In the “Poisonwood Bible”, by Barbara Kingsolver, there are particular elements of exile that drive Leah Price to finding her true self, each leading her further away from the previous exile status and closer to her true self. Such instances of exile are seen as a placeholder for the next instance in which she descends into her true self and departs from her “home”. For example, when she leaves America with her family, she knows little-to-nothing about what the Congo has-in-store for her. As she loses her connection with America, she begins to rely more on Nathan Price, her father, strengthening the bond that they already had, which only leads to the imminent exile that she must face next. Her father’s mischievous behavior creates numerous circumstances that test
The congolese people influence her decisions and thoughts throughout the book. Her family, as she realizes the people they truly are, also change her thought process and mindset from when they lived back home in Georgia. As the Congo becomes their home, moral lessons were taught until the day the Price family departs from the Congo, but not all of them. Leah Price was introduced as a fourteen year old girl who is very intelligent and who idealizes her father, a godly man whose rules are stricter than most. The family is departing from Bethlehem, Georgia on a mission trip to Africa for a year with not much from home.
In the novel The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, Leah Price moves to the Congo with her family as part of a missionary. Through their experiences in the Congo, and living amongst a community with many political conflicts, Leah discovers the importance of justice and selflessness. Kingsolver uses assertive and benevolent tones, and symbolism throughout the story to portray the voice of Leah, illustrating Leah’s determination to adamantly strive for justice and equality for Africa and its people, rather than believing that her heritage, her father and God are superior to those around her. Her father’s authority and idealism overshadows her point of view, as she is highly set on her father’s approval and ultimately, God’s approval too. By using phrases such as “But my father needs permission only from the Saviour, who obviously is all in favor of subduing the untamed wilderness for a garden (36)”, Kingsolver establishes Leah’s narrow-minded belief that her father is ‘A Chosen One from God’ and he will pacify the Congolese.
She learns that doing things to please herself instead of her father makes her feel more accomplished and have that sense of worthiness that her father wasn’t giving her. Kingsolver uses these factors to get the audience to see the change in Leah’s views and beliefs as the book goes on and as she grows up into a woman. Her relationship with her father is a lot like her relationship with God because she talks to both of them and neither of them ever respond directly to her. She feels unwanted and like a distraction to her father’s main purpose in life, which is to save people through the word of God. Her surroundings in the Congo begin to shape her morals and psychological beliefs that push her away from not only her father, but God as well.
Pauline Hopkins once said that “our surroundings influence ours lives and characters as just as much as fate, destiny, or any supernatural agency does.” In most cases, Hopkins would be correct. One can absolutely see this concept in the case of Leah Price from The Poisonwood Bible. Early in this novel, Leah Price is the daughter that tried to follow in her father 's footsteps. Almost everything that Leah does is to gain the respect from her father, Nathan, that she so craves. Leah’s fight for Nathan’s attention and love has gone on for years, since she was born basically.
Reverend Hale 's beliefs in witchcraft are strong in the opening of the play. In the beginning of the play Hale travels to Salem to help identify the presence of witchcraft .Reverend Hale 's craft is described when Miller says, “on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of a specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for”(Miller 1146). Hale is a Reverend who has deeply studied the invisible world. The people of Salem are curious to know if the devil is present in their village so they call Reverend Hale to check their daughters for signs of witchcraft. Hale has a strong belief of witchcraft and that the devil is present in the village of Salem.
¨Hale, continuing to Elizabeth: Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up.¨. Hale recognizes the way he had first acted when he was introduced in the play he had false confidence, was falsely assertive, a title of the best witch hunter in that region meant nothing and being a reverend, he had failed miserably to bring justice to the town of Salem. Along with being a failure he has realized that those that he had convicted were innocent and the girls that had played the system were the actual ones guilty and had escaped their well deserved punishment. The whole point of Hale being the tragic hero was that Hale would have been able to prevent all of these things onto the town but having a title does not mean you are qualified for the
By being there, holding his hand throughout his journey Leigh Anne effectively turns his life around and helps him achieve success. In a very Phoebe esc. way, Leigh Anne sees something in a misfortuned teenaged Michael that others in his life and society have failed to see. She sees potential where it is doubted, and she believes in him. Leigh Anne successfully serves as Michael’s catcher not by telling him to change, but by serving as an active proponent of change in his life.
Our natural environment shaped our individual character; for Leah, she is independent and a character all of her own, but I am independent yet still follow a set pattern that of my family and beliefs. Furthermore social interactions and involvements along with behaviors demonstrated to us also played a huge role in how we live our lives
He declares that he would honor his father’s memory and become a great hunter. He brings back wealth of meat to his people because the government is not treating the people very well. Through his wisdom, he completes an impossible mission and wins everyone’s heart in the village. He becomes a successful chief due to his wisdom. Keesh possesses two traits bravery and intelligence which creates the theme no matter how old you are, you can achieve anything you wish.