Congo Peafowl

Dearest Mother and Father While I have much enjoyed my stay with Uncle I must insist that I come home early. The problem lies not with Uncle or my health but with the atmosphere of the Congo itself. As I sit on the terrace of Uncles beautiful home overlooking the small outpost he resides in I see only despair and sorrow in many of the blacks who work and live here. Few are joyful and though Uncle tells me not to worry for them that they are happy and content in their work, I feel can’t help but

he is” (Foster 125). If Christ’s attributes reflect themselves in a character, readers can use their knowledge to assume the character is a Christ figure. Likewise, Kingsolver uses Nathan Price as an examples of a Christ figure. Nathan comes to the Congo to redeem an unworthy people, has disciples (his family), and wanders the

Between the years of 1884 and 1885, King Leopold II of Belgium acquired an area of land 78 times larger than Belgium itself, he named it the Congo “Free” State. Leopold promised that he would improve the lives of the native Africans within this territory by ending the slave trade, converting them to Christians and introducing European health and education systems. Long story short, Leopold did none of those things for the native Africans; rather, he ended up enslaving, mutilating and killing them

political issues, and materialism woven throughout the novel and America. Rachel’s belief that the world should reflect American values is challenged by her experiences in the Congo. Due to this, Rachel consciously chooses to avoid thoughts that contradict her privileged worldviews. After several months of living in the Congo, Rachel finally spends a moment to truly notice the world around her while watching Anatole. She sits by herself, observing the schoolboys file in and out of Anatole’s schoolhouse

“And so the Price family passes its judgements. All but Adah. Adah unpasses her judgements. I am the one who does not speak,” (Kingsolver 32). Within a place she originally called “home” neighbored by goods accommodating her valuable goods and sweet desires it is expected that she would dismiss the idea of suddenly moving to the bare and malnourished land of Africa. How could it possibly be feasible to act in such a normal manner within a new set of surroundings that are yet to be discovered in addition

In the novel The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver an American family seeks to change the Congo through the use of their Baptist faith. While in truth the father Nathan Price sets out to change the world and ends up dragging his wife and four daughters along for the ride. His family supported his mission on changing the Congo in the beginning, but his second daughter would be the one to support him long after his plan began to falter. Leah Price would follow Nathan anywhere he wished to direct

strangers. She thought she was stepping into some obsolete place, but ironically she found her inner home through the struggles she faced. Adah did conquer the Congo, but not

“[Kurtz] struggled with himself, too. I saw it -- I heard it. I saw… a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself.” (Conrad 113). Marlow looks upon Kurtz and sees a man who is lost; Kurtz was once an honorable man who was loved by many before he left for the wilderness. He went into the jungle in order to collect ivory for his employer, and also in order to “colonize” the native people. However, whenever he left the restraints of society, he began to feel

As their trip in the Congo begins, Ruth May mentions: “What they do is, they all stare at us” (Kingsolver 52); this is pertinent to the story as it not only precludes the uneasiness that the natives feel after having religion forced upon them, but also furthers the separation of the family that happens due to the events in the Congo. The Reverend begins to really delve into the spirit of his mission by preaching to anyone who will listen -- which is not very many. Nathan, however, makes a grave

Rachel Rebeccah Price is a true child of the western world and the 1960’s, she cares about her clothes, what her social status is, and most importantly-- her looks. As the Prices first arrive to the Congo Rachel stands firm on her belief that she will never adapt to the Congo such as her family has. Before leaving her town of Bethlehem, Georgia, Rachel had the most exposure to a western based upbringing and also the least attention from her preoccupied parents. This leaves her self centered and very