The Poisonwood Bible Essay

Passage Page # Response “First, picture the forest. I want you to be its conscience, the eyes in the trees.” | 5 | (C) This quote goes on to describe the jungle in great detail, setting up the location before the main characters are even introduced. Many works of literature and films begin with a description or a shot of the setting before the main characters are ever mentioned or shown. In the beginning of the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J. K. Rowling describes the weather and Privet Drive, the setting, before she ever mentions Harry. Granted Harry Potter books are series books so you already know the characters unlike in The Poisonwood Bible but the same basic technique is being used. | “I personally set myself apart from the war on blood parasites to help my father work on his garden. I’ve always been the one for outdoor chores anyway, burning the trash and weeding, while my sisters squabbled about the dishes and such.” | 35 | (E) Leah is speaking of her differences from her sisters, and how she is more inclined to help out her father outdoors while her sisters usually help their mother indoors. Leah seems to be trying to fill some sort of void, maybe without realizing it, that her father has for a son. Because this is a family of only daughters, their father seems to treat the girls with little respect, belittling them and treating them lesser to him. Partially this is just the time period but also it could be because their father thinks because he is the only man of the house he has license to treat them badly. Leah tries to do the sort of “boyish” chores and activities to fill the role of the son in the family. | “Of course, everyone kept staring at me, as they always do here. I am the most extreme blonde imaginable. I have sapphire-blue eyes, white eyelashes, and platinum blonde hair that falls to my waist. “ | 47 | (R) This passage not only shows more of Rachel’s