The Poisonwood Bible: Exposing Cultural Arrogance Through Narration & Character Analysis Essay Example
Kelsey Schiffer
English 102-037
Holihan Smith
February 18, 2009
The Poisonwood Bible: Exposing Cultural Arrogance Through Narration & Character Analysis In the year 1959 Nathan Price, a Baptist minister from the heart of the southern United States, volunteers himself along with his wife and four daughters to travel into the heart of the treacherous African Congo on a mission to convert non-Christian natives of the small village, Kilanga. From the beginning of The Poisonwood Bible, a novel by author Barbara Kingsolver the reader sees the underlying theme of guilt told through the eyes of the wife and daughters of the Price family, which can be linked to the cultural arrogance of American society of both the past and present. Orleanna, Nathan’s wife, not only explains her personal guilt, but through it provides a reflection of the author’s commonly shared perspective about the colonization of Africa. She says, “Sometimes I pray to remember, other times I pray to forget. It makes no difference” (Kingsolver 89). The individual stories of each Price girl, each with its own distinctive tone and language intertwine to define the dynamics of the Price family as a whole, and therefore serves as aid to relate to the Price family, their personal struggles and most importantly to many facets of societal perspectives associated with Africa. This cultural arrogance is portrayed through the unique style of narration for each character and are also expressed extensively through the certain American characters found in the novel. It is evident through the varying approaches of narrating the novel, that each one of the five women portray different stereotypes, which combined presents many American attitudes towards colonized nations such as Africa. Orleanna, the wife and mother, has complete unwavering duty and trust in her husband, which in the end causes her to live the rest of her life with tremendous guilt. Fifteen-year-old Rachel is the typical teenage
English 102-037
Holihan Smith
February 18, 2009
The Poisonwood Bible: Exposing Cultural Arrogance Through Narration & Character Analysis In the year 1959 Nathan Price, a Baptist minister from the heart of the southern United States, volunteers himself along with his wife and four daughters to travel into the heart of the treacherous African Congo on a mission to convert non-Christian natives of the small village, Kilanga. From the beginning of The Poisonwood Bible, a novel by author Barbara Kingsolver the reader sees the underlying theme of guilt told through the eyes of the wife and daughters of the Price family, which can be linked to the cultural arrogance of American society of both the past and present. Orleanna, Nathan’s wife, not only explains her personal guilt, but through it provides a reflection of the author’s commonly shared perspective about the colonization of Africa. She says, “Sometimes I pray to remember, other times I pray to forget. It makes no difference” (Kingsolver 89). The individual stories of each Price girl, each with its own distinctive tone and language intertwine to define the dynamics of the Price family as a whole, and therefore serves as aid to relate to the Price family, their personal struggles and most importantly to many facets of societal perspectives associated with Africa. This cultural arrogance is portrayed through the unique style of narration for each character and are also expressed extensively through the certain American characters found in the novel. It is evident through the varying approaches of narrating the novel, that each one of the five women portray different stereotypes, which combined presents many American attitudes towards colonized nations such as Africa. Orleanna, the wife and mother, has complete unwavering duty and trust in her husband, which in the end causes her to live the rest of her life with tremendous guilt. Fifteen-year-old Rachel is the typical teenage