#orleanna price

[trees-to-meet-you]

I think Orleanna should be allowed to kill her husband. I think she should write a killer country song about it.

[justanotherfanartist]

had to read poisonwood bible for one of my finals and I finally got to do something artsy for it and well

Orleanna Price my best girl

[xoxobellabear]

One has only a life of one's own. - Orleanna Price, The Poisonwood Bible

[irimarzz]

orleanna price they could never make me hate you

[roamanddiscover]

The Poisonwood Bible Book Summary

The Poisonwood Bible Book Summary

The Poisonwood Bible is a captivating novel written by Barbara Kingsolver. The story is set in the Belgian Congo in 1959 and follows the Price family who moves there as missionaries. The novel captures the lives of the Price family, primarily focusing on the mother and daughters, and their attempt to adapt to their new surroundings while grappling with strained relationships. The book is divided into seven parts, each narrated by a different member of the Price family. It covers over three decades, from the late 1950s to the early 1990s and Kingsolver deftly explores themes of identity, culture, and family dynamics through the experiences of the five women of the Price family. The Poisonwood Bible offers a nuanced critique of colonialism, Western religious imperialism, and the destructive consequences of cultural misunderstandings. Kingsolver's masterful use of language and symbolism highlights the complexities of both the Congo and the Price family. The novel has received widespread critical acclaim since its publication in 1998, garnering numerous awards and nominations. It has an average rating of 4.05 out of 5 on Goodreads and a 4.1 out of 5 on Amazon. Critics praise Kingsolver's ability to craft a compelling narrative while also exploring complex themes. In 2020, it was announced that The Poisonwood Bible would be adapted into a television series by HBO. The novel is known for being dense and thought-provoking, with the ability to reward multiple readings. Its enduring popularity speaks to its relevance to modern-day conversations about race, culture, and power dynamics.

Book Description

The Poisonwood Bible is a novel that revolves around the Price family, who embark on a journey to the Belgian Congo in 1959 as missionaries. The novel chronicles the lives of the mother, Orleanna, and her four daughters - Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May - as they attempt to adjust to their unfamiliar environment while dealing with strained relationships with one another. Kingsolver's portrayal of the family's journey is a powerful examination of how cultural differences and misunderstandings can create complex dynamics. As the novel progresses, the reader learns more about the characters at a deeper level, enabling a greater understanding of their motivations and personalities. The novel's plot is gripping, and Kingsolver's descriptions of the family's surroundings are deeply evocative. The book provides a fascinating insight into the complex history of the Congo while also exploring the themes of identity, culture, and family. The relationship dynamics within the Price family are another point of interest in the book, with each character developing in unique and thought-provoking ways. The strained relationship between the mother and daughters is a powerful driving force throughout the novel, adding layers of complexity and intrigue. The novel also showcases the family's struggle to adapt to the Congo, including the challenges they face in their missionary work and the clashes between their Western values and the Congolese culture. The contrast between the two cultures creates compelling narrative tension and sheds light on the issues that arise from cultural imperialism. The Poisonwood Bible is an excellent read for anyone interested in powerful storytelling, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes.

Character Analysis

The characters inThe Poisonwood Bible are complex and dynamic, with each woman undergoing a unique journey of self-discovery throughout the novel. The mother, Orleanna, is initially defined by her subservience to her husband and her devotion to her children, but her experiences in the Congo lead her to question her loyalty to her husband and the values he represents. The eldest daughter, Rachel, is a self-absorbed teenager whose vanity and materialistic tendencies make her the most difficult member of the family to sympathize with. However, over the course of the novel, she learns to take responsibility for her actions and begins to question her previous assumptions about race and culture. Leah, the second daughter, is the most sympathetic of the Price women. She is interested in and respectful of Congolese culture from the beginning of the novel, and her experiences in the country lead her to become an activist and advocate for social justice. Adah, Leah's twin, is initially presented as a disabled and indifferent character, but her intelligence and wit become increasingly evident as the novel progresses. Adah's experiences in the Congo lead her to question her previously nihilistic worldview and embrace her role as a member of the Price family. The youngest daughter, Ruth May, is perhaps the most tragic character in the novel. Her innocent perspective is shattered by the violence of the Congo, and her death serves as a symbol of the destructive power of colonialism and cultural misunderstandings. Throughout the novel, Kingsolver uses these characters to explore themes of identity, culture, and family dynamics. The Price family's struggles to adapt to their new surroundings reflect the broader struggles of Western culture to understand and respect non-Western cultures. Each character's journey of self-discovery illustrates the power of individual agency in shaping one's identity.

Analysis

Kingsolver's insightful use of language and symbolism in The Poisonwood Bible expertly reflects the complexities of both the Congo and the Price family. Throughout the novel, Kingsolver critiques colonialism, exposing the destructive consequences of cultural misunderstandings caused by Western religious imperialism. By examining the relationship between the Price family and the Congolese people, Kingsolver demonstrates the damage that can be caused by imposing one's cultural and religious beliefs on others. The novel explores the power dynamics present in colonialism and the devastating effects it has on both those who hold power and those who do not. Kingsolver also masterfully uses symbolism to explore the themes of identity and family dynamics. The recurring image of the poisonwood tree serves as a metaphor for the dangers of imposing one's beliefs on others and the toxicity of colonizing forces. The novel's nuanced critique of Western imperialism and cultural misunderstandings is both timely and timeless. By highlighting the complexities of these issues, Kingsolver encourages readers to consider their own beliefs and the impact they may have on others. Through her use of language and symbolism in The Poisonwood Bible, Kingsolver creates a work that is both a powerful critique of colonialism and a poignant examination of family and identity. Readers are left with a deeper understanding of the complexities of cultural exchange and the importance of respecting the beliefs of others.

