The Poisonwood Bible

Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover is a novel of a family that experiences hardships and renewal. Their journey to the Congo is told by a wife of a minister and their four daughters. Nathan Price is a God fearing Baptist who takes his family to the Belgian Congo on a mission. The Congo is at a critical point in both its religious and government views. The Price family is coming from Georgia and has no real sense of the experiences that will forever change their lives. When the Price family boards the plane, they lives are forever changed. They leave behind the most prized possessions to enter a world of full of destitute. The mother, Orleanna Price, and her four daughters set out on a life changing
She does not believe she is her father’s “star pupil” as her sisters believe. She even compares herself to Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because of her desires and her body formation. Adah is silent throughout most of the book, but speaks volumes when it is her turn in the novel. She often recites pieces from Emily Dickinson. She uses Dickinson’s poetry as a personal motto and to guide her through her journey. Adah, throughout the novel, makes references to her father and his stupidity. He is incapable of understanding his mistakes with the people of the Congo. Nathan expects the people, like his family will do as he teachers. After being picked by her mother for salvation at the end, Adah finds herself. She enrolls at Emory University after her escape from the Congo and becomes a neonatal physician and a researcher. Ruth May’s time in the novel is brief. She arrives in the Congo at the age of 5. She does not say a great deal throughout the novel. She is killed by the bite of the green snake at the age of 6. Ruth May is like her father and repeats many of his sentiments as she is speaking in the novel. She seems prejudice at the age of 5 as she speaks about the Africans and the Jimmy Crow law. She refers to the natives as “cannibals”. She also speaks poorly of the children of Georgia who are not gifted and the colored
She takes her family to the Congo. She means well and packs things that will help remind them of their home only to get there to realize it was all in an effort wasted. Orleanna is an obedient wife to Nathan. She experiences many trials while in the Congo including the death of her child and having to make a choice of which child to save. Later in the novel, Orleanna sets out to rescue her family when she finally realizes her husband is abusive and feels as if he owns the family. She has already lost a child and can no longer bare the life of the Congo. When Orleanna is free of Nathan’s control she speaks differently in the novel. She does have to accept responsibility for her actions thus far and has a hard time doing this. In the end of the novel, Adah is the only child Orleanna really has a strong relationship with. She becomes a member of a group which protests and grows a garden. The relationship with her daughters, however, is irrevocably changed