Identity In The Poisonwood Bible

Identity In The Poisonwood Bible
The clash of the West and Africa entails foreign situations that society must face. The Poisonwood
Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver reflects on the impact of foreign situations on how it molds the
way a society develops. In the novel, children are led by the missionary father, Nathan into the
Congo, where they face the task of conversion. A molding of society is evident with the Price
children, in their faith and their attitudes toward the Congolese. The way each child faces their faith
is distinct and molds the person they will become. This sense of identity is impacted by the father
and his obsession with God and the oppression of the Congo, creating an evident "evil" the children
must overcome. Universally, in any situation people face, their faith evolves and changes the way
they ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Notably Ruth May and Oreleanna have demonstrated a deep spiritual connection and have
connected with the Congo, according to their life experiences. Importantly Ruth May, displays how
her open–mindness, allows her to assimilate into the Congo, since she does not have grounded
ideas. Due to assimilation, Ruth May is tied to the "light" portions of the Congo, such as the many
traditional beliefs like the spiritual "Nkisi", a box for death. Ruth May identifies these objects as
preservation to save her soul and her life, contrasting her own father's beliefs, she notes "If they
come and try to make me go up, I will just disappear, and turn up some whole other place" (239–
240). Contrast to Ruth May, Oreleanna connects to the "darkest" portions of the Congo, with it's
manifestation Methuselah. Oreleanna connects to the parrot, as an equal to the white men's victim,
as elaborated "Like Methuselah I cowered beside my cage, I found like Methuselah, I had no wings"
(201). Throughout the book, the parrot is set free but is killed since it is dependent like the Congo.
Oreleanna connects to the
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Analysis Of The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver
Biographical 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 peacefully and happily without certain necessities that she considered
necessary, such as running water, electricity, supported shelter, plumbing, and so on. She concluded
that due to the different cultures one thing was not to be expected from the other; this is a
continuous theme found in her novel, The Poisonwood Bible. However, Kingsolver ... Show more
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Kingsolver subtly presents the colonialism she and many other Americans took part of by stating,
"In the year of our Lord 1960 a monkey barreled through space in an American rocket; a Kennedy
boy took the chair out from under a fatherly general named Ike; and the whole world turned on an
axis called the Congo. The monkey sailed right overhead, and on a more earthly plane men in
locked rooms bargained for the Congo's treasure. But I was there. Right on the head of that pin"
(Kingsolver 8).
Genre and Characteristics
The genre The Poisonwood Bible falls into is historical fiction and postcolonial fiction.
Characteristics/Genre: Historical fiction is a literary genre in which past events are formulated from
genuine, factual history, but the plot of the story and characters are merely fictional. Postcolonial
fiction is a literary genre in which appropriation of colonial language thus African is integrated and
colonialism subtly attributed. Also, valorization, cultural identity, and racism is often found.
The work meets the criteria of these two genres since The Poisonwood Bible is a story about a white
colonial family who moves to the Congo in order to impose the Baptist faith. The story takes place
in Africa during the 1960's when the United States, Belgium, and the Congo Crisis of 1960 was
occurring. The history integrated in the book is completely factual;

Character Analysis Of Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible
The novel The Poisonwood Bible begins with a narrative directive that grasps the reader's attention.
It suggests everything that is about to occur can only be witnessed by the people of Africa.
Portraying a hint that something is going to happen to their family that leads them to ruins. I believe
the "you" Orleanna is speaking to is the daughter that she lost in Congo as she introduces herself as
"Southern Baptist by marriage, mother of children living and dead" (Kingsolver 7). This reveals the
biggest disaster that occured during their time in Congo. Orleanna speaks from a time in the future
to further enhance the feeling of guilt. She feels that she helped her husband accomplish his ungodly
actions while failing to properly take care of her children. Kingsolver uses traits to differentiate the
voices of each sister, which allows the reader to single handedly pick them out in a crowd if needed.
Ruth May is exhibited as a child by the manipulation of grammar to make her sound more childlike.
Kingsolver uses high sophistication to develop Adah's voice making her one of the most intelligent
of the four sisters which is ironic considering her decision to remain silent. Leah is blunt and
straightforward reflecting her true nature. Lasly Rachel reflects her snobbish and conceited attitude
through her short sentences. Adah Price's voice is the most compelling to me for her large span of
vocabulary and simply her injury. Reading her chapters are the most interesting based off of

A Dictatorship In The Congo Research Paper
Mobutu made major changes to the Congo by creating a dictatorship, all of which came about out of
fear of another person or foreign government taking his power (Duignan, 138). For example,
Mobutu disassembled parliament and created a mass single party (Duignan, 136). At first when
Mobutu official came to power in 1965, the Congo's economy began to do much better. Mobutu had
created new policies like the economic stabilization in 1967, reforming the twenty–one provinces
back in to nine, and created a national identity around the legacy of Lumumba (Duignan, 136). In
1970, there was a "balanced budget, a negligible external debt, and a strong currency" (Duignan,
141). As well as a ten year plan to create development by using the natural resources ... Show more
Both super powers were using the Congo for their own selfish reasoning. For example, Soviet
leader, Khrushchev claimed the "Congo as a battleground, pitting African nationalism and self–
determination against Western (neo) colonialist intervention" (Dunn, 99). After Lumumba's death
the communist and the United States became more intent on shaping the Congo into their own
political frame work or at the very lease pro–soviet or anti–communist. The Congo could get aid
from the United States to help stop the spread of communism, however once the Soviet Union and
the United States make nice the money stops flowing in. To the Western nations the Congo was a
pawn in their political and economic power

The Recent Bloody History of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo
Following the European countries notion of the scramble for Africa; the events that occurred in
DRC during the 1990's include the civil wars characterised by genocide and the conflicts between
the Rwandans, Burundians, Ugandans and the Congolese which were rather awful and created a
distorted images of the state and its citizens Dunn (2001). The political conflicts began as early as
the 1960's which witnessed the external regional division emerged particularly between Rwanda and
Uganda (Dunn, 2001). The regimes formed by these regions were intended to overthrow the
dictatorship by Mobuto Sese Seko on Congo who renamed it to Zaire. Kabila the late president of
Congo who ruled for about three years before he was brutally assassinated in 2001 was part of this
agenda. In 1994 an estimate of 800, 000 Rwandans were assassinated including the president of
Rwanda Habyrarimana by Paul Kagame of Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and the assassination of
president of Burundi Ntaryamira (Carayannis, 2003). The Rwandans flee to refugee camp sites in
Zaire including the Interahamwe who were those held accountable for the genocide and the Forces
Armees Rwandandaises (FAR) which was the defeated army in Rwanda (Carayannis, 2003). With
the governing of Mobutu the two armies controlled the camps as they reorganised. The civil war
continued as the neighbouring Rwanda, its government and local Banyamulenge were attacked by
the armies in Zaire and they attacked back through a rebellion