Reviews

The Poisonwood Bible has received widespread critical acclaim from both readers and critics alike. The novel has been praised for its intricate character development, nuanced exploration of complex themes, and Kingsolver's masterful use of language and symbolism. The New York Times called the book "a powerful, heartbreaking novel," while The Guardian noted that "Kingsolver is a gifted magician of words." The Chicago Tribune described the novel as "a masterpiece of narrative voice," and The Washington Post praised its "compassionate and poetic understanding of people." The novel has won numerous awards, including the All Iowa Reads Program in 2009, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1999. It has also been featured on Oprah's Book Club and was a New York Times bestseller for over a year. Online, readers have given The Poisonwood Bible an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 on Amazon, with many praising the novel for its vivid depictions of African culture and the emotional journeys of the Price family. On Goodreads, it has an average rating of 4.05 out of 5, with over half a million ratings and reviews. The Poisonwood Bible has cemented its place as a modern classic and continues to captivate readers with its exploration of complex themes and expertly crafted storytelling. The Poisonwood Bible The Poisonwood Bible is a powerful novel that delves into the complexities of colonialism, religion, and culture. Written by Barbara Kingsolver, the book tells the story of the Price family, who move to the Belgian Congo in 1959 as missionaries. Through the eyes of the five women of the Price family, the novel explores the family's struggles to adapt to their new surroundings, cultural misunderstandings, and their strained relationships with each other. Kingsolver masterfully weaves language and symbolism to bring to light the complicated dynamics of colonialism and religious imperialism. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of postcolonial Africa, The Poisonwood Bible critiques the West's approach to missionary work and the devastating consequences it has on the people and communities it aims to help. The novel has received widespread critical acclaim since its publication in 1998 and has won numerous awards and nominations. Critics laud Kingsolver's ability to craft a compelling narrative that explores complex themes of identity, culture, and family dynamics. The Poisonwood Bible is divided into seven parts, each narrated by a different member of the Price family, spanning over three decades from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. In 2020, HBO announced that the book will be adapted into a television series, further cementing its place as a seminal work in contemporary literature. With an average Goodreads rating of 4.05 out of 5 and a 4.1 out of 5 on Amazon, The Poisonwood Bible remains a thought-provoking reminder of the ongoing conversations about race, culture, and power dynamics in our society. has received widespread critical acclaim since its publication in 1998, garnering numerous awards and nominations. Critics praise Kingsolver's ability to craft a compelling narrative while also exploring complex themes. The Poisonwood Bible has been highly praised by critics since its release in 1998. The novel has garnered numerous awards and nominations, including the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and being a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. The New York Times Book Review describes it as "a powerful novel...as compelling as any historical account, and as disturbing as any contemporary horror show," showcasing Kingsolver's incredible storytelling skills. Kingsolver's ability to craft a narrative that is both compelling and thought-provoking is highly praised by critics. The novel's multiple narrators, including the different perspectives of the five Price women, offer a multifaceted examination of themes such as colonialism, religion, family dynamics, and cultural identity. Critics have noted the author's use of imagery and symbolism, which adds a layer of complexity to the novel. The novel's nuanced critique of Western religious imperialism, colonialism, and cultural misunderstandings is widely recognized and appreciated. Critics have noted that Kingsolver avoids oversimplification and instead presents a complicated and nuanced story that genuinely reflects the complexities of the issues. Through her writing, she invites the reader to engage in critical thinking and to question their preconceived ideas about the world. The Poisonwood Bible has been a popular book club choice and required reading in many university courses since its publication. The novel's lasting relevance and impact on contemporary conversations about race, power dynamics, and cultural differences make it an essential read for anyone interested in exploring these issues. The Poisonwood Bible is a masterful work of fiction that amazes readers with its beautiful language, intricate storytelling, and profound themes. It continues to captivate and inspire readers and has earned its rightful place among the most important literary works of the 21st century.

Details

The Poisonwood Bible is a novel that is divided into seven parts, where each part is narrated by a different member of the Price family. The book starts in 1959 with the family's arrival in the Belgian Congo as evangelical missionaries. Each part represents a different time period in their lives and the political situation in the Congo at that time. Through these different accounts, the readers get to understand each member of the family better and experience their growth and change. The novel spans over three decades, from the late 1950s to the early 1990s, and it covers several significant political and social events in the Congo during this time, including the country's fight for independence from Belgium and the assassination of its first democratically elected leader, Patrice Lumumba. Kingsolver's use of different narrators provides a unique and fascinating perspective on the unfolding events and how they impact each character and their relationship with the Congo. The narration style builds a clear picture of the Price family's complex and fractured relationships with each other, the Congo, and their faith. The novel's structure is a key element of its success, and the seven parts are titled after Bible books, offering a unique perspective on the events in the novel. The chapters in each section are also arranged in a specific order, often mirroring the biblical narrative structure and providing a rich history and context to the story. The novel's passage of time allows the reader to witness the evolution of the characters and their experiences, while simultaneously offering up a wider historical and cultural perspective on the events taking place in the Congo. the structure of the novel is masterfully executed, providing a compelling and intricate narrative that is both engaging and insightful.

News about The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible is being adapted into a television series by HBO. Fans of the novel are anxiously awaiting its release, as excitement builds around who will be cast and what changes will be made in the adaptation. The news was met with mixed reactions, as some readers are skeptical about how faithfully the series will capture Kingsolver’s intricate themes and complex characters. Others are thrilled at the prospect of the story being brought to life on screen. The project is still in its early stages, with no official release date or casting announcements, but rumors and speculation have been swirling around the internet. In the meantime, readers can revisit the novel and discover new layers of meaning with each reading. As the world continues to grapple with issues of power, privilege, and cultural exchange, the legacy of The Poisonwood Bible remains as relevant as ever.

Ratings

The Poisonwood Bible is a critically acclaimed novel with average ratings of 4.05 out of 5 on Goodreads and 4.1 out of 5 on Amazon. Garnering widespread praise and admiration since its publication in 1998, the novel has become a favorite among readers and literary critics alike. The novel's intricate plot and skillful characterizations showcase Barbara Kingsolver's mastery as a writer, leaving readers enthralled by the characters and their experiences. The novel's success can be attributed to its nuanced critique of colonialism, Western religious imperialism, and cultural misunderstandings. Kingsolver's use of language and symbolism highlights the complexities of both the Congo and the Price family, delivering a thought-provoking work that challenges readers to re-examine their own cultural biases and societal norms. Moreover, the novel's seven-part structure, with each part narrated by a different member of the Price family, contributes to its immense popularity. This structure provides readers with a unique perspective on the events that unfold and offers insight into the inner struggles and perspectives of each character. In addition to its various literary accolades, The Poisonwood Bible has been adapted into a television series by HBO, set to be released in the near future. This news has generated excitement among fans of the novel, who are eager to see their favorite characters come to life on the screen. The Poisonwood Bible is a must-read for anyone seeking a thought-provoking and nuanced commentary on culture, identity, and family dynamics. Its enduring popularity and critical acclaim make it a literary masterpiece and a staple in modern-day conversations about race, culture, and power dynamics.

