Themes In The Poisonwood Bible

While reading The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver we understand the biblical influence in the Prices family and the overall book, however upon closer examination one finds many biblical allusions. Yet, rather than simply portraying the story and message in an attempt to convey it to the world, it seems as if Kingsolver desires that those who analyze her seemingly complex book through these allusions will understand her characters on a deeper level and experience what they’re going through personally. As read in How to Read Literature Like a Professor’s sixth chapter “... Or The Bible”; biblical allusions are meant to provide in-depth analysis of a story or character. The reason these biblical references are used, according to Thomas C. Foster

The writer's view of Orleanna fits with Orleanna's narrative throughout the book. In the first book, “Genesis” in parallel to the Bible, Orleanna is unaware of the dangers that are to be presented to her in the near future, and is clouded by the judgements of her all-knowing husband, but by the end of the Poisonwood Bible in Exodus, Orleanna has developed by listening to her own conscience and freeing herself from Nathan, who could otherwise be compared to the grasp that religion can have on vulnerable

Beginning with Orleanna’s long, compound-complex sentences, to the short three word sentences to make a statement and emphasis, her syntax creates Orleanna’s voice. (Example of long sentence and short sentence to create emphasis). Orleanna is very declarative in everything she says, but in a humble way. Her respectful way of speaking adds to her voice of an advisory, caring character. (Give example and explain). All Orleanna’s syntax creates emphasis of what she has to say, proving that it is important and should be taken into

describing these experiences Orleanna begins to question herself as to why she hasn't gave up

In The Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, the aspect of biblical allusion is clearly present throughout the majority of the novel. For example, one of the most conspicuous allusions to the Bible is the way that Kingsolver has purposely named some of the main characters in her book after different people and images in the Bible. Kingsolver uses this biblical allusion to develop important themes, events, and characters in her novel. Kingsolver makes references to the Bible by tying in and creating similarities between important events and themes in the Bible and important events and themes in her novel.

breaks free from Nathan. Even though Orleanna finds her freedom, she loses her faith. Orleanna

No one shows the oppression, inflicted upon the Congo’s people in hope of spreading imperialism, better than the main characters in this story. Nathans only goal is to convert all of the native people’s beliefs to Christianity. By hoping to doing this, they will be able to grasp control and establish their dominance upon the village. This can be seen through Orleannas thoughts, “Call it oppression, complicity stupefaction, call it what you’d like, it doesn’t matter. Africa swallowed the conqueror’s music and sang a new song of her own” (Kingsolver 385). Kingsolver shows that individuals are always going to want and demand control, however the victims of this oppression will fight past it and won’t give in. Many people have come before the Price family, trying to do the same thing. However, the natives are smarter than to give into their new ideologies.

“ Imagine a ruin so strange it must never have happened First, picture the forest. I want you to be its conscience, the eyes in the trees.”

The strictness of Nathan’s attitude does contribute to the way he treats Orleanna, but is not the underlying reason of his actions-- Nathan is simply being a man of the ‘50s. Men were superior to women, and therefore did not have to be respectful of them. This is exactly how Nathan acts towards Orleanna; she has a moment of discovery and realizes how worthless Nathan makes her feel. “I was his instrument, his animal. Nothing more…” (Kingsolver 89). Hearing Orleanna have this conversation with herself contributes to the theme of feminism in the novel. For starters, Kingsolver only included the perspectives of

Sometimes in the novel the theme turns to a point when the narratives of the novel feels burden of guilt. Kingsolver writes this story from many different perspectives to show the guilt and show the narrow minded people like Nathan Price. It tells us their guilt about them when one of their sister died and the guilt they face as they are related in tragedies happened in the Africa. In the novel women’s subject is shown in the forefront. The Price’s family is missionary who are showing the violence and process of the colonization. Nathan Price is shown as a hero in the story who went to the Jungles of Africa and is fully devoted to his work. He as shown as both violence and ignorant man who took his family into the jungles. Orleanna Price believes in the god and care about her

In The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver uses symbolism within her characters to portray the insidious nature of Western civilization asserting their ideals and politics into the post-colonial African Congo, undercut with a description of the events of the time.

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

LIST OF MAJOR EVENTS, SCENES, SPEECHES / SIGNIFICANT CONVERSATIONS Orleanna marries nathan (book 3, chapter 26) The prices enter Africa (Book 1 chapter 2) Nathan tries to grow his garden but fails (book 1 chapter 6) The underdowns evacuate Africa but Nathan refuses to leave(book 2 chapter 9) Leah participates in the hunt much against her father’s wishes and the chief's wishes.

The clash of the West and Africa entails foreign situations that society must face. The Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver reflects on the impact of foreign situations on how it molds the way a society develops. In the novel, children are led by the missionary father, Nathan into the Congo, where they face the task of conversion. A molding of society is evident with the Price children, in their faith and their attitudes toward the Congolese. The way each child faces their faith is distinct and molds the person they will become. This sense of identity is impacted by the father and his obsession with God and the oppression of the Congo, creating an evident “evil” the children must overcome. Universally, in any situation people face, their faith evolves and changes the way they

As children develop, their attitude and perspective on viewpoints changes. They become more mature and aware of their situation and surroundings. In The Poisonwood Bible, Baptist pastor Nathan Price, his wife Orleanna, and daughters Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May travels to the Congo on a mission trip. Throughout the story, the children are exposed to the cultural differences of the Congo and their home state of Georgia, but because of Nathan’s focus on his pastoral duties while in the Congo, he does not present himself as a father figure for the daughters. Because of this, the daughters are left to mature and figure out their surroundings on their own which gives the story its core.