Ignorance In Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible
A noticeable pattern in The Poisonwood Bible would be plain old ignorance from the Americans
regarding the African people. A huge part of the story is showing how ignorant the west is of the
culture in Africa. Nathan Price is constantly showing this off by wanting to baptize children in a
river filled to the brim with crocodiles and other awful, dangerous things. Even once this is
explained to him he still continues to push the issue because he feels he is right even when it is
blatantly obvious he is not. Also he says, "Tata Jesus is bängala!"(Kingsolver 276) Thus constantly
pronouncing "bängala" incorrectly; instead of calling Jesus "dearly beloved" he ends up calling him
a dangerous tree making any arguments about his religion sound irrelevant

The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver
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 use
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 this

How Does Orleanna Change In The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible written by Barbara Kingsolver is about the Price family going into Africa,
during a time where it was trying to gain independence from Belgium, to teach the Congolese
people the way of G–d. Nathan Price, a preacher from Georgia, uprooted his family and moved
them to Africa. Orleanna, Nathan's wife and mother of four, took the news upsettling and began
packing immediately. Throughout the story, Orleanna is a main character but hardly ever recounts
her view in the book. But through her children's eyes, the reader sees their mother change
significantly. Orleanna's mother died when she was a young age leaving Orleanna to grow up with
her aunt impoverished in Depression–era Mississippi. Even despite all the hardship, Orleanna was a
happy child. Her days were carefree, she was wild, beautiful, and one with nature. That ended rather
suddenly at the age of seventeen when she was slightly pushed into a marriage with Nathan Price. ...
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The reader senses that she is passive, guilt–ridden, and weak. Orleanna has only ever been a wife
and mother, and it limited her. Being the wife of a preacher, that himself is full of guilt, left her a
very strict way to live her life. Orleanna followed Nathan's instructions, set the example of his
teachings, did what was expected, and never spoke against anything he said. Orleanna constantly
felt guilty. She felt guilty for not being able to care properly for her daughters, the way Nathan
criticized them for being women, and later in the book the death of Ruth May, her youngest
daughter. Being passive and guilty were what made Orleanna weak. She expressed herself through
implications and smashing plates, along with jokingly adding endearments to make her opinions
sound less suggestive. It did not help that she had no authoritative voice and was suffocated by
Nathan. This leading to no way of speaking out or

The Poisonwood Bible Analysis
The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbra Kingsolver, draws the reader into the chaotic African Congo,
where the Price family is dragged into on a mission of God, to help the unsaved souls of this
"wasteland". Leader of the missionary family, Nathan Price is a man who is bent on eternal
salvation for all the people of the Congo –whether they want it or not– and will not quit in his
mission, regardless the consequences. Price is a volatile man, as Kingsolver points out by Nathans'
religious fervor, apparent sexist attitude, and belligerent nature. Since the Second World War,
Nathan has been filled with a burning frenzy to pay the debt given to him by God for escaping death
in the Battaan Death March –a fate the rest of his army battalion suffered– by

Literary Analysis Of The Poisonwood Bible
Michela Murray Miss Keister AP English Literature 22 August 2014 The Poisonwood Bible by
Barbara Kingsolver, literary analysis In The Poisonwood Bible, symbolism is widely explored to
allude to and explore ideas in a nonliteral sense, Methuselah, a parrot left behind and adopted by the
Price family, is an example of this. Throughout the novel, his role as a symbol of the Congo is
examined. Methuselah, kept in a cage and tended to by its new masters, knows little about the world
of freedom. He has very little experience in fending for himself, and when Nathan releases him as a
consequence for his foul language, he is oblivious to the behavior a wild parrot should exhibit. He
remains near the house even after being released, still dependant on the Price family for food and
shelter. This shows that through years of being cared for, the parrot lost its instincts to fend for itself
leaving it open to attack and abuse, in comparison to the Congo, who under Belgian control lost the
political and economic stability to stand on its own without Belgium to take control over it. ... Show
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This suggests that the Congo was now to be seen as prey, much like Methuselah was seen as by the
civet cat. However, through Methuselah's death, the novel expresses that he is finally free: "Set upon
by the civet cat, the spy, the eye, the hunger of a superior need, Methuselah is free of his captivity at
last." This shows that Methuselah would never truly experience freedom within the course of his
life, as his upbringing prevents it. Through complete conquering through a superior nation, would
the Congo achieve freedom of captivity too? Not without giving up its own

The Character Of Leah In Barbara Kingsolver's The...
Often in novels, characters are faced with justice of some sort. The same can be said for the
characters of Barbara Kingsolver's novel, The Poisonwood Bible. Overall, the best example of this
complex character can be seen in the twin Price daughter, Leah. She is the character that stands out
when it comes to the injustice that occurs in the Congo. After Ruth May dies, the Price women all
journey to leave the Congo. However, there is one who ends up staying behind, to face the Congo.
That girl is Leah. Leah tackles the various injustices in the Congo by standing up for herself during
the hunt, marrying Anatole as well as supporting his views,, who is a supporter of Patrice Lumumba,
and as she deals with these injustices, she grows as a person, ... Show more content on
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She takes care of her blossoming family in the Congo, now known as Zaire because Mobutu
changed it to sound less "colonialist", as she deals with the unfair issues. Mobutu is practically a
tyrant, building tons and tons of castles, and spending money at his leisure, while letting his people
rot. He still makes deals with the Americans, running to please them with diamonds at every chance
he can, and storing all of the money earned for himself. Anatole explains Congo's issues with, "Like
a princess in a story, Congo was born too rich for her own good, and attracted attention far and wide
from men who desire to rob her blind. The United States has now become the husband of Zaire's
economy, and not a very nice one. Exploitative and condensing, in the name of steering her clear of
moral decline inevitable to her nature,"(543). Leah also has to persevere when her husband, Anatole
gets sent to jail, several times over the course of the novel, for being Pro–Lumumbist. Leah is left to
defend her family, being a walking target since she is not of the native color. Leah also has to deal
with the fact

How Is Nathan A Hero In The Poisonwood Bible
In her 1998 novel, The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver depicts the story of a family living in
the Congo in order to do mission work during the mid–20th century. Nathan Price, along with his
wife Orleanna, have recently moved to the Congo with their four daughters: Rachel, Leah, Adah,
and Ruth May. Although is is not in the girls' best interest, Nathan is determined to make the best of
their new home by attempting to baptize the citizens of Kilanga in order to display the fruit of his
efforts. Through their stay in the Congo, it becomes very clear to the reader that Nathan is far more
interested in his own reputation and success than in the care and love for his family. As the novel
progresses, Nathan becomes exceedingly hostile toward ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Even before the reader is aware of the reality of his war experience, it is clear that Nathan has an
underlying motivation to save the Congolese. Upon their arrival, Nathan quickly abandons all
attempts to console and provide for his family in order to go and attempt to save the natives. Even
when advised by the Underdowns to leave the Congo due to an inevitable war for independence,
Nathan refuses to abandon what he feels is his calling, even if it means putting his family at risk in
order to be viewed as bold in the eyes of the Lord. His fear of being viewed by God as a coward
drives him to give up all attempts to make life any better for his family or even to save their lives.
Although many would view following the Lord's calling as an act of obedience, Nathan's
abandonment of his family is clearly the overarching choice that he is making. Because of the
choices he makes, his intentions may be interpreted as both humble and