Book Notes

The Poisonwood Bible is a rich novel that lays the groundwork for a complex commentary on postcolonial Africa. Kingsolver's deft use of symbolism, character development, and language make this one of her most beloved works. The novel's exploration of cultural misunderstandings, religious imperialism, and the Price family dynamics offers a gripping, thought-provoking read that rewards readers with a nuanced understanding of power dynamics in the Congo. One of the most striking aspects of The Poisonwood Bible is its portrayal of the Congo as a complex, multifaceted country that cannot be reduced to simplistic Western stereotypes. Kingsolver captures the beauty and danger of the country's flora and fauna while also exploring the legacy of colonialism and the impact of Western intervention. The novel's plot spans three decades, with each of the seven parts narrated by a different member of the Price family, allowing readers to witness the family's evolution over time. Moreover, Kingsolver's use of symbolism is masterful and adds an extra layer of meaning to the narrative. For example, the title of the book itself is a reference to a passage in the Bible that condemns those who cause harm to others, highlighting the complex relationship between religion and imperialism. Ultimately, The Poisonwood Bible is a novel that rewards multiple readings, with each revisit revealing new layers of nuance and meaning. With its compelling plot, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes, The Poisonwood Bible continues to be a relevant and beloved work over two decades after its initial publication.   Read the full article

[rhaenyratargaryendefender]

You can curse the dead or pray for them, but don't expect them to do a thing for you. They're far too interested in watching us, to see what in heaven's name we will do next.

Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible

[delbattag8-blog]

Critical Research Project: Reading the Work (post one)

Right off the bat, Kingsolver writes in the perspective of Orleanna Price, the mother in the Price family, beginning Genesis, the first book to the seven books that make up The Poisonwood Bible. In this first section, I became particularly captivated by Orleanna as I took a notice as to how Kingsolver chose to write in the past tense while the other narrations from the daughters are in present tense, something she would do as she introduced each new book. I also felt intrigued as to how she referred to her experiences and feelings that are tied to the mission trip in the Congo. Orleanna elucidates “I’ll live or die on the strength of your judgment, but first let me say who I am. Let me claim that Africa and I kept company for a while and then parted ways, as if we were both party to relations with a failed outcome... Maybe I’ll even confess the truth, that I rode in with the horsemen and beheld the apocalypse, but I’ll still insist I was only a captive witness” (page 9). She continues to write in what I believe to be a reference to her husband, Nathan, in what seems to be a undermining tone of both his and her character, as she states “What is the conqueror’s wife, if not a conquest herself? For that matter, what is he?” This automatically grasps my attention due to it mysteriousness and it lead me to wonder many things, mainly why Orleanna felt this way towards the mission trip, something that is usually an uplifting, rejuvenating experience. It also lead to me to wonder why she felt such a negative attitude towards her husband when having a strong marriage is something that is typically valued in religion, especially in the sense of having confidence in one another and God. As I read, Orleanna would continue to have such an outlook on her trip in the Congo, and I would understand that her marriage would face many conflicts during this time, but why and what it lead to was still unclear. I chose to write about this first because it was what first intrigued me as I read, something Kingsolver made an active choice in while writing in what I believe to have a lasting impact on how the reader read the rest of the book and how it impacted the plot-- just how, is something I have yet to fully comprehend.

[maddie-grove]

Bi-Monthly Reading Round-Up: March/April

Playlist

“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele (Ashes to Ashes)

“Born to Be Together” by the Ronettes (A Princess in Theory)

“Am I the Only One” by the Dixie Chicks (That Scandalous Summer) 

“Poker Face” by Lady Gaga (Crooked Hearts)

“Somewhere” from West Side Story (Silk, Swords, and Surrender, particularly The Lady’s Scandalous Night)

“Very, Very, Very Far Away” by Andrew Rose Gregory (Blankets)

“Welcome Home” by Garnett Mimms (Skylark)

“Nobody’s Angel” by Nanci Griffith (The Poisonwood Bible)

“You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes (After the Wedding)

“One in a Million” by the Platters (Tomboy)

Best of the Bi-Month

Blankets by Craig Thompson (2003): In this autobiographical graphic novel, teenage Craig struggles with isolation, faith, and first love in rural Wisconsin. As someone who also grew up in a religious Christian environment (albeit a less intense one) and usually didn’t fit in at school or church, I feel that Thompson beautifully captures the short-sighted yet extremely real unhappiness that can engulf kids in that kind of situation. The love story is told with grace and sensitivity; Raina, his girlfriend, is a fully fleshed out character whose own problems are presented sympathetically without venturing into Sad Girl Portrait territory.

Worst of the Bi-Month

Skylark by Jo Beverley (2004): Widowed Laura Gardeyne, fearful that her deceptively affable brother-in-law will murder her three-year-old son so his own child can inherit the family title, hatches a plot to find a long-lost heir and take the heat off her toddler. To do this, she enlists the help of her old flame Sir Stephen Ball, a prominent politician. The central romance in this Regency is solid, Laura’s off-putting yet very human in-laws are well-drawn, and the kid is adorable. Unfortunately, much of the plot is devoted to a mystery that takes place away from Laura’s interesting in-laws and, let us say, offers a lot to unpack re: race and sexuality in a way that doesn’t speak well of the protagonists or the author. 

