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Analysis Of The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver

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In the novel, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, she uses the contrasts between America and the Congo to show how the pressures of living in the different environments effected the Price family and the choices they made about their future. After the Price family moved from America to the Congo, they experienced many struggles while trying to adapt to their new surroundings in Congo and introduce Christianity to the villagers. Adapting was difficult for them because they went into the Congo with American thoughts, ideals and materials that they thought were necessary, such as Rachel’s hand mirror and cake mix, which Leah later realizes that their “supplies from home seem to represent a bygone world” (14). Their life in America was very luxurious compared to Congo. In America, they owned cars, television, and decent …show more content…

Unlike the villagers that have housing made of tin and any random pieces of metal, and often times limited resources for food and water. The villagers of the Congo lived a life of poverty with no way to become something greater than they were. If you were born poor, you would be poor for the rest of your life, unlike America where there are many opportunities to achieve the “American Dream”. The Prices not only faced challenges with domestic life, but their religion. The villagers’ religion was very different from Christianity. Christianity is based on God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but the villagers’ version of religion consisted of earthly gods and sacrifices to the earth. Nathan’s mission was to convert all of Congo, have them baptized in a river—supposedly filled with crocodiles—and convert them to Christianity. The villagers and Nathan

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