Character Analysis Of Leah In The Poisonwood Bible

In the beginning of the novel, Leah’s narrative portrays her as a naïve girl who has only been exposed to what her father has told her. Her only understanding of the world and what is right or wrong has come from her father. Since her surroundings have been stagnant her whole life, the beliefs pressed upon her have deeply rooted themselves in her own belief system. For example, in Leah’s eyes, Nathan can do no wrong. She views her father as “tall as Goliath and pure of heart as David” (40). As she holds her father in a very high regard, she wants to do anything that might make him proud. Leah’s obsession over making her father proud of her has instilled into Leah a sense of dependency: “His devotion to its progress, like his devotion

Leah is constantly changing due to her experiences in the Congo. Leah’s view on her father, religion, and her country are challenged by the things that she sees every day in the Congo. Ultimately, Leah makes her own opinion on the subject matter of her father, religion, and country. She realizes that she does not want to partake in anything that might relate to those subjects. She abandons her father and his religion because she sees that it does not hold the justice that she seeks. Likewise, her country works to corrupt the lives of another country and only causes suffering for those people. In addition, through Leah’s narrative one is truly able to see the voice of the Congolese. Because her environment has affected her so much she is able to become a reliable voice for the struggling Congolese. In using Leah’s narrative, Kingsolver is skillfully able to demonstrate the woes of imperialism. Also, through her trials and tribulation, Leah is able to fully explore the topics of imperialism and the effects that it has on the country being colonized. Through Leah’s narrative, Kingsolver is able to express the extent to which one’s surroundings can shape the traits in a