Rest of the Bi-Month

After the Wedding by Courtney Milan (2018): Adrian Hunter, son of a black abolitionist and a white duke’s daughter, goes on a mission to help his family, only to wind up married at literal gunpoint to Camilla Worth, a lady turned maltreated housemaid through her own series of unfortunate events. As they work together to annul their marriage and expose the conspiracy that brought it about, Adrian’s general decency and Camilla’s gratitude for any kindness turn into something deeper. I was overjoyed at the prospect of a new Milan historical, and this Victorian-set novel met all my expectations. The plot works on every level: the lovely central romance, the unraveling of the conspiracy, Camilla’s complex emotional arch, Adrian’s changing relationships with his family members, and the intrigue among Camilla’s long-lost siblings. The minor characters are invariably delightful and represent a more realistically diverse England than most historical romances reflect.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998): In 1959, the terrifyingly single-minded Reverend Nathan Price takes his nearly defeated wife Orleanna and four daughters--insouciant Rachel, eager-to-please Leah, withdrawn Adah, and toddler Ruth May--on an ill-advised trip to the Belgian Congo, which is on the verge of revolution. The culture shock is massive and exacerbates the family’s every faultline...and that’s before tensions both national and local send them hurtling towards personal tragedy. And then things get really complicated. This is a fascinating book that makes good use of its five narrators and their distinctive voices, although Kingsolver gets a little too heavy-handed towards the end by having multiple characters recap the book’s themes. Even so, I liked the later parts of the book best, because the sisters’ trajectories were so dramatically different.

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (2014): In the conclusion of the Burn for Burn trilogy, lovestruck Lillia and college-bound Kat try to move on in the wake of a tragic death and their friend/revenge-partner Mary’s sudden disappearance. Soon, though, it becomes clear that the past can’t be buried and also will majorly fuck your shit right up. Although the very end is a little abrupt, this book makes a terrific, explosive end to the series.

Silk, Swords, and Surrender by Jeannie Lin (2016): A lovely sampler of novellas set in Tang Dynasty China, ranging from the lighthearted neighbors-to-lovers story The Touch of Moonlight to the barely averted forbidden-love tragedy of The Lady’s Scandalous Night. The collection also includes a sexy yet dangerous trip to Mongolia (An Illicit Temptation) and a romp between a studious country lad and a streetwise musician (Capturing the Silken Thief). My favorite, though, was The Taming of Mei Lin, a deftly characterized story about a swordswoman who will only marry the man who can defeat her in combat.

That Scandalous Summer by Meredith Duran (2013): Following a cataclysmic argument with his troubled older brother, aristocratic doctor Lord Michael de Grey flees to a sleepy country village, where he encounters Elizabeth Chudderley, a hard-partying widow with secret financial and emotional problems. A thoroughly lovely, if somewhat slow, bucolic romance follows.

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole (2018): Naledi Smith, an epidemiology grad student juggling multiple responsibilities and struggling with abandonment issues from a childhood spent in foster care, dismisses the emails insisting that she’s the lost betrothed of the prince of Thesolo, a small African kingdom. Yet the dashing Prince Thabiso isn’t so willing to give up on his childhood dreams and tracks her down on a trip to New York...only for Naledi to mistake him for a regular guy she’s supposed to supervise at a catering event. This romance is adorable and, with the exception of a rushed (though very clever) conclusion, very well-constructed. Cole expertly balances lighthearted shenanigans, emotional character development, and social commentary.

Crooked Hearts by Patricia Gaffney (1994): Reuben Jones and Grace Russell are both running different cons on the same stagecoach to 1880s San Francisco when the vehicle is robbed, depriving them of the money they so desperately need. After some finagling, the two team up to get their money back from the Chinatown-based criminal organization behind the robbery. This novel is half-great. Gaffney’s protagonists, as usual, are vibrant and multilayered, and their romance honest-to-god sparkles. The main plot, unfortunately, is marred by Orientalism. While Gaffney makes occasional attempts to humanize the Chinese-American characters and point out the pervasive racism they face, the whole thing smacks of Yellow Peril. 

Tomboy by Janelle Reston (2018): Harriet Little, a space-obsessed teenager in the 1950s, tries to figure out how to live her best lesbian life despite her repressive environment and a friends-with-benefits relationship with a selfish classmate. She ultimately finds love with Jackie Auglaize, her sweet  and egalitarian BFF. This is an endearing, if slightly simplistic, F/F romance; Harriet’s discovery of her attraction to girls is beautifully portrayed (and, for me, very relatable), but there’s barely any more plot than what I just described

[wedoyouressays195]

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Comparision of Charecters in the Poisonwood Bible and the Mosquito Coast

