Analysis Of The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, is a story told by the Price daughters and their mother on how their father/husband took them to the Congo in 1959 on a mission on spreading Christianity. The father’s goals was to convert the Congolese into Christians and baptize them into this religion. Throughout the book, the family faces many obstacles. The book is narrated starting with the mother, Orleanna, and then alternating among the four Price daughters, Rachel the oldest, Adah and Leah the twins, and Ruth May the youngest. As the story goes on the four girls and their mother develop distinctly and adapt to the Congo as they mature. In 1959, the Price family packs up their belongings to fly to Africa to the Congo to a village known

The Price family solves this problem by wearing many layers of clothing and taking as much as possible in their pockets. Once the family arrives in the village of Kilanga they attend their first church service. The Price girls and their father observe how their culture is very distinct from their own culture back home. For example, when Leah and her family try to plant a “demonstration garden” to have food and show the Congolese how to plant crops his fruit won’t grow because Africa doesn’t have any pollinators. Thus, so Nathan won’t give up and keeps on going towards achieving his goal. He tries to do an “Easter Celebration” hoping to baptize the Congolese in the river, but he’s not successful. The village refuses to go in the river because they claim a girl was recently eaten by a crocodile. Their helper Mama Tataba becomes angry with Nathan’s insistence in baptism she leaves the family, Nathan continues with his goal. Anatole, the school teacher of the village, comes home to the Price’s home one day and informs Nathan that the chief of the village, Tata Ndu, fears that a spread of Christianity won’t work and it’ll bring a negative effect of the people. Nathan gets mad with Anatole’s message that he angrily tells him to leave the house. Even though the chief didn’t agree with Nathan’s goal he keeps on trying to spread

Nathan refuses to leave even though his daughters and wife try to convince him to do so. Orleanna grows sick and lays in bed mostly all day thinking about not being able to leave. The price daughters find ways to take care of her and feed her. She becomes desperate and wants to leave with her daughters, so she tries bribing Axelroot to fly them out the village, but she isn’t’ able to convince him. Since Mama Tataba left, Nelson, a young orphan boy becomes the new house helper. As time passes, mother gets better, but now Ruth May rapidly becomes sick and stays in bed most of the day. The family later found out she was sick of malaria because she didn’t’ take her pills to prevent catching a viruses a disease. Meanwhile, Leah begins to spend time with the Kilanga teacher, Anatole. They talk about the Congo, justice, and its independence. On the other hand, Leah starts to get good at hunting thanks to Nelson who teaches her how to use the arrow. In addition, Leah starts to slowly fall in love with Anatole and no longer view her dad’s view as a model for her own. Meanwhile, Rachel is pretend to be engaged with Axelroot to avoid a proposal with the chief Ndu. Ruth May gets better, but is very weak and pale. Leah wants to participate in the village hunt and this upsets