Summary And Symbolism In Amah's The Return Of The Congo

The novel focuses on the storyline of a preacher named Nathan Price who takes his family, his wife, Orleanna, and four daughters, Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May, to the Belgian Congo, specifically the village of Kilanga, with missionary purposes. The story details individual events and experiences of each of the members of the family but ultimately the details are symbolic of the overarching themes in the story.
In time, the Price family begins to adjust to its new life in the Congo. Rachel hates everything about the Congo, but ironically ends up staying in Africa later on in her life. Leah, Adah, and Ruth May, on the other hand, begin to appreciate the Congo. Leah, who is Adah's twin, enjoys observing the Congolese culture, while Adah, who is crippled, studies the nature and
wildlife in the Congo, and later on her life goes into scientific research.
Leah grows to love the African culture, falling in love with hunting and also with a local, named Anatole. Orleanna struggles to maintain her motherly duties while also being acquiescent to the whims of Nathan, who overall completely disregards his own family for his missionary purposes. Even when the Prices are told that they need to leave the Congo due to the upcoming independence, Nathan refuses, determined to continue his mission. Often stricken by illness and other misfortunes, the Price family is not suited to live in the Congo so Orleanna begins actively searching for ways to get her family out of the Congo, battling her loyalty to her husband.
Ruth May, the youngest daughter, dies from the bite of a snake, and her death marks the turning point in the novel. Orleanna
finally breaks away from Nathan. After the marked event of the death of her most loved baby girl, Orleanna takes her other daughters and leaves Kilanga in the rain without ever looking back. The price family entered Africa as one family unit, but ultimately took their separate paths in the course of their lives. Leah decides to stay with Anatole; they marry and have four sons and eventually move their family to Angola, where they start an agricultural commune. Nathan Price was killed at the hands of angry villagers who blamed him for the deaths of their children in the river, which is ironic because he was always so intent on baptizing the children of Africa. Rachel first lives with Axelroot, a local to whom she was engaged to. She later marries twice and inherits a hotel in the French Congo from her second husband and she becomes a successful businesswoman. Adah goes to college in the United States and becomes a doctor. She later recovers from her disability and learn to walk without a limp and also works for the CDC. Orleanna becomes active in the Civil Rights Movement. She feels an overwhelming sense of guilt because of Ruth May's death and feels haunted by Ruth May's spirit, but ultimately comes to terms with what happened and forgives herself in addition to experiencing Ruth May’s spirit forgive her too. Overall, the novel tells a tale of the unraveling of a family, from how each individual copes with the new environment of Africa, to how each individual finds a mean to his or her own happiness and end.