Examination of characters from ‘The Poisonwood Bible' and ‘The Mosquito Coast ‘The Mosquito Coast', coordinated by Peter Weir, is a film very comparable in numerous viewpoints to the book ‘The Poisonwood Bible', composed by Barbara Kingsolver, one of those perspectives being the likenesses between the setting and the characters. In the two books, the figure-leader of the family, Allie Fox (in ‘The Mosquito Coast') and Nathan Price (from ‘The Poisonwood Bible') both have comparable attributes, be that as it may, various ways to deal with their thoughts. For instance, Nathan has faith in driving on his perspectives and ways onto the Congolese individuals, be that as it may, Allie has faith in collaboration with them to prevail in his objectives. Both additionally appear to be amazingly exact as they appear decided men who are eager to get to their objectives toward the start, nonetheless, they appear to be to some degree progressively similar when they free something that is close, and become fixated on their objectives, overlooking the government assistance of their own families. The two stories are around two families who leave America, their nation of origin, to go to an outside land. The two ‘heads', be that as it may, leave for altogether different reasons, yet they do to some degree leave their families with no decision yet to go with them. In ‘The Mosquito Coast', Allie takes his family to the Central American downpour backwoods as a way to ‘escape' America and it's destiny with the Atomic Bombs. Allie likewise accepts that his logical research isn't of any incentive in America, and accepts that his developments would be progressively esteemed in the event that they where taken into territories that have scarcely been moved by human progress. Nathan, nonetheless, leaves his family with no decision when he says that they are moving to the Congo as a feature of his minister work. He was really extended to this employment opportunity, and took it in great step, accepting that he should take his message to places which are less socialized. Nathan Price is a Baptist Minister who carries on with his life by the Bible. He accepts that he is a quitter for having gotten away from the destiny of being executed in the Battaan Death March, where his entire group kicked the bucket, however he get by due to earlier wounds. After that occurrence, Nathan turned out to be very fixated on the possibility of God despising him for his weakness. He promised never to be a defeatist again and committed his life to sparing the same number of spirits as he could. Nathan turns out to be so fixated on his work that he accepted that each snag in his manner was a ‘test by God' to see his strength. Allie, then again, is a creator, so guaranteed by his child, Charlie. He is by all accounts fixated, yet thinks ethically. Allie accepts that America is biting the dust, so he chooses to leave as he might suspect it is unreasonably ‘painful' for him to watch something he cherishes kick the bucket. He gave the case of his mom, who was in clinic when she said ‘”Why don't you simply give me rodent poison? ‘”, whereupon Allie said that he left, as he was unable to endure watch loosing somebody close. Both Nathan and Allie share a similar fixation of getting to their objectives. To such an extent, truth be told, that they disregard their families government assistance and wellbeing totally. In any event, when There is an unexpected unforeseen development, they appear to be resolute by what they call their ‘destiny'. Nathan was unaffected by the demise of Ruth-May as he considers the to be as a chance to purify through water local people, rather than grieve for his girls misfortune. Nathan accuses the way that Ruth-May was not really submersed, thus making her demise to some degree ‘acceptable' to him. Allie accepts the devastation of his machine was fairly bolstered by Reverend Spellgood. Allie is by all accounts a very non-strict individual, notwithstanding, he knows the statements of the Bible. This shows Allie investigates a couple of potential outcomes, yet he just chooses to develop those that he loves. As such, Nathan is to some degree indiscreet in his way to deal with helping the individuals. He chooses, when he shows up at his home in Kilanga, to set up a ‘American Garden', whereby he will make nourishment for his family just as show the individuals of Kilanga his success since he doesn't adore bogus symbols. Nathan endeavors to nearly compel his ways and thoughts onto the Congolese individuals. He appears to be unbent on his assurance to show no weakness, yet he doesn't appear to acknowledge different thoughts. At a point, he sees that Mama Tataba's method to plant his beans appear to be progressively proper, and does really embed those thoughts. As time cruises by, and he sees very little group in the Church, he marginally looses his psyche and afterward concludes that every one of his hindrances where put by God to discourage him and to test him. This is in opposition to what Allie does toward the start of the film. In spite of the fact that he may have moved from the USA and hauled his family along, he chooses to adopt an alternate strategy into advancing into local people hearts. Where Nathan endeavored to drive his ways onto local people and accepted that he was unrivaled, Allie chose to work with them. He said before the task started ‘”If I don't buckle down enough, you let me know. I am not your chief, I am your companion, and I need to work for you… ‘”. He may have arranged out the task, yet he positively accomplished work just as he were under directions to do what he was told. He appeared to be helpful, and at whatever point Mother Fox got any materials to share, she improved her spouses prominence by sharing those merchandise, for instance the fabric she was given by the preachers. She made garments for her little girls and saw that Mr. Haddy, a nearby, was peering toward the material, she chose to make one for him. In the following scene, it shows that everybody on that little island was wearing a similar yellow bit of material in some state of structure. Had Nathan been in this circumstance, he would most likely have told his better half of for parting with their assets to the ‘unsaved' spirits, yet he may likewise consider it to be a strategic move to cause them to go to Church. Allie accepted this and made the most out of the individuals' appreciation towards their family by as yet making them buckle down. Nathan and Allie both appear to be exact characters in their own surroundings and furthermore in reality, they could be anyplace among us. Their over the top and egotistical perspectives can be seen in a significant number individuals who appear to be very resolved to get what they need. Nathan appears to be exact and reason toward the start, where the picture of a decided Baptist Minister is depicted. As the story advances, that picture turns into a dimness and a progressively haughty and gave quality arrives at light, towards the end, he appears to be controlled by his work, whereupon he overlooks the government assistance of his own family, staying unfazed by the passing of one of his own youngsters. This, towards the end, appears to be somewhat ridiculous and unethical. Be that as it may, the nearness of this chance is unquestionably solid. Allie appears to be a really cordial and neighborly individual toward the start, and this is totally conceivable. Numerous individuals utilize a similar front of saying that they are on the whole equivalent so as to complete work. His downturn additionally appears to be similar as he is by all accounts totally broke when he sees his dearest Ice Machine explode. However, towards the end, he seems likewise fixated on investigating additional opportunities. He goes suspicious, imagining that his family is against him, so he constrains them to sit on their home-turned-pontoon and chooses to go upriver. At the point when the rotor splits from the primary motor, Allie goes submerged to get it. Because of his all-inclusive period submerged, his family stresses and Charlie recovers going to find support from Mr. Haddy, and perhaps at the same time come back to America. When this thought is shared, Allie comes up and understands that his own children are plotting against him, and rebuffs them for it. This appears to be outrageous, yet completely workable for a man who is by all accounts dependent on his objective. Not exclusively do Nathan and Allie share likenesses, yet in addition their spouses. Both Orleanna and Mother consistently appear to be following their spouses orders, yet at a point, the two of them understand that what they are doing isn't right. Towards the start, the two spouses are glad to see their husbands working outside, Nathan in the nursery and Allie in the wilderness clearing space for his home. Orleanna appears to acknowledge snappier on in the story that Nathan might get them injured, and chooses to make some noise. This, contrasting with Mother's planning, appeared to be very early. This could likely because of the way that Nathan appears to be uninterested in his family and Allie cares very much about them. Mother possibly chooses to conflict with Allie when they arrive at the Ocean and the entire family is celebrating with the contemplations of coming back to America, when Allie devastates their eagerness by saying that America isn't there and that they weren't returning. This made Mother question Nathans ethical quality, whereupon the absence of energy spreads over the entire family. Allie goes from being a companion to a pioneer unexpectedly. Orleanna begins to make arrangements of getaway following she shows signs of improvement from hearing the updates on the Congo going into a political decision period and that her family was remaining through it, because of her spouses haughtiness. She does inevitably leave him, be that as it may, Nathan changes somewhat in a way one may see remorseful. Allie, in the wake of consuming Reverend Spellgood's congregation ringer, returns to see his family leaving him, and says that they couldn't live without them. At the point when he gets shot, their family escapes with his harmed body on the pontoon. All the characters in both the book and the film appear to be unimaginably similar as the cliché family is placed into extraordinary conditions. This causes the cliché families, which for the most part incorporate of the male being the pioneer f the house, the bread worker, and the females being the supporters, ordering her youngsters to follow her dad and herself. This progressions immediately when the two families experience some difficulty in their individual environme

