Ready Reference Treatise: The Poisonwood Bible

By Raja Sharma

First of all, the title “The Poisonwood Bible” draws the attention of the readers. It is not only appropriate but also indispensable.

The biblical tradition of male dominance over female is ultimately challenged and denounced by the Price women. The father, Nathan Price, continues to follow the belief that the Africans are living in darkness. One tempts to ask a very simple question that how a devout Christian can immediately declare that the people who have been following their traditions for ages are living in darkness.

It is true that some of the beliefs of the natives are superstitious, but the same can be said about the people who follow Christianity. When Reverend Price’s daughter dies after a snake bite, he says that she was not baptized. Does it mean that she would have survived had she been baptized?

Likewise, the novel raises various challenging questions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Mar 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301440269

Raja Sharma

Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.

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Ready Reference Treatise: The Poisonwood Bible

Raja Sharma

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Ready Reference Treatise: The Poisonwood Bible

Raja Sharma

Copyright@2013 Raja Sharma

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Chapter One: Introduction to The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is regarded as her most widely acclaimed book.

The story is set in the late 1950s, and it is based on the experiences of the Price family during their journey into the African Congo as Baptist missionaries, and their stay there.

Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May are the four Price children, and most of the story is told from their perspective. There are several flashback scenes interspersed and these scenes are told from the perspective of Orleanna Price, the mother of the children.

On account of its extreme dramatic power, The Poisonwood Bible received tremendous success at the time of its publication. It was also acclaimed because Kingsolver attempted to create a new Bible through which she examines the Western imperialism from the experiencers’ point of view.

The book is divided into various short chapters and each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the Prince women.

The story describes their lives when they enter Kilanga, a small village in the Congo where Nathan Price, the father of the girls, establishes a small church and attempts to baptize the village children.

One significant thing which can’t remain unnoticed is that all the narrators in the novel are feminine, thus trying to show that the voice of patriarchy is finally superseded. The voice of patriarchy happened to be deeply associated with the Bible, but through this novel Kingsolver seems to have broken the shackles, and given power of voice to women.

There is an obviously definite challenge before the Price family. They have to face a lot of difficulties in translating their American lives and religion into the culture of the Congo.

The Congo culture is quite different from the American culture, not only in language and customs, but also in mundane facets as well. The weather is different, the type of vegetation is different, and the way of life is also very different.

Soon, they are in the midst of violent politics of the country. On one hand there is government coup and the violence that follows. On the other side there are the political ravages of the continent.

In the concluding part of the novel, there is the description of the attempts of each of the Price girls to leave Africa. They fail both physically and emotionally.

The Price women realize that their lives are attached to the land, and they also realize that the life which once they had has been disrupted.

Finally, they are forced to reconcile with all that which means for their future and the future of the family. They seem to accept the reality of the oppressive continent and the oppressive God of Reverend Price.

The Poisonwood Bible is very popular among female readers. They found a ‘new’ Bible in that book and it seems to interpret the patriarchal tendencies of Christianity in the light of female experiences.

The story is not only interesting and informative, but also highly absorbing. It makes readers think once again about the old doctrines and the male supremacy established by the Christian Church.

Chapter Two: Summary in Brief

The Poisonwood Bible is basically the story of the Price family; it describes all their challenges they have to face, and how they try to adjust them in a culture other than their own.

Most of the story is told from the prospective of the women in the family.