How Does Kingsolver Develop The Character Of Adah Price
Barbara Kingsolver has been writing books since 1988 and has written over 12 books. She has won
the New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year award for her literary work on The Poisonwood
Bible. The setting of the book takes place in the Congo around the 1960's. The family in the book is
a missionary family that has just moved from the United States to the Congo, and they are adjusting
themselves to this new environment. One character that shows a significant change is Adah Price.
Barbara Kingsolver develops the character of Adah Price in the novel through the things that people
say about Adah and what she thinks of herself.
When readers are first introduced to Adah, she lives in a society full of people and things that make
her feel disabled, different, and held back. Adah is impaired on the whole right side of her body,
which includes a significant limp and a different way of mentally processing information. She is not
dumber or less intelligent than others; she just goes about things differently. Her own sisters talk
about how she is disabled and can not do certain things. Everyone either pities Adah, or looks down
upon her. She feels like a freak of nature because of how the people around her treat her. Adah is so
used to feeling this way that she often refers to herself as "Quasimodo" and "left behind"(Kingslover
62). ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She learns how to excel and succeed in her own way. Adah eagerly anticipates the day that she can
escape her family so she can get on with her life. She overcomes her struggles and begins to look to
her future(409). While looking into her disability with a doctor, Adah discovers that she does not
actually have a disability, but it is more of a mental block of her abilities. Adah worked with the
doctor and literally walked off her disability. Adah breaks free from the physical and mental chains
that have tied her down, and begins to operate with full physical and mental

Should Child Soldiers Receive Amnesty
Did you know that up to thirty percent of child soldiers are female? This is because they have a
higher risk of being sexually abused, including rape. They are also given to the commanders as
wives. In some parts of the world, such as Yemen and South Sudan, there is tremendous dispute
over the subject of child soldiers. The history of child soldiers go back to WW1 and WW2. When
the number of German soldiers started to drop during the war, Nazi leaders began to enlist children
as young as twelve years old. The Asians also did the same when they were battling against the
Japanese in WW1. In Africa, child soldiers are still used today. Child soldiers should receive
amnesty because they were fighting for their just cause, they fear the consequences ... Show more
While this is a valid point, it fails to account for those who were forcefully drugged and/or addicted
to the drugs available to them. From the article To What Extent Should Child Soldiers Be Held
Accountable for their Crimes, it explains "The drugs and alcohol make the children become more
compliant enabling them to commit atrocities which they never would have before.(Child Soldier–
Summative Essay )" These soldiers were not in their right minds to make a serious decision like the
one mentioned

Patrice Lumumba's Story: A True African Native
Patrice Lumumba's Story: A True African Native The story of Patrice Lumumba begins during the
negotiate of the Congo's Independence. Patrice Lumumba was an activist dedicated to ensuring the
Congo received its proper rights, it's people received proper treatment and the nation was able to
unite under a peaceful government. The movie shows the effects of a man being born before his
time. Although Lumumba knew the risk, he was still dedicated to ensuring the rights of the
Congolese people. Similar to any great revolutionist in history, there were people who loved him,
people who hated him and people who turned there backs on him. Lumumba started off as a postal
worker from Stanleyville. When he arrived in the Congo he received a job selling beer, despite his
criminal background. From there he slowly became for for his ability to speak well. From the very
beginning Lumumba was seen as a threat. Still he was able to work himself up in the ranks and
eventually was appointed Prime Minister of the Congo. Sadly, Lumumba's story does not have a
happy ending. In the end he is tortured, shot, and dismembered. ... Show more content on
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In this scene the Congolese people are celebrating one year. The movie bounces between
Lumumba's last minutes of life and the celebration. At the celebration we see Joseph, a man who
once played friend to Lumumba, sitting on a throne and one can assume he is now the person in
power. Ironically, he encourages the people to stand for a moment of silence honoring Lumumba.
This part sticks out to me the most because I was not sure if Lumumba was already dead during the
moment of silence or f this was an inference made by Joseph while Lumumba was still being
tortured. This part also stuck out to be because Lumumba knew he was going to die, yet he stood tall
and dies with dignity. The soldiers even had a moment of silence before they shot him, almost as if
he was being

Patrice Lumumba In The Poisonwood Bible
Patrice Lumumba In Barbara Kingsolver's novel, The Poisonwood Bible, the reader is introduced to
Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo, through the voices of the
fictional Price women. Unlike the Price family, Patrice Lumumba was a non–fictional character who
was elected and served only 7 months as the Congo's Prime Minister. His reign was brought short
by his execution in 1961. Though his tenure may have been short and occurred more than 50 years
ago, Patrice Lumumba remains to this very day, an important man in history. Patrice Lumumba was
born July 2nd, 1925, however his name at birth was not Patrice. Patrice was born Élias
Okit'Asombo, but as he grew and moved from place to place, so did his name. While living in
Stanleyville, he was called "Okanda doka" or the knowledge magician due to his passion for
reading. When he moved to Onalua, he became to be known as Patrice Osungu. He choose the name
"Osungu" because it represented the "the success of a powerful white man" which caused him to be
teased by his friends. It is due to this, they nicknamed him "white man in rags." Once he left
Onalua, he dropped the name Osungu and began using Patrice Emery Lumumba. He chose the name
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He sought to have "full control over Congo's [natural] resources in order to utilize them to improve
living conditions" in the Congo (Nzongola–Ntalaja, par. 5). It was for these reasons, Lumumba was
elected as the first Prime Minister of Congo. Unfortunately, the inexperienced newly formed
government of the Congo could not unify its people. Civil unrest followed along with the Congolese
army revolting (Kuklick, 144). It was at the beginning of this unrest, the Underdowns, like many
Belgians, fled the Congo. It was this same unrest that caused most missionaries, like the Prices, to
be recalled

Political Allegory In The Poisonwood Bible
In a world full of blame and lack of accountability, an individual's role in injustice needs to be
questioned. In the early 1960's, after many years under Belgian rule, the Congolese people formed
an uprising and gained independance. However, the Congo was ill prepared for the organization that
independence demanded. The Soviet Union offered aid to the Prime Minister of the Congo. Since
this was during the Cold War, the United States retaliated and supported a coup led by Colonel
Joseph Mobutu. Mobutu ruled with an iron fist, resulting in pain and oppression of the Congolese.
Looking back on history, it is easy to see who was at fault. But at the time, it was not easy to
identify blame, especially for the Americans. Barbara Kingsolver wrote about the Congo's trials
much later in 1991. She used a narration from baptist missionary family to symbolize the different
kinds of guilt Americans share. In Anne M. Austenfield's narrative journal, she described
Kingsolver's ability to use, "several character–focalizers whose limited perspectives project highly
subjective views of history" (Austenfeld). This technique allowed for Kingsolver to not only
produce a more reliable account of what occurred, but to depict her desired theme and message.
Kingsolver, in her novel The Poisonwood Bible, uses a political allegory to explore the different
notions of guilt through the limited perspectives of her characters. The oldest of the daughters is
Rachel Rebecca Price. Each of the daughters

Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible
Barbara Kingsolver writes The Poisonwood Bible to appeal to the older generations, much like
college advocates, for the best selling story of a missionary family to be interpreted and to be
bisected into one of the many deeper meanings. The novel inhabits the oldest following child behind
Rachael, Leah Price. Many of the people that Leah is surrounded by are people whom have doubt in
her, and see her as indifferent although she tries a lot harder than most.
Throughout the novel the idea of man vs. society, man vs. man and man vs. surroundings are
predominantly presented, creating vast challenges for Leah to overcome, however with these
circumstances, Leah becomes a stronger character impacting the entire novel.
Struggling with a family of a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Sadly , yet gladly, Leah changes this loss from pity into love and provides the community with food
and resources with Anatole. At the beginning of the novel, Kingsolver includes a bit of
foreshadowing by including the part where Leah says "Someday perhaps I shall demonstrate to all
Africa how to grow crops" (Kingsolver 1.5.13)." The expeditiously Leah fulfills her dream and
creates her own farming community with Anatole, they become successful and rise about the
negativity. Although Leah may have a struggling man vs man relationship with her father, she
repairs that with Anatole with or without God and the people who constantly ridicules her and rises
above to help others.
Leah is a character in The Poisonwood Bible who has the potential to do great things, however
society and men especially ridicule her because she is a woman, Kingsolver uses this fraction of the
story to criticize the machismo mentality that was instilled in minds during the time period. Once
Leah is away from her destructive father, she then realizes that she does not need a man, to act like a
woman. Sadly, Leah witnesses her mother being mentally and
Brobst 3 physically abused by her father and that causes a diminish of hope within herself to
become

A Comparison Of Patrice Lumumba's Assassination
Despite what some people may believe, assassination is not synonymous with murder. Sure, both
are similar, but they are also very different. For instance, assassination is the act of killing an
important person for political reasons while murder is the killing of an average person for any
reason. Also, assassination has only happened to important political figures, such as Abraham
Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr, and John F. Kennedy. Another important person who was
assassinated was Patrice Lumumba. He was an important historical figure who was possibly either
killed by troops who were loyal to Colonel Mobutu or the CIA. Born in the small village of Onalua
in Kasai province on July 2, 1925, Patrice Hemery Lumumba was a great man who accomplished
great things. He fought for ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Because Lumumba made the decision to raise the pay of all government employees except for the
army, many units of the army objected and multiple rebellions spread throughout the country,
causing nationwide panic. For political reasons, Lumumba had to seek help from the Soviet, which
alarmed several countries and made them think that he was a communist. Because of this, he was in
deep trouble. Around September, 1961, Lumumba was dismissed from the government by President
Kasa–Vubu. Furious, he retaliated by declaring the president deposed. As to be expected, this did
not go well with Colonel Joseph Mobutu, and so on the 14th of September, the colonel incapacitated
both Lumumba and Kasa–Vubu. Despite being put under house arrest, Lumumba snuck out to
Stanleyville but was caught by Colonel Joseph Mobutu's troops. Then, around January, after being
beaten repeatedly, he was driven to the secessionist regime in Katanga and was killed, however, no
one is certain who was responsible for this, but theories suggest that it was the CIA or the Katanga
authorities that killed him because of his involvements with the Soviet

Summary Of The Poisonwood Bible
Throughout the duration of "The Poisonwood Bible" one truth remains increasing evident, the
westerners, the christians, and even the United States of America have no business messing around
in the affairs of the Congo, a people they know so little about. Nathan Price, so sure that he can save
these uncivilized people, the Tribe of Ham, from God's wrath, he sacrifices his own family. It turns
out however, that he, like those before him, the Underdowns, and the US misunderstand the local
customs, ultimately leading to their failure. "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling is a very
famous poem that takes the opposite stance to that of Barbara Kingsolver. Kipling argues that it is
the more civilized, more intellectual, more holy white man

Significance Of Ruth May In The Poisonwood Bible
In the novel "The Poisonwood Bible" author Barbara Kingsolver uses the Congo's physical, cultural,
and geographical surroundings to help shape the character Ruth May as an important, overall figure
in the story. Her character impacted the lives of Kilinga but was also used as an important turning
point for her mother as well. With that being said the character of Ruth May is made to be one of the
most important throughout the book and helps mold the story into the literary merit worthy novel it
is. In the novel, Ruth May is a five year old girl who moves to the Congo with her family on
mission work. The author gives Ruth May's character the personality of a adventurous, lovely and
intelligent little girl who is able to keep up with the older ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
It is no doubt that "The Poisonwood Bible" has some references to the actual Bible, and every
character has its reference to a character in the Bible. Ruth May comes from the book of
Ruth. Culturally the Price's are a deep belief in the Christian religion and that's their reason for
going to the congo in the first place. The character of Ruth May comes from the character Ruth in
the Bible. In the book of Ruth when her family members die she chooses to stay by her step–
mother's side. In the Poisonwood Bible, Ruth May is believed to be the most attached to her mother
and needs the most attention from her. When her mother got sick and was bedridden for a while
Ruth May choose to stay by her mother's side. Ruth in the Bible, she was a form of foreigner in a
way. When the Price family moved to the Congo the people of Kalinga considered them as outsiders
as well as the the Price family feeling out of place when they first arrived to the village. When first
arriving to the Congo, Ruth May was worried about how she would fit in and if she would stand out
as much to the people of the Kalinga village and would the lifestyle would be the same. It's safe to
say that Ruth May was one of the most liked members of the

American Culture In The Poisonwood Bible
Culture affects how an individual views the world. In the novel the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara
Kingsolver, the Price family is on an evangelical missionary trip from the United States to the
Congo. They live in the village of Kilanga from the beginning of Congo Independence in1959 to the
Turmoil in the Congo in 1986. The four Price daughters: Leah, Adah, Rachel and Ruth May witness
and comprehend the culture of the Congolese. Price family finds out the Congolese and American
cultures are different and their outlooks of life differ. As the story unfolds the reader learn that
American and Congolese culture have different perception on ideas like getting water, the amount
wives a husband can have, voting and having flesh–eating ants in their ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Oreleanna tells her story of how she gets fresh water for her family, "Not even water. It had to be
carried a mile and half and boiled. 'Boiled, a small word, meant twenty minutes over a roaring fire
in a stove that resembled the rusted carcass of an Oldsmobile" (Kingsolver 92).In the Congo this is a
normal occurrence hiking miles for water is the part of the culture. Americans do not realize the
hardship of getting and boiling water because from the perspective of an American can get water at
store and in their home. They would get angry over walking miles to get water to boil while the
Congolese only know one way to get water to survive. Tata Ndu, the leader of village, want Rachel,
oldest of the Price girls, to be his wife but Oreleanna, the mother of Rachel, says, "But, Nelson he
already has six or seven wives!"(Kingsolver 262). Polygamy the act of having more than one wife is
outlawed in United States of America while in the Congo is practice and part of their culture. In the
Congo a man shows wealth and power by being able to provide for multiple wives. In contrast in the
United States it is not part of the culture and majority believe that having numerous wives is wrong.
Many votes are taken place throughout the novel Anatole, the school teacher and later marry Leah,
explain how Congolese react to the result by Leah