[345625]

Scene Analysis

First, picture the forest. I want you to be its conscience, the eyes in the trees. The trees are columns of slick, brindled bark like muscular animals overgrown beyond all reason. Every space is filled with life: delicate, poisonous frogs war-painted like skeletons, clutched in copulation, secreting their precious eggs onto dripping leaves. Vines strangling their own kin in the everlasting wrestle for sunlight. The breathing of monkeys. A glide of snake belly on branch. A single-file army of ants biting a mammoth tree into uniform grains and hauling it down to the dark for their ravenous queen. And, in reply, a choir of seedlings arching their necks out of rotted tree stumps, sucking life out of death. This forest eats itself and lives forever (Kingsolver 5).

Many of the creatures Orleanna describes in this opening scene play a role in later parts of the novel -- something, of course, that can only be realized upon completion of the book itself. The ‘eyes in the trees’ Orleanna depicts as the forest’s conscience also occupy the title of the seventh and final book of this fictitious bible. The ‘army of ants’ foreshadow an invasion (and its arrival terrifies Leah: “Every surface was covered and boiling, and the path like black flowing lava in the moonlight” (Kingsolver 299)); the ‘glide of snake belly’ signifies the separation that would befall the Price family. Even the forest itself Orleanna describes as alive -- life makes this story possible.

Kingsolver makes a bold move in beginning this way. The imagery, while primarily visual, consumes the reader whole regardless and transforms them into the forest. But they are not the forest; they know that. A single question follows: To whom do the eyes truly belong? One answer would reveal itself in the end.

This novel works backwards, in some ways. Adah most explicitly presents to us this theme of reversal; she is captivated by the fullness of palindromes and “their perfect, satisfying taste” (Kingsolver 57). This small fascination contributes to a greater theme of direction. Furthermore, Adah’s brilliance shows the careful intention with which Kingsolver shapes her characters, from their names to their mannerisms and their hardships. Research of the author may lead the reader to realize the autobiographical aspects that lie in Kingsolver’s works; in her biography, Kingsolver recounts, “I lost my accent … I gave it up slowly and became something else.” The similarity between Kingsolver and her accent and Adah and her limp is striking; from this standpoint, one could inquire Kingsolver’s relationship with her own family and her struggle (the human struggle) to find faith.

[considermycat]

Finished #reading The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver.

The best novel I’ve read so far this year. It had taken me some time to get round to reading it, partly because the subject-matter makes it look like it’s going to be rather gruelling. The execution, though, is enthralling, readable, moving, informative and often funny. 

It tells the story of a Baptist missionary family who travel from Bethlehem, Georgia to the Belgian Congo in 1959. The missionary is Nathan Price, who (it quickly becomes apparent) is both a religious fanatic and a violent and authoritarian father and husband. The story is told by his wife, Orleanna, and their daughters: Rachel, Leah, Adah and Ruth May.

The novel has seven parts, most of whose titles are taken from the Bible (including the Apocrypha, for which Nathan has a most un-Baptist penchant). The first five parts also have a sub-heading as shown below: 

Genesis: The Things We Carried

The Revelation: The Things We Learned

The Judges: The Things We Didn’t Know

Bel and the Serpent: What We Lost

Exodus: What We Carried Out

Song of the Three Children

The Eyes in the Trees  

In broader terms, though, the book falls into two sections: the first, around two-thirds of the whole, recounts the family’s time in the village of Kilanga, a period of 18 months that ends (as signalled from the start) in tragedy. The final third then follows the survivors’ lives over the next three decades or so.

Successive chapters are told from a different girl or woman’s perspective: one of the many successes of the book is how well Kingsolver captures the distinctive voice of each narrator. So we get the vain and malapropism-prone Rachel; Leah, who begins the novel as a pious admirer of her father; Adah, Leah’s twin, who takes an altogether more cynically clear-eyed view of “Our Father” from the start; and Ruth May, the baby of the family.

As the book proceeds, we become increasingly aware – as do the family – of the events that are unfolding around them as the Congo achieves independence from Belgium but then immediately descends into a chaos inflicted upon it by a United States determined not to allow any African country to become too independent. It becomes apparent that the ignorant and unbending fundamentalism of Nathan Price – a friend of mine, himself a “missionary kid”, assures me that Kingsolver’s portrayal of Price is in no way far-fetched or unrealistic – is just one symptom of a wider disease of white incomprehension and oppression in Africa, both before and after “independence.” The tragedy of the Congo, the injustices visited upon it by colonialism both overt and covert, becomes as tangible to us as the tragedy visited upon the Price family by Nathan’s intransigence. 

All of which could make the book sound like rather hard work, but it’s not. Quite apart from being exceptionally well-written, there is plenty of humour, from the ingenious measures taken by the family to evade the weight-restrictions for their baggage on the flight from America, to the title itself, which comes from Revd Price’s tendency to mispronounce “Jesus is precious!” as “Jesus is poisonwood!” in the local language. And as my wife observes, while you couldn’t describe the outcome as “a happy ending”, each of the women finds their own way of being in the years that follow their time in Kilanga. 

[media-musings]

A Reading of The Poisonwood Bible

For my Practical Literary Criticism course last fall, we analyzed the hell out of Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible. I really enjoyed the novel and wrote about it for my final paper for the class. 

I decided to write about Nathan Price, a character largely ignored outside of his role as an antagonist. Don’t get me wrong, Nathan is awful and incredibly irredeemable. He is not someone who changes for the better by the end of the novel. However, I think his importance as a character is neglected. 

Because I was writing this for the criticism class, I had to utilize a theory we had studied. I chose to use a blend of Marxist literary theory and Michel Foucault’s idea of the Panopticon to explain Nathan's true importance to the story. 

The full essay is under the cut. :)

*Note: I have learned so much about critical writing since taking this class. I’m reading through it again, and I can see so many things I can change now. It’s amazing how much one class can teach you about writing. 

