Kingsolver s The Poisonwood Bible - 1161 Words

Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, The Poisonwood Bible, is about a missionary family, the Prices, who move from Bethlehem, Georgia to a small village in the Congo. They choose to move during a time when there is great upheaval about to happen in the region. The reader learns about their trials and tribulations of life in the Congo through the five Price females, who talk about the events from their own the points of view. In the beginning, I thought I would not like this book; however I found that I had a hard time putting it down and ended up finishing the book quickly. There were many things Kingsolver did to make this book so appealing. From her use of dialogue and imagery, with such different character personalities, set in a historical time which gave this piece of fiction a hint of authenticity, to her underlying theme of human nature, both good and bad. It is all of these things combined which make The Poisonwood Bible a highly recommended book to read. Kingsolver’s us e of the five Price females as narrators is a little difficult to follow at first. The reader bounces from the point of view of this character to the point of view of that character, sometimes with the events overlapping to other events happening years apart. It is also a little difficult to follow as the novel bounces from Orleanna Price, the mother, who is reflecting on her past life, to the girls, Rachel, Adah, Leah and Ruth May, who are telling their parts as if they are current. An example of thisShow MoreRelatedBarbara Kingsolver s The Poisonwood Bible Essay1697 Words   |  7 PagesBarbara Kingsolver’s ‘The Poisonwood Bible’ accentuates the relationship between those in power, the bourgeoisie (Westerners), and those subordinated to power, the proletariat (Congolese). Socio-economic forces including political and religious ideologies are used as a means to justify colonial control within the Congo. According to Marxist literary criticism, â€Å"these over arching ideologies make up the ‘superstructure’ which functions to legitimize the power of the ruling class in society.†- a conceptRead MoreCultural Morality: Comparative Analysis between a Fine Balance and the Poisionwood Bible1322 Words   |  6 PagesCultural Morality Comparative Analysis between A Fine Balance and the Poisionwood Bible Cultural relativism really emphasizes the concept that each individual cultural belief differs from one societal class to another; in consequence, moral and ethical principles are related to what a certain culture perceives to be considered acceptable or unacceptable, right or wrong. Jack Donnelly, a teacher at the University of Denver, he states, when internal and external judgments of a practice divergeRead MoreCompare And Contrast A Doll House And The Poisonwood Bible1604 Words   |  7 PagesTorvald’s true nature of selfishness is revealed. Nora leaves him, recognizing their marriage as unequal. Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible is set thousands of miles away in the Congo compared to the northern European setting of A Doll House, where the Price family newly settles in as Christian missionaries, headed by husband and father, Nathan Price. The Poisonwood Bible follows four main characters, the Price girls, Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May. The family is dri ven apart by inner familialRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1352 Words   |  6 Pagessuccessful. In the beginning of The Poisonwood Bible, Orleanna introduces to the readers in a third person’s point of view, â€Å"The daughters march behind her, each one tensed to fire off a woman’s heart on a different path to glory or damnation† (5). Orleanna, a mother who lives throughout the story of The Poisonwood Bible, acknowledges how women, in great numbers, are found walking down the path of trying to be successful. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, involves the Price family of 6, whichRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible, By Barbara Kingsolver, And Jane Eyre1320 Words   |  6 Pagesfuture. In the novels â€Å"The Poisonwood Bible,† by Barbara Kingsolver, and â€Å"Jane Eyre,† by Charlotte Bronte, the authors express that when children are brought up by a selfish guardian it will negatively affect them. â€Å"The Poisonwood Bib le† is about a christian family of six who go down to the Belgian Congo on a mission trip to â€Å"save† the Congolese. But instead of â€Å"saving† them,â€Å"[they] aimed for no more than to have dominion over every creature that moved upon the earth†(Kingsolver 10). On the other handRead MoreComparing Poisonwood Bible And Taming Of The Shrew1443 Words   |  6 PagesBourikas 1 Victoria Bourikas Mrs. Waldorf Women in Literature 16 January 2014 Male and Female Characters in Poisonwood Bible and Taming of the Shrew The Poisonwood Bible and Taming of the Shrew are two works of literature that . The Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, is a story about the Price family’s journey deep into the heart of the Congo on a mission to save the unenlightened souls of Africa. Nathan Price, the Baptist minister responsible for moving his family, lives solely byRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1732 Words   |  7 PagesThe Poisonwood Bible 1998 Historical Fiction Characteristics: Unique location, Primitivism, different ways of speaking and racial views Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver, born in 1955, grew up in Kentucky and lived in many different countries such as : England, France, and Canary Islands. She attended Debauw University and University of Arizona where she earned a biology degree. Kingsolver now is a beloved author of eleven books and has been named the most important author of the twentieth centuryRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible2189 Words   |  9 Pagesthe 1950’s European and American imperialism tore asunder what tranquility there was in the Congo. These countries may have not been aware of their influence at the time, but the outcome nonetheless was drastic. Cultural misunderstandings were the ultimate catalyst for the Congo’s destruction. In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Poisonwood Bible published in 1998 she exposes how cultural ignorance creates problems. With her chosen syntax, point of view, and time gap of each narrator Kingsolver exposesRead MoreThe Poison Wood Bible1048 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Po isonwood Bible (1998), author Barbara Kingsolver uses an array of stylistic features to influence the meanings that the readers make of the text. Perhaps the most prominent aspects of style employed are the manipulations in narrative voice. The novel has five narrators, the mother and four daughters of the Price family. Kingsolver has created a unique voice and personality for each of the Price girls by using specific diction, syntax, and sentence structure depending on which narrative voiceRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1998 Words   |  8 PagesBiographical Connection: Barbara Kingsolver was born on April 8, 1955 in Annapolis, Maryland and during her seventh and eight years of life she spent in the Republic of Congo where her parents worked there as healthcare officials. During her time there, she kept a diary documenting how different and curious everything was compared to Maryland. She was mostly fascinated how these people could live so peaceful ly and happily without certain necessities that she considered necessary, such as running