Leah's Exile In The Poisonwood Bible
While in The Poisonwood Bible there are many instances of exile–– the Witch Doctor's exile after
his murder of Ruth May, Anatole's exile from typical African society because of his relationship
with Leah, the Price's exile from the safety of America and their inability to return to normal, for
instance, perhaps one of the most significant exiles takes place between Leah and her father, Nathan.
Throughout the beginning of the novel, Leah is wholly under her father and is obedient, but as the
novel progresses she gradually becomes more rebellious. When a vote is held regarding her and she
defies her father, he washes his hands of her and declares that he is no longer responsible for her.
She then becomes further rebellious and throws off his ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Without the Belgians, the Congo became financially unstable and lost whatever instruction and
guidance the Belgians thought to give–– whether it be any degree of education, which was then
thrust onto the Africans to teach themselves, or political stability. While the political stability was
not in the Congo's favor, it was still more beneficial than the leader the Congo had after Lumumba.
The loss of stability led to the Congo being considered lesser than other countries and led to other
countries, the United States of America, for example, shunning the Congolese. The financial
instability also led to the Congo being unable to communicate effectively with other countries–– the
sister countries of Africa or the countries abroad–– because the people of the Congo (or Zaire, as it
was called under Mobutu, the outsider that took the place of Lumumba) could not afford to use what
little finances they had for anything apart from basic survival necessities. This was alienating in
nature, but exile also proved to be enriching as well. The exile brought about the election of
Lumumba which in turn proved to produce ideas that would benefit the Congo. Lumumba's election
also resulted in higher morale. When he was killed, the Congolese were still loyal and remembered
what could have been under Lumumba. The Congolese passion and loyalty for Lumumba,

The Congo's Power Struggle with Belgium
The template for the Congo wars stems from disorderly years of power struggles and international
interference that followed the country's independence from Belgium in 1960. President Mobutu
Sese Seko (starting 1971) for nearly three decades ruled with autocratic and corrupt values, which
increased the gradual decay of all their state institutions that left communities throughout the
country to fend for themselves. Mobutu's regime after a certain amount of time began to be
destabalized and that aided the emergence of a rebellion in eastern Congo in 1995. The group was
successful in toppling the Mobutu dictatorship however the alliance fell apart after Kabila and his
Ugandan and Rwandan backers turned on each other, which sparked the Second Congo War on
August 2, 1998. The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo–Zaire (AFDL or
ADFLC) was a coalition of Congolese protestors, irritated minority groups and nations that formed
an insurgency to overthrow Mobutu Sese Seko in 1996 with the recruitment of tens of thousands
child soldiers from local communities in the East A Laurent Kabila came into power in the First
Congo War (1996–1997). . A "war of liberation" was inspired in 1996–97 when a regional alliance,
spearheaded by Rwanda and Uganda, sent thousands of soldiers to support the AFDL. The
campaign falsely geared great hopes of change and renaissance throughout the country and made a
triumphal entry in the Congolese capital in May 1997 as Mobutu fled

The Symbolic Significance of Methuselah as It Reflects the...
Methuselah is a parrot character in The Poisonwood Bible written by Barbara Kingsolver. The novel
is set in the late 20th century in a village of The Congo call Kilanga. Methuselah is a parrot who is
left by brother Fowls for the Price family. He has been denied freedom for very long and has been
kept in a cage. Later when Nathan Price sets him free, he has no idea what to do with his
independence. So he keeps flying near the Price house and depends on the Price girls for food.
When Congo's independence is announced, Methuselah gets killed and eaten by a cat. The
imprisonment and freedom of Methuselah can symbolize the current and the future conditions of the
Price family as well as the colonization and independence of The Congo. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The Belgians had colonized The Congo for its natural resources like many other western powers at
the time that "aimed for no more than have dominion on every creature that moved upon this earth"
(10) as it is confessed by Orleanna at the beginning of the novel. In a very similar way, Methuselah
was kept in a cage by the humans against its will only because it was a weaker creature. Just like
The Congo, Methuselah is not allowed the freedom of speech as every time he says something,
Nathan Price gets mad and inquires "which one of [the daughters] taught [it] to say that word" (76).
In a similar way, The Congo is denied the freedom of speech and is not considered as a sovereign
state. The effects of the colonization of The Congo can still be seen as the country could not cope up
with it even after half a century. The country remains poor and divided as it is not used to work on
its own and enjoy the freedom of living. The same happens with Methuselah after Nathan tells him
that "(he is) free to go" (94) and grants him freedom. Methuselah had forgotten what freedom feels
like and "it goes and then it comes back because its wings aren't any count" (133). Because of this
Methuselah cannot survive on its own and later he gets killed and eaten by a cat. Comparing
Methuselah with hope Adah declares that she had found hope "fallen already" (185) and she adds
that "a piece of it [was there] beside their latrine, one red plume" (185). In an act

Patrice Lumumba Imperialism
Congo is a region in sub–Saharan Central Africa, that was ruled by Belgium during an era of
imperialism. Once Belgium retracted from the Congo there was a time of uprisings and political
instability. The army became corrupt and leaders asked for outside help to try to control the Congo.
If Patrice Lumumba had not been assassinated, then political stability might have been achieved.
Patrice Lumumba started a nationalist movement to try to get Belgium to retract from the Congo,
which was unsuccessful because Mobutu seized power with the support of a corrupt military.
In the late 1800s many European powers fought over land in Africa as a part of imperialism,
acquiring land to gain more power. King Leopold II, the ruler of Belgium from 1865–1909, ... Show
Mobutu joined the Nationale Congolese Movement (MNC), while Patrice Lumumba was still the
head of the organization. Mobutu gained a name for himself when "he represented the MNC at the
Brussels Round Table Conference, which had been called to discuss the Congo's independence"
(Mobutu Sese Seko"). Mobutu was on the same side as Lumumba, which was to get independence
for Congo. Congo gained independence on June 30, 1960. Lumumba and Prime Minister Joseph
Kasavubu were appointed as the nation's leaders. Patrice Lumumba trusted Mobutu and he
appointed him the Secretary of State for National Defense ("Mobutu Sese Seko"). Lumumba and
Kasavubu were both struggling to share the power of the Congo together. Mobutu had the power of
the army and he backed up Kasabuvu because he did not appreciate that Lumumba asked the Soviet
Union for help. When the army mutinied against Lumumba and Kasavubu, Mobutu acquired help
from the United States to go around the Congo and rally troops to overthrow the government. The
United States helped Mobutu because they disliked Lumumba because he was considered a
"communist". Soon Mobutu orchestrated a coup against President Kasavubu and Mobutu declared
himself president. Mobutu's every action was worshiped, "and the government officially referred to
him as "Messiah" ("Mobutu Sese Seko"). Mobutu created