The Multidimensional Nathan Price

The Poisonwood Bible deals with the theme of guilt among Orleanna and her daughters, but why does Nathan seem to be left out of the conversation? Many critics believe Kingsolver’s intention with Nathan’s main role in the story is to represent imperialism and American ignorance and authority. While the argument for this idea is considerably strong, Nathan is not simply an agent of colonialism, but rather an alternative depiction of how guilt can influence an individual’s actions, powered by emerging panopticism through being interpellated by his ideology. Nathan Price’s personal sense of guilt should not be overlooked as it provides the means for readers to appreciate how trauma impacts everyone differently and the consequences of being unable to recover from that trauma.  

An ideology, a concept established by Louis Althusser, through ideological state apparatuses, like religion in Nathan’s case, unconsciously blind individuals to what is real by creating an imaginary world that they are interpellated into believing they exist within. A parishioner of the church may find themselves closely obeying God and the church’s beliefs due to suggestions of surveillance by the omniscient God, an idea referred to as panopticism by philosopher Michel Foucault. Connecting Foucault and Althusser in this way helps readers recognize that Nathan Price’s actions in the novel are influenced by the fear of punishment from God for abandoning his fellow soldiers during the Bataan Death March and surviving as a result, so he works intensely to prove himself a devout and great missionary.

Most critics agree that Kingsolver shows Nathan as a representation of imperialism and “exceptionalism.” However, they largely ignore Nathan’s personal struggles that shape his drives to preach in the Congo. Elaine Ognibene argues that Nathan is portrayed by Kingsolver as a metaphor for the imperialism the Congolese people face in the novel. Similarly, Susan Strehle argues that Nathan represents the “negative portrait” of what she refers to as “American Exceptionalism: arrogant, inflexible, and passionately committed” (Strehle 426, 415). Christopher Douglas concedes that others critics, like Ognibene and Strehle, have compelling arguments about Nathan being a symbol of colonialism. However, he recognizes that this make Nathan “one-dimensional” (Douglas 136). Douglas also believes that this view makes Nathan a “caricature of the twentieth-century missionary” and portrays him as such “unfairly” (137). Although Douglas delves a bit deeper into Nathan’s character, he still fails to acknowledge the importance of Nathan’s story and how it shapes his identity.

Nathan has a traumatic history that has shaped his motives, however readers are oblivious to his prior military service until later in the novel during one of Orleanna’s passages. He returns home a different man, once thought to have been saved “by the grace of God” now feeling shameful due to “his own cowardice from which he would never recover” (Kingsolver 223, 224). He accepts the missionary job in the Congo as recompense for abandoning his fellow soldiers, convincing Orleanna that he “meant to personally save more souls than had perished on the road to Bataan, I think, and all other paths ever walked by the blight of mankind” (226).

Upon his return home, Orleanna recalls Nathan’s now transformed character; “His first words to me were to speak of how fiercely he felt the eye of God upon him” (224). As Foucault suggests, Nathan feels as if he is being watched and judged. In his mind, God watched him selfishly abandon his fellow soldiers in order to avoid a terrible death along the road to Bataan. Upon finding his discharge documents Adah concludes that “[f]ate sentenced Our Father to pay for those lives with the remainder of his, and he has spent it posturing desperately beneath the eyes of a God who will not forgive a debt” (468). He won’t run again after his experience in Bataan, with God’s all-seeing eyes watching him. His attempts to concede to the Kilanga traditions in order to convert the villagers to Christianity are construed as his resolve beginning to wane. For Nathan, the resistance from Tata Ndu and the villagers is a direct punishment from God, who has observed him submit to their command and is displeased with him. He is called by his ideology to interpret his failure as punishment from God.

Most critics argue that Kingsolver intended his character to represent only colonialism and exceptionalism, yet the author attempts to guide readers into understanding Nathan’s motivations through Orleanna’s memories. Through this approach, Nathan can be further analyzed as another instance of guilt that the Price family encounters. Nathan is hailed by his religious beliefs to punish himself for his past offences, along with the awareness of his panoptic god watching every choice he makes, which guide his missionary goals. Unfortunately, it also leads him to ignore the well-being of his family and the villagers, and he is unable to fully recover from his trauma.

 Works Cited

Douglas, Christopher. The Poisonwood Bible's Multicultural Graft: American Literature during the Contemporary Christian Resurgence, American Literary History, Volume 26, Issue 1, 1 January 2014, Pages 132–153, https://doi.org/10.1093/alh/ajt069

Kingsolver, Barbara. The Poisonwood Bible. Faber and Faber, 1998.

Ognibene, Elaine R. "The Missionary Position: Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible." College Literature, vol. 30 no. 3, 2003, pp. 19-36. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/lit.2003.0047

Parker, Robert Dale. Critical Theory: A Reader for Literary and Cultural Studies. Oxford University Press, 2012.

Strehle, Susan. “Chosen People: American Exceptionalism in Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible.” Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, vol. 49, no. 4, 2008, pp. 413–429., doi:10.3200/crit.49.4.413-429.

[graceannehorton-blog]

How Africa Changed Them (#4)

Every member of the Price family leaves different than they were when they first came to Africa. Orleanna is hard and hopeless. She lost a child to the Congo and she blames herself for not leaving sooner. She feels like she lost all her potential. Nathan goes insane and continues to try to convert all of Africa to the "only right way to live". He changes the least, but after his family leaves him his life falls apart (if it hadn't already). He can't take care of himself and only gets lost further in his mind. Finally, the Congolese kill him for all the offenses he's caused. Ruth May died in Africa and never came back. Rachel stays her superior self. She never leaves Africa though. She goes through 4 husbands and then just builds her own life there. She's successful, but she wishes she had the opportunity for more. She sees the life she could have had in America and hates her father even more for depriving her of not just an American adolescence, but an American life all together. Leah changes dramatically. Her eyes are opened to the beauty and pain of the Congo. She sees her father's, and her own, wrongdoing. She feels responsible for her father's sins and stays in an endless attempt to compensate. She seems to be the happiest out of the family. She marries someone from their original village and has a family. She helps the Congolese learn new ways to live while still respecting their lifestyle and culture. Adah changes the most. Living in Africa ruined her entire perception of life. She never really came back to America. Her experiences showed her that because of her disability, she is lesser and not loved the same as her siblings. She is resentful and hopeless. Africa changes who she is. Before and in Africa, she never spoke, but was obsessed with written language. She always was looking for ways to structure words and phrases to mean something more. After she came home, she lost that. Words were just words. She learned her disability was out of habit and not an actual muscle disorder. Every aspect of her life, everything she accepted as reality, completely changed. Kingsolver did an insane job created and molding her characters throughout the story. She subtly showed dramatic shifts in them until they finally were no one like who they were at the beginning. I think Kingsolver did this all to go even deeper into how actions have a greater impact than you'll ever see and how trying to change one's culture ruins theirs and yours. I understand Kingsolver is making this point about superiority and colonialism, but I feel like there's more I haven't completely grasped yet. There's something deeper that my brain hasn't processed yet.

