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 can often be unexpected, but only when individuals are open and willing to learn. From Leah’s first person narration, the reader learns that after arriving in the Congo, the Price girls fall into a set routine. The girls quickly begin to teach themselves the native names for the Congolese flora and fauna. This was an unexpected discovery as when they first got to the Congo, all they talked about was going home. After Ruth May’s death, the reader can identify that individuals can make discoveries which can be unexpected. It would be expected that after her death the funeral would be as if she had died in America, but this is not the case. Orleanna takes it upon herself to prepare the body herself, and for the funeral to be of Congolese tradition. This is ironic as when the family arrived in the Congo, they could think of nothing else but returning home. But it takes the death of Ruth May for the family to make the unexpected discovery that they had learnt to accept the Congolese culture. This emphasises that when placed in different contexts, individuals can make unexpected discoveries.