The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver
In the novel The Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, the reader is introduced to the
Price family, Baptist missionaries who are attempting to "Christianize" the country of Congo, more
specifically the village of Kilanga. As the story progresses, the family realizes that they are not
changing the Congo; instead, the Congo is changing them. The development of the characters within
the novel is due to the instrument of cruelty. Although distasteful to regard it as such, cruelty
motivates the development and choices of its subjects, whether politically, culturally, or socially.
Rendering itself as a main theme throughout the book, different aspects of cruelty are illustrated
through the interactions of the Price family, internally and externally, as well as the overall
relationship between the "white men" and Congo, or more generally the continent of Africa. If one
extends their outlook unto Africa, the novel demonstrates the disgraceful actions that the continent
endures. Deemed as the "white men" by the villagers, the countries of Belgium and the United
States are the main abusers to this land. By utilizing their military power, both countries take
advantage of the weakened state of Africa and manipulate the present government to favor their
liking. As their efforts are met with immediate backlash from the public, the countries attempt to
validate their selections. They have their "puppet" Mobutu, the selected president, urge the "US
advisors to hold elections...

Examples Of Exile In The Poisonwood Bible
In Barbara Kingsolver's book, The Poisonwood Bible, there are many examples of exile throughout
the novel. Exile is when you are severed or banished from a person, place, or thing. Nathan Price
faces many levels of exile before they even begin the move to the Congo. First he is exiled from his
mind during his deployment in the war, then his family once he gets home, and his homeland when
he picks up and decides to move his family to the Congo. Throughout the novel we see every
member of the Price family even Leah the number one fan of her father's eventually pull away and
rebel from her father. Nathan forces this relationship rift due to his overwhelming need to bring
everyone around him to the Lord and drown them in spiritual morality and ... Show more content on
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This leaves Nathan in his final stage of exile. Alone and isolated in Africa Nathan knows nothing
else but try to complete his mission by baptising the children in the river. This exile finally greets
Nathan with his death when angry villagers rise up and kill him because they blamed them for the
death of their children who were eaten by crocodiles in the river. Although we never hear Nathan
price's thoughts it is easy to see from the way he treats his family and surrounding people that his
exile ran much deeper than a move to the Congo. His exile began long before he ever stepped off
the airplane in Africa. Nathan was exiled from his mind the night he found out he was the lone
survivor of his company in World War II. The exile grew larger and branched into his home life
once he came home and he became heartless and distant from his wife and embarrassed of his
unholy and troublesome "undeserved blessings". Nathan eventually completes the final layer of his
exile when he pushes his family out of Africa and he becomes completely isolated from everyone.
Even though every character

The Poisonwood Bible Analysis
In Barbara Kingsolver's novel, The Poisonwood Bible, the reader enters the Congo through the
narration of the five females of the missionary Price family, who arrive bearing Western ideals.
Kingsolver portrays Western characters, such as the Underdowns, Belgians who work with the
missionaries, as meddlers. Kingsolver identifies the social group of the Westerners at local level as
the Prices, while also on a larger political level too, commenting on the arrogance of the
missionaries and the Western governments who believe that they can imprint a superior type of
civilization onto the Congo. Kingsolver mainly uses the Price family's experience in the village of
Kilanga as a symbol of how the outside Western governments were intruding into a different land.
The Westerners social group contains aspects of Western superiority, selfishness, and greed. It is
shown through many of the white characters such as Nathan Price, Eeben Axleroot, and the ... Show
Throughout the first half of the novel, Kingsolver uses Kilanga and the Westerners group to
represent as an allegory of the Congo and the Western countries. The author foreshadows the
consequences and rejection of the foreign intervention of the Congo, using the Westerners, namely
Nathan Price, in Kilanga. Kingsolver creates a comparison using the large countries such as the
United States and the Western missionaries in the Congo, with the countries being the tenor, and the
Westerners the vehicle. The countries are as greedy and selfish as the missionaries, with the
countries placing the native Congolese to work in rubber plantations or diamond farms and the
missionaries using them as house servants. The countries share the same fault as the missionaries,
attempting to control the Congo by replacing its leader with a Mobutu, a

Cruelty In Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible
The Theme of Cruelty in The Poisonwood Bible In Kingsolvers' novel,The Poisonwood Bible, the
characters are subjected to physical and physiological cruelty due to the actions and imperiousness
of the perpetrator and antagonist Nathan Price. The Poisonwood Bible is told in a series of
chronological accounts from the women of Price family in which the reader sees the cruelty and
misfortune they endure in their everyday life in the Congo. In the end, cruelty pushes the Price
family to the breaking point and the whole family decides to leave Nathan in the village as he loses
what is little left of his sanity. Although Nathan's motives for forcing his family from 1950s urban
America to the village Congo may be genuinely good, his ignorance ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Throughout the novel, Nathan exhibits cruelty towards his family and the villagers. Cruelty is a
direct antonym of Love. Looking back to the Bible, Paul states in a letter to the: "And now these
three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love ( New International Version, 1
Corinthians 13:13)." While Nathan may be spreading faith and hope, because of his cruelty, he is
certainly not showing love, which according to scripture is the most important. Instead of loving his
wife Orleanna, Nathan rebukes her many times for no reason and even acts out in physical cruelty
by roughly batting Orleanna away as she tried to nurse his wounds. Nathan's actions are again
hypocritical and go directly against the Bible says. Paul, in another letter, writes "Husbands, love
your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." (Ephesians 5:25).
Ultimately Nathan is not able to convince any of the villagers to be baptized because he has not
showed love and therefore not God to them. John, another apostle, states to a church that is
struggling with false prophets: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love"(1
John 4:8). One may conclude from these verses that even though Nathan Price may have some
knowledge of the Bible, he truly does not know God,

The Struggle Of Independence In The Movie 'Lumumba'
The movie "Lumumba" displays the ironic struggle that came with newfound independence in
postcolonial Congo, specifically in the year 1960. It follows the story of Patrice Lumumba, an
educated African man with a craving for independence. Early in the movie, Lumumba is arrested for
promoting dissent, but is soon released to attend the "round table" meeting in which he is able to
create a deal that would allow for the Congo to finally be independent from Belgian rule. Lumumba
is elected as prime minister and is quickly thrown into governing a postcolonial state with a
complete lack of order. He begins with a large range of supporters and high hopes for the state's
success without being under Belgian control. The ways in which the state had been run under
colonialism, which created the lack of a viable economy, a nonexistent nationalism among the
Congolese people, and violent race relations derived from the struggle for power, all set Lumumba
up to ultimately fail as a postcolonial leader through the struggle to build a state, create a sense of
nationalism, and find a general unity among the Congolese people. The first step of action
Lumumba needed to take as a leader of a postcolonial, which also happened to end up being one of
his greatest difficulties, was to build the Congo into an official state in order to create a greater sense
of stability. One of the most important pieces of building this 'state' was to create a viable economy
for the country, however, this was much

