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Brother Fowles is best represented by a house boat and this poem.  He had few possessions in life but was one of the richest men in spirit. Brother Fowles was a kind and gentle leader, who was loved by all around him. He did not force others to believe in his beliefs or take their own possessions from them. However, the people of Africa wanted to share what they had with Brother Fowles. He lived on a small houseboat that allowed him to travel throughout the continent and share his love for religion with others. The environment around him, though dangerous, filled him the compassion of nature that he then made the base of his religious beliefs. The house boat that he traveled allowed him to share these beliefs with everyone throughout the Congo. The nature of the Congo also led him to his wife and the people that understood him and loved him for who he is, not for what he has. The people of Africa truly did not love him for his riches; they cherished his kindness and wisdom. 

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Although this diamond necklace doesn’t seem very environmental, they are when thinking through the mind of Mr. Eben Axelroot. Axelroot is a truly devious man. This diamond necklace represents the way that he mooches off the land and the people of the land. By selling diamonds illegally, he acquires the life that he wishes to have. I believe that he also acquires the sense of superiority through the way that the land has been kind to him and not to others. The diamonds in this necklace can also represent the way that he uses poor families to get his way despite having all that he could need, along with the possibility to leave whenever he wishes. Next, this diamond necklace connects Eben to the United States, which he claims to secretly work, whether this was proved throughout the novel is to the reader’s discretion. Finally, the necklace is a symbol of the womanizer that this environment and its resources have created out of Eben Axelroot, and the empty promises that he leaves these women with. Although he thinks himself a diamond, truly he is just the rough. 

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This quote is a clear representation of Anatole, his beliefs, and also how the environment around him affected said beliefs. This well known quote accompanied by a picture of stones symbolizes both democracy as well as the power of choice. Both of these things are very prominent in the mind of Anatole. In order to give the people in the small village of Kilanga a choice, they used the environment to help. Each person given a silent stone, yet this stone carried a loud voice. However, the democracy in the United States took the meaning of the stones away, and in turn caused them to turn into weapons use by the Congo people in a way that they did not ask for nor want. Sticks and stones may have broken bones, but at least the words of others were shared. This phrase is rumored to have first appeared is a Christian Recorder which in itself is ironic, as well. 

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Throughout the novel, Nathan claimed to be a devout believer of God during his time in the Congo. Nathan follows God’s word and preaches the words of the bible without any slight interpretations. He is constantly pushing his faith onto the Congolese, who are constantly denying the Baptist faith. While serving as a missionary, Reverend Price’s main goal is to baptize each and every person. The rain symbolizes the water within the alligator infested water, which scares away the natives and creates an ultimate fear of religion. The song itself represents the idea that Nathan is using the river as a way to preach and pass on his faith to the unfaithful. This song was written by a man named Jamie Cortez, and it is commonly sung in churches across America.

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A crown is a piece of jewelry that is commonly worn by a queen or others of royalty. While, Orleanna was not wealthy or crowned a queen, she is the royalty of her family. She gracefully leads her family as best she can during their time of difficulty in the Congo. Nathan is a sense of repression as he consistently treats his wife and children as inferiors. After Orleanna moves back to America, she becomes depressed and indulges in solitude. Outwardly, it appears that Orleanna has regressed to a more negative state, however, she is finally free. She is able to garden as she pleases and she eventually plants flowers, which she has never done before. Similar to the growth of the flowers, she is growing as an independent woman.

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This poem, along with the art that surrounds it, is a representation of Rachel Price and how the environment impacted her throughout her visit and life in Africa. The ink drops surrounding the poem symbolize the way that Rachel lost herself and her mind throughout their exposition, but because only half the page is splatter shows that she quickly pulls herself back together. Rachel personally thought of herself as a diamond, but to her dismay, diamonds in the Congo are simply sold and bartered for better, more necessary things. She is often bartered or barters herself, as well. Especially when it comes to escaping the Congo. Throughout the novel, the environment, through ants, dirt, fire, death, and hunger, try to penetrate the hard exterior of Rachel Price, but she continuously reminds herself that she can only shine.

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This painting along with the woman supporting the traditional African dress represent Leah’s transition from living in America to living the rest of her life in Africa with her husband Anatole and her children. Leah went through the most changes of all the sisters and is a better person because of her life in Africa. She works hard every day to survive and keep her children alive. Her husband is used to the life in Africa since he grew up in the culture, that Leah is simply learning. In the painting, the woman is carrying a very heavy pot. This symbolizes the burden that Leah had to learn to carry. She was now in charge of taking care of her family in an environment completely unique to her. She lived in a very different home than she did in the United States, and she also learned to live without many of the things we would consider necessities. Leah learned not only how to survive in Africa, but thrive in the culture despite her illnesses and setbacks. She has chose to accept the culture and work towards calling it her own. Towards the end of the novel, the readers even experience the stigma of the hatred America growing inside her. These feelings along with her new view of the world are all consequences, as well as rewards, of suffering and surviving the environment that she was thrown into. 

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The new biosphere in Africa clearly changed Ruth May’s life. She was fascinated by the Mamba snake which, in turn, foreshadowed her death. The mamba snake makes its home high in the trees, watching all that goes on below. It can be said that the snake can sit so still, you would not know that you were right next to one. Throughout the novel, Ruth May is also found in the trees watching quietly what happens below her. The video above shows the Mamba snake in its natural habitat, comfortable where it stands. Ruth May was quite the opposite, her will to adventure in her new environment and help prove her place amongst her sisters in this new place, quickly leads to her death. The green mamba snake symbolizes both a lesson to the family as well as a lesson to the community. Although the snake took Ruth May too fast and too soon, the lesson that was shared that day will forever stay with the community and the family, greatly impacting personality, positions, and values.