Poisonwood Bible notes
The Poisonwood Bible
Book One
English 12 / Rucker
Literary Devices
Allusion
“life, a mother recalls the measure of the silences” (5). What could she mean by this so early in the text?
Note the significance of the title of each book. What is the significance to the events that occur?
“So this is who all will be in our village: the Price family, Lone Ranger, Cinderella, Briar Rose, and the Tribes of Ham” (21)
Why make use of parables, as the characters do throughout the text?
“My monkey sock monkey was named Saint Matthew” (50)
Note the use of metaphor: “a unicorn that could look you in the eye” (7). Why is it effective to describe events or objects in this way?
Note the call to the shifting audience of the speaker. What does that indicate in context?
Imagery: what is the effect of describing the scene in this way?
Note the imagist approach to setting (5)
“the sun was a blood red ball hovering outside his window, inflaming his eyes as he kept up a lookout for Africa on the horizon” (15)
“In a long row the dirt huts all kneel facing east as if praying for the staved off collapse – not toward Mecca exactly but east toward the village’s one road and the river behind all that, the pink sunrise surprise” (30)
“You can’t bring the bees. You might as well bring the whole world over here with you, and there’s not room for it”(80)
Note the use of foreshadowing: “each object of value replacing the weight freed up by some frivolous thing…My father, of course, was bringing the Word of God – which, fortunately weighs nothing at all” (18)
Point of View: note the shifting point of view and how the buildup of realism and dissatisfaction with the condition in which all of the major and minor character are living start to develop over time.
“when I’ve never before considered myself to have any accent, though naturally I’m aware we do sounds worlds different from the Yanks on the radio and TV” (18)
“I was that woman on the bank of course” (7)
Book One
English 12 / Rucker
Literary Devices
Allusion
“life, a mother recalls the measure of the silences” (5). What could she mean by this so early in the text?
Note the significance of the title of each book. What is the significance to the events that occur?
“So this is who all will be in our village: the Price family, Lone Ranger, Cinderella, Briar Rose, and the Tribes of Ham” (21)
Why make use of parables, as the characters do throughout the text?
“My monkey sock monkey was named Saint Matthew” (50)
Note the use of metaphor: “a unicorn that could look you in the eye” (7). Why is it effective to describe events or objects in this way?
Note the call to the shifting audience of the speaker. What does that indicate in context?
Imagery: what is the effect of describing the scene in this way?
Note the imagist approach to setting (5)
“the sun was a blood red ball hovering outside his window, inflaming his eyes as he kept up a lookout for Africa on the horizon” (15)
“In a long row the dirt huts all kneel facing east as if praying for the staved off collapse – not toward Mecca exactly but east toward the village’s one road and the river behind all that, the pink sunrise surprise” (30)
“You can’t bring the bees. You might as well bring the whole world over here with you, and there’s not room for it”(80)
Note the use of foreshadowing: “each object of value replacing the weight freed up by some frivolous thing…My father, of course, was bringing the Word of God – which, fortunately weighs nothing at all” (18)
Point of View: note the shifting point of view and how the buildup of realism and dissatisfaction with the condition in which all of the major and minor character are living start to develop over time.
“when I’ve never before considered myself to have any accent, though naturally I’m aware we do sounds worlds different from the Yanks on the radio and TV” (18)
“I was that woman on the bank of course” (7)