The Effects Of The Price Family In The Poisonwood Bible By...
From a land of poverty, rises a country of evil. The Price family stumbles upon a plethora of
misfortunes upon the first month of their arrival to the Congo. What is meant to be a mission trip
instantly turns into an experience of uncertainty. Leah, a member of the Price family, even states
"Without that rock of certainty underfoot, the Congo is a fearsome place to have to sink or swim"
(Kingsolver 244). Throughout The Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, the Republic
of Congo owns the residents; with it's revenge for betrayal of traditions, the multiple extremities
within it, and the inability for further modernization, the Congo inevitably controls everything
within it. Those who cannot live by its rules are doomed to be destroyed by it and can never
completely escape its effects. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The moment the Price family arrives, the cultural arrogance of the West is apparent through all
characters. Nathan price, the father of four daughters, is blinded by Congolese traditions. He cannot
accept the original religion or culture the Congolese acquire. He continuously forces Christianity
down everyone's throat. The leaders of Kilanga, the city the Prices live in, foreshadow the
vengeance of their mistakes. Nelson even warns them by explaining that the "Gods you do not pay
are the ones that can curse you best" (Kingsolver 208). This quote is put to action when Mama
Tabata warns Nathan that his method of gardening is not possible in the Congo, but he nevertheless
refuses to learn. Days later, his whole garden is demolished due to a rainstorm. Everyone in the
town warns their family away from the wrath of affliction constantly, however Nathan neglects all
possible

Imperialism In Central Africa
Riches in central Africa. In what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, there was and still is a
plethora of natural resources. Rubber, gold, copper, diamonds and more. That natural wealth has
definitely hurt Congo in the past rather than helped. Its resources could have made it one of the
wealthiest countries in the world. But yet, this future did not hold true for the Congo. At the turn of
the 20th century, King Leopold II began to take notice of the central African country. (National
Black United Front). King Leopold II communicated all his ideas and intentions through a speech to
European missionaries. (Africa Global Network). In it, his words held the key to all things terrible.
Soon, Belgium took over the Congo and began one of the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The book is a cartoon book about a boy reporter named Tintin traveling to the Congo, much like
what the title describes. It shows native Congolese as black–skinned and fat–lipped, with an almost
monkey–like appearance. One could catch them saying things like "White man very great. White
mister is big juju man!" (Cendrowicz). Most Congolese now find humor at this book's portrayal of
the Congolese natives, but others threatened to sue and ban the book worldwide even 80 years after
its publication (Cendrowicz). Although this seems like a sinister book now, it is simply a reflection
of what Belgium taught its citizens about the Congo. People can now buy the book with a small
warning. Belgian schoolbooks expressed phrases like "The intellectual development of the black
child stops very early" or "Negroes are indolent, lazy by nature, lacking in foresight." Hergé was
just a Belgian citizen only given knowledge by his government (Cendrowicz). The book is banned
in some

Changes In The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver
Whenever someone goes to a new place, they have to adapt to their surroundings and often times it
causes changes in their behaviors. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is a novel about a
pastor who takes his family to the Belgian Congo on a mission to spread his Christian beliefs to the
Congolese. The mother and four daughters taken to the Congo were all affected by the Congo
environment, which in turn lead to changes in their psychological and moral traits. The character
that is affected the most by her new environment is Leah Price. She is affected by the Congolese
culture and how they do things differently from Americans. Kingsolver portrays these changes in the
character to show how after one has a life–changing experience, it may ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
She is able to see the truth in her father and how he only cares about pressing his religion upon other
people. This was clearly shown when her father only mentions how "[Ruth May] wasn't baptized
yet" (368). Not only does Leah's surroundings shape psychological and moral traits in her, but also
her surroundings are affecting her physically. While wandering through the jungle to leave the
Congo, Leah gets malaria and therefore has to stay behind in Bulungu with Anatole. However, even
when she gets better, she chooses to stay in Africa with Anatole. Staying with Anatole comes with
consequences because she is white among all the other Africans. This environment puts her in
danger, but she states "I'd fight alongside the Simbas if they'd let me" (421). She understands that
what the Belgians and Americans are doing is wrong and she takes responsibility for it because she
is white. Leah takes responsibility for this and therefore she always feels guilty because it is her
home country that is causing all this pain on others. She even states how all the Congolese that were
killed will "go uncounted...or count for nothing, if that is possible" (422), but the white people that
were killed will be noticed. These surroundings allow Leah to see the unjust treatment the
Congolese are given. Also, after living with Anatole in Kinshasa, her outlook on life is more
negative and she describes how she "survives here on outrage" (450). She used to be a very
optimistic person, but now that she sees the true way these people have to live, she feels empathy
for them, while also seeing how unfair everything is. Moreover, Leah tries to fit in in the new
neighborhood, but after her husband is back in prison, she says her "skin glows like a bare bulb"
(472). Without Anatole there she feels empty and she no longer has the one thing that shields her
from being different than others. She used to love her father indefinitely, but over time her love for
her father is

The Theme Of Arrogance In The Poisonwood Bible
Identifying the Theme of Cultural Arrogance in The Poisonwood Bible In the novel, The
Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, Kingsolver uses the contextual complexities of
the family members to portray the themes in this book. This book is all about the clash of cultures.
Kingsolver describes the Price family's personal experiences of going to the Congo for missionary
work during 1959, when there were political upheavals in the Republic of Congo. Orleanna and her
four daughters are thrown in the fire and forced to cope with the harsh conditions of the Congo.
Rachel represents the cultural clash most, while she is the spoiled oldest girly girl and does not like
her dad for making them come. Leah represents western cultural arrogance, ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Through the local level Kingsolver portrays the ideas of western views on religion and integrating
them to the Congolese cultures. The differences of the western ideas on religion and the Congolese
approach on religion are described through Nathan Price's struggles with imposing the ideas of
Christianity on the villagers of the Congolese. The Congolese see religion as a more practical
manner than just eternal life, they decide on the gods they worship by how they protect them from
things like diseases, floods and other disasters. Nathan Price just cannot understand religion in the
eyes of the Congolese, while the Congolese number one priority is survival and food, not eternal
life. This again shows western cultural arrogance, because Nathan overlooks the beliefs the
Congolese have when it comes to religion and just wants them to adapt his Christian beliefs. Nathan
sees the Congolese religion as vague, he is portrayed as ignorant and continues to preach what is
morally and religiously right in his opinion rather than taking into account the things the Congolese
face that effect their ideas on what religion is, or a god that cares for their needs. From a political
point of view, Kingsolver shows the superiority of the western ways of government, even though the
Congolese aren't ready for these systems of government yet. The Congolese people

