Belonging

When placed in different situations, individuals will have to be willing to learn in order to make discoveries which can often turn out to be unexpected. In The Poisonwood Bible, the Price family from America journey to the Congo on a mission to save the unenlightened souls of Africa, and turn them to Jesus. Narrated by the five Price women and set in the village of Kilanga, feelings of superiority dominate, especially in the overzealous Baptist minister Nathan. Kingsolver uses the character of Nathan to demonstrate how individuals can be so arrogant that they are not willing to learn in a new situation. While Nathan is warned by Mama Tataba not to touch the poisonwood tree “that one brother he bite” he ignores her advice and unexpectedly ends up with a terrible rash and a swollen eye. Kingsolver has used the tree symbolically to represent the natural world in Africa, and how to treat it with the respect to maintain the balance of nature in a new world. This idea is further highlighted through the symbolism of the title of the next, which both connects with and juxtaposes ideas of the bible. Both can be positive and negative forces if an individual is willing to learn, but also a negative force in life if one is to stubborn to head advice. Nathan remains steadfast in his original goals to change the Congolese people, but through his character his family unexpectedly discovert new things.

Through being placed in a new culture, the Price women unexpectedly learn from Nathan’s mistakes and grow in their knowledge of the Congo, the need to respect they way of life and the traditions and cultures. As Leah says in a positive unforgiving tone “forgive me Africa according to the multitudes of thy mercies”. This shows that upon the family arriving in the Congo, they have unexpectedly discovered that in order to successfully live in this new, foreign place they must respect and understand it. When placed in different contexts, individuals inevitably make discoveries which...