Women In The Poisonwood Bible

A Hidden Strength
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte share similar connections in how they depict women. Both novels embody the idea that women are lesser than men. Each author sheds light on the issue of gender roles, and how woman are controlled by men. However once they break their submissive bond, the women find strength they never knew they had.
Jane strives to please the men in her her life, this started at a young age due to the detached love she held as a child. Jane’s parents both died when she was young and was brought in by her uncle to be raised with her cousins. Jane became the pupil her uncle never had, and because of this she was resented by her aunt Reed. The resentment Jane felt throughout
her childhood is what made her to be so submissive. The first encounter in which the reader begins to realize that Jane never stands up for herself is when she is sent to boarding school. “ Let her stand half-an-hour longer on that stool, and let no one speak to her during the remainder of the day” (Bronte 123). After being pegged as a liar, Mr. Brocklehurst, director of Lowood School for Girls made Jane stand on a stool for the day without food and without conversation. Although Jane was not a liar, the idea of defending herself was far more difficult than enduring the punishment. Bronte molds Jane into an isolated character from the beginning of the book in order to accentuate Jane and her personality so that later on when she shifts modes into an independent woman, the change is highlighted. After Jane graduates Lowood, she is sent to Thornfield as a governess. She despises the owner of the house, Edward Rochester, yet she is still eager to please him “ I should not have dared to stand thus questioning him against his will, and offering my services unasked ”(Bronte 214). Bronte once again depicts how Jane despite her own feelings, does everything in her power to help those around her. The lifestyle during the time of Jane Eyre was filled with gender roles. Women were to serve the men, be polite and unnoticed. Bronte was successful in Jane's portrayal as an abiding servant, yet towards the end of the book Jane stands up for herself to take control of the situation. After Jane and Rochester confess their love to one another and plan to marry, Jane finds out Rochester has a hidden wife. Despair over runs Jane and her emotions cause her to leave the mansion. Jane's disappearance causes chaos with rochester but leaves Jane rather tranquil. The purpose of this is to show than men are controlling woman even in their happiest of times. Perhaps Jane did initially want to marry Rochester, but not for the right reasons. She wanted to marry Rochester because he wanted to marry her, and as soon as she escaped from the relationship she felt more at ease then when she was with him. Rochester controlled Jane and it wasn't until she was free to make her own decisions apart from him that she realized she loved him, not as a respected master but finally as her equal. Orleanna is very similar to Jane in her subordination to men. Orleanna was once in love as stated in the beginning of the book, but after Nathan came home from the war he was never the same, his guilt turned him away from who he loved and turned him into the comfort of his faith (Kingsolver 239). Nathan is the dominant figure in Orleanna’s life simply because she can't refuse him. Nathan has the pride of God on his shoulders and governs his family as though he is God. Orleanna, although she hates being walked over, considers it a good christian value to stand by your husband, and because of this she can't leave him. Kingsolver addresses gender roles in this part of the book when she writes orleanna to be conscious of her resentment of Nathan, yet incapable of doing anything about it. Kingsolver shows how “good” christian values suppress woman in how even though Orleanna is in a damaging relationship she can't leave because the bible says so. Nathan is manipulative towards his family and whenever there is an issue to address he simply brushes it off as “God’s plan: leaving Orleanna stuck in her own life. Even when the family is asked to evacuate the Congo, Nathan forces the family to stay, and much to the reader's surprise Orleanna doesn't protest. Nathan walks all over Orleanna because he believes that as a husband that that is his right. It isn't until the death of Orleanna’s youngest daughter that she takes control of the situation and leaves Nathan “ As long as i kept moving, my grief streamed out behind me like a swimmer’s long hair in water”(Kingsolver 286). Nathans’ inability to look out for anyone other than himself caused the loss of their youngest daughter, but a breakout from his wife, who after a tragedy was able to become independent. She took their daughters and vowed to get them safely out of Africa. This is significant because if she had never left Nathan, she never would have realized how strong she was as a person, and would have continued to live in Nathan's shadow and played her part as a christian wife. In the remainder of the the Poisonwood Bible, the book is written through the eyes of the children, all of whom are subordinate to the men in their lives.
Adah looks up to her college advisor, Leah looks up to Anatole, and Rachel pleases any man with money. The women in this book are depicted to be anything but independent, they rely on the men in their life to provide a life for them. Kingsolver puts an emphasis on the women’s dependence on men in order to highlight the turning point where they take
control. Both authors use religion as an influence to stay subordinate.
Jane experience with religion is to help guide her towards a suitable man, continuosly making decisions for her. Orleanna uses religion as an excuse to stay with Nathan. Charlotte Bronte emphasizes the importance of religion, but continues to prove that religion is more important than love. Jane fights her feelings for Rochester because he doesn't hold Christian values. Kingsolver writes through Orleanna about her thoughts on christianity and uses it as a mechanism to stay sheltered. Religion is used to hide Orleanna's fears of becoming independent by hiding behind the facade of Christian Values.
Both women find their husbands through religion in these books, yet both run in the opposite direction in the end. Orleanna meets nathan when he is an aspiring minister, she doesn't love him at first, but he is a “Godly man” so she marries him. Jane finds tranquility with St. John, yet follows her heart back to rochester even though his virtues are corrupt. Orleanna and Jane are led astray by religion into the lives they think they want. The will of each woman is very strong that throughout the book they each overcome the barrier of normality into lives truly fit for them, and not a
facade. Although both books are set decades apart, the values set forth for women to follow have not changed. Gender roles are prominent in both books. Nathan controls Orleanna like a puppet while Rochester treats Jane as a piece off property. Each author revolves their stories around the idea that women are lesser than men, however the only reason for this is to emphasize the strength in women once they overcome the barriers placed in front of them.