[sophiemennenga-blog]

In the youtube video titled GENERAL MILLS BETTY CROCKER CAKE MIX a woman is promoting the product around the same time period that the Price family brought cake mix to the Congo. This piece of media highlights the common stereotype that women, especially mothers in families, are supposed to work tirelessly in the kitchen. The concept of perfection is also touched on in the advertisement. This hints that if the consumer uses anything less than Betty Crocker’s cake mix, they will be short of perfection. This connects to Orleanna and how she constantly feels guilt for not providing her family with the perfect life she had always imagined for them. Bringing the cake mix to the Congo was her last ditch effort to hold onto her previous role in society. The more time spent in the Congo, the less importance this item held because her perceptions of how important it was for her to adhere to original American roles had changed.

[livforbooksblog-blog]

In Defense of Fanfiction

/*Note: I wrote this essay for two reasons: one, because I love fanfiction and believe it should be more respected and, two,  because I wanted to get into college. Yes, this essay is in response to a college admissions prompt from my senior year of high school (I am now a sophomore at university). This essay may suck, but, hey, it got me into a really good school, so I have fond memories of it. */

I am a huge fanfiction enthusiast. For those unfamiliar with the concept, fanfiction is when unabashed geeks like me write stories that place their favorite characters from books or movies in new, imaginative situations and explore how they react. From a story of  Divergent’s Tris Prior placed in a modern American high school to Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars as an aging farmer (That last one is totally real; I couldn’t believe it either.), there is an endless number of combinations and forms this type of storytelling can take. Going on Tumblr or any of the many websites that are home to fanfiction gives me a glimpse into the creativity that is required to extract fictional people from their canon material. Fanfiction is perhaps the nerdiest thing in which I have ever participated, and I absolutely love it.

To an outsider this rewriting may seem somewhat destructive to the source work, but I would argue it serves to strengthen it. As Hemingway once wrote, “When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.” Real people should be able to stay true to themselves, even when placed in an unfamiliar setting. Fanfiction, in a way, functions to test the vitality of characters as such “living people.” If the characters are strong and well fleshed out, they should be able to operate outside the parameters of their plots and to perform perfectly in the world of fanfiction. I am particularly of the mindset that characters should form the plot rather than mold themselves to fit a predetermined course of events. “Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations,” wrote Ray Bradbury, and I couldn’t agree more.

One type of fanfiction by which I am especially fascinated is inter-book stories. These involve placing one book’s characters within the plot of another and exploring the implications and repercussions of this alteration on both stories. What if Nathan Price had been the pilot that crash landed on the Lord of the Flies island? How would the absence of her religious husband have affected Orleanna Price’s relation to the symbol of the poisonwood? How would Michael Henchard’s life have been different if he had sold his wife and daughter to Mr. Doolittle from London? Would Professor Higgins still have found his Eliza? Exploring these questions is bringing literature to the world of fanfiction, a trend I would like to start. There is essentially no limit to the possibilities of fanfiction.

What can’t be separated from the original plot are the motivations and traits of the characters. Whenever I stumble across fanfiction that attempts to do this, I am always disappointed.  A story about the Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen in which she doesn’t care about her sister is an example of fanfiction that just wouldn’t work. For fanfiction to succeed, it cannot change the inherent traits of the characters themselves as the work is no longer true to the intent of the original source. Attempting such changes, the adaptor either purposefully or unwittingly destroys the integrity of the source material. Changing the attitudes of the characters does indeed reduce them to caricatures which should not be the intention behind fanfiction.

Switching people into other places is like traveling through time. A valiant Jedi could have been a valiant farmer as well, as long as he maintained his character. However, when characters lose their identities, the creation is gone, the beauty of the work lost. Real people stay true to themselves wherever they are: a good lesson for fanfiction writers and college students alike.

[delbattag8-blog]

Critical Research Project: Reading the Work (post six)

As Orleanna reflects on the mission trip in a new section of the book, she questions the morality and ethics of them being there and the influence of America in Africa. She directly puts blame on her husband, their religious group, and white people as to why their daughters were affected the way they were and why certain aspects of Africa were left in shambles. She questions "If the Baptists hadn't taken upon themselves the religious conversion of the Congolese. What if the Americans, and the Belgians before them, hadn't tasted blood and money in Africa? If the world of white men had never touched the Congo at all" (Kingsolver, page 324)? When I read this, I think Orleanna speaks from the two perspectives of blame towards others, but also feeling self guilt that she did not pay attention to her daughters well enough and did not defend the wellbeing of her and her daughters due to Nathan's dominance. Yet, at the same time, she recognizes how Nathan's impact affected them in a way that led them to be more aware of the world and the issues that surround them, even if his actions were negative. She recognizes this when she says "Had I not married a preacher named Nathan Price, my particular children would never have seen the light of this world" (Kingsolver, page 324). I agree with both of her perspectives because all of the Price women were able to grow and learn more about the world, domestic and internationally, as well as themselves and their character through the hardships of the mission trip and their father. Not only that, but I feel like I connect to her thinking because I have grown from my own personal battles and hardships in the past to become a better, more content person, just as the Price women did. Aside this, I also connected this passage to my thoughts on mission trips previously mentioned and how they can be a negative impact on the natives. I connected my opinion to the first quote I mentioned and to how the trip impacted, especially noticable in the narrations from Orleanna and the ending half of the book where the daughters reflect on their trip and their father's behavior.