” The snake, a metaphor of temptation and evil, symbolises the failure of colonisation and its ability to become ‘lost in the depths’ of an ideology. Furthermore, Conrad explores the idea of the ‘whited sepulchre’; something that is outwardly beautiful but contains horrors within. Together, these symbols are significant in portraying the notion that the Europeans, though appearing to embody an ideology, were in fact forfeiting their own

European Colonialism to the Congo during the early twentieth century was labeled and sold as an idea that the Congo would be transformed from a savage jungle into a place of international trade, education, and development. This idealistic idea of having a flourishing civilized place in Africa was crushed by the harsh realities of imperialism. The Congo along with its people were exploited and used as slave labor for the King of Belgium to personally profit off his new purchase. Joseph Conrad’s novella “Heart of Darkness” reveals these truths about european colonialism through Marlow’s, the main character, recollection of a past voyage to the Congo he had experienced. The novella tackles eurocentric ideas of Africans being depicted as savages, while also revealing european supremacy as the white washed illusion it is. The author draws on his own past to tell not only a thrilling adventure, but also expose Europe for its exploitative actions during the early twentieth century.

European colonization in the Congo during the early twentieth century was labeled and sold as the idea that the Congo would be transformed from a savage jungle into a place of international trade, education, and development. This idealistic idea of having a flourishing civilized place in Africa was crushed by the harsh realities of imperialism. The Congo along with its people were exploited and used as slave labor for the King of Belgium to personally profit off his new purchase. Joseph Conrad’s novella “Heart of Darkness” reveals these truths about European colonialism through the main character’s recollection and retelling of a past voyage to the Congo he had experienced. The novella tackles problematic Eurocentric ideas of Africans and their culture, while also revealing European supremacy as the white washed illusion it is. The author draws on his own past to tell not only a thrilling adventure, but also expose Europe for its exploitative actions during the early twentieth century.