Patrice Lumumba And The Congo Crisis
In June of 1960, at the height of the Cold War, Congo received its independence from King Leopold
II's Belgium. Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of Congo, was instrumental in the
Congolese bid for independence, and played a similar role in the early stages of postcolonial Congo,
known as the "Congo Crisis". In the new Congolese nation, Lumumba was faced with the challenge
of unifying a large African nation with difficulties arising from Cold war influences and geopolitical
tensions. As Prime Minister, Lumumba's primary goal was to build a functioning Congolese state,
with the Cold War being irrelevant save its ability to help in the process of state–building.
For the most part, the new Congolese government was populated by elites ... Show more content on
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The short–term success of communist and other highly centralized governments was enticing to
Lumumba, so he turned to a strong centralized government as his way of unifying Congo. In the
context of the Cold War, with fears and tensions at an all–time high, this methodology alarmed the
nations of the free world. The Belgians and opposing political parties propagated the rumors of
Lumumba's communist tendencies, vilifying Lumumba. As Lumumba later found out, this was an
unfortunate resemblance to bear in the free world.
Bearing the alleged connection to communism, Lumumba had to complete the difficult task of
unifying a vast landscape with many diverse ethnicities, languages, and political interests. The
province of Katanga posed the greatest threat to Lumumba in this respect. Katanga was extremely
important as it was the most wealthy and lucrative province in Congo, making it paramount to a
successful Congolese nation. Unfortunately for Congo, Moise Tshombe, the leader of Katanga, did
not see eye to eye with Lumumba. As demonstrated in film, the leaders of Katanga, with the support
of Belgium, sought to secede from the independent Congo, resulting in a frenzy as the soldiers led a
Katangese revolt. As a consequence, geopolitical tensions were at their zenith. Lumumba attempted
to quell this revolt with his own troops, but the new Congolese nation's army was untrained and
unorganized and thus was ineffectual in its response to the chaos.

Role Of Patrice Lumumba
Research Question:
Discuss the involvement of Patrice Lumumba in the Pan–Africanism movement.
Helped promote movement → founded MNC, went to Kwame's conference
Gave it a bad rep? → arrested for inciting riot
Justify relevance
Thesis:
Patrice Lumumba was involved in the Pan–Africanist movement in positive and negative ways, by
both promoting and negatively connoting its ideology.
Introduction:
A charismatic, dedicated, and zealous leader, Patrice Emery Lumumba (1925–1961) was a civil
servant, activist, and the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo. During his lifetime, Lumumba was very active in African politics and supported the
Pan–Africanist movement
Biographical Background:
Paragraph ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
With the help of UN troops, Lumumba was placed under house arrest. However, he escaped to
Stanleyville, with the aim of recovering control by setting up his own government and army.
Lumumba's efforts proved futile when he was captured on December 1, 1960, and taken to Kinshasa
to be tried for "inciting the army to rebellion and other crimes," according to rival Joseph Mobutu.
Lumumba was transferred from the military barracks near Leopoldville to the independent province
of Katanga due to perceived threat to his security. Lumumba was "brutally beaten and tortured by
Katangan and Belgian officers," while travelling, and was placed under arrest while Katangan leader
Moise Tshombe and his cabinet decided on a course of action. According to Belgian report, Patrice
Lumumba was executed by firing squad on January 17, 1961 at age 35. Lumumba's death was
blamed on "enraged villagers", however street protests were organized in several European
countries, and the Belgian embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, was attacked. Crowds also marched in
London, protesting the Belgian government's supposed involvement in Lumumba's

Congo History
A brief history of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) consists of civil war and corruption. In
1960 they achieved Independence, which was followed up by a civil war and a temporary
fragmentation of the country. In 1965 Mobutu Sese Seko seized power. Then in 1997 rebels ousted
Mobutu and Laurent Kabila becomes president. From 1997 until 2003 there was another civil war,
pulling in several surrounding countries (Africa's first world war). From 2003 to 2016 conflict
persisted in the east, where there are still armed groups. In 2006 the first free election in four
decades took place. Joseph Kabila won the run–off vote. In 2015 at least 30 were killed in protests
against proposed changes to the electoral law (AFP). The law was designed to ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Recently released displacement figures bring the total number of internally displaced people (IDPs)
to 3.9 million (Neuzd). The provinces and regions with the largest numbers of IDPs include North
Kivu with more than a million, Greater Kasai with 762,000, Tanganyika with 584,000 and South
Kivu with 545,000 (UNHCR). The UN Refugee Agency has warned that more displacement is
probable in these regions. The World Food Programme and the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization estimate that 7.7 million people are food insecure (Staff). Farmers in Kasai have
missed two consecutive planting seasons because of the violence, which broke out last August with
the killing of a regional tribal leader who had defied the government of President Kabila. The
violence adds to an already unstable situation in the DRC. The region now accounts for more than
40% of the DRC's food insecure population (Staff).
The country is also in the midst of a cholera outbreak affecting 20 of its 26 provinces (Gayer).
Outbreaks and epidemics are more likely in unsanitary conditions, low income countries, and
displaced populations are especially at risk. The country has been in conflict for the majority of 20
years, but evidence shows that the situation for the most vulnerable people has deteriorated severely
in recent years and is on track to worsen. This population is under immunized either due to conflict
and/or geographical remoteness. Risks are compounded

Summary Of The Poisonwood Bible
Barbara Kingsolver's, The Poisonwood Bible, is a story about the lives of the Price Family women
and how a year of missionary work while living in the Congo forever changed their lives. A very
important aspect of the plot in The Poisonwood Bible is that the husband of the Price family,
Nathan, is the entire reason for the story. His unyielding desire to become a missionary and carry
out what he believed to be God's work is what led to the families living in the Congo and destroying
the bonds the Prices had with each other. Throughout the story Nathan Price is presented as an
arrogant southern Baptist preacher with a twisted sense of his place in the world. Having no regard
for women as anything but housewives with little intelligence, he is depicted as an abusive husband
and father. Nathan Price is described as being a changed man from his younger days. Fighting in
WWII had changed him for life. In Contrast to this there is Brother Fowles, a foil to Nathan Price,
who is a missionary that lived in Kilanga before the Price family came. He married an African
woman and had stayed behind after warned to leave the Congo. His interpretations of the Bible and
world perspective are more loosely guided than Nathan Prices. Brother Fowles is overall more liked
than Nathan Price throughout the story. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Nathan Price believes that it is his duty to move his family to the Congo and complete God's plan
for him as a missionary to help the people find salvation. This idea doesn't seem entirely out of
place after we see Brother Fowles illustrate his cultural and moral interpretations of Bible scripture.
However it is not seen until the end of the book, Nathan Price's need to please God does not lie with
the people of the Congo, but for himself. The more Nathan Price tries to relay his own way to God,
the father detached he becomes from the Congolese people and his

Identity In The Poisonwood Bible

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Identity In The Poisonwood Bible