Faith in the Poisonwood Bible
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Throughout the Poisonwood Bible, Kingsolver utilizes the experience of the Congo to enhance and rediscover the faith of three of the Price daughters. At the age of fifteen, Rachel, the Prices oldest child, reveals her true beliefs of her religion through her petulant remarks of the Congo. During her stay in Africa, Rachel only talks of possessions she left behind. Rachel misses items such as toilet paper and sets of clean clothes. She, however, doesnt mention the bible in the list of items she longs for. She believes that the only method of survival is not to adapt to the conditions and surroundings. Rachel states, “The way I see Africa, you dont have to like it but you sure have to admit its out there. You have your way of thinking and it has its, and never the train ye shall meet!” (235). From this quote, it becomes apparent that the Congo highlights her views towards religion. As she grew up with her father, she was forced into a religion, as in their family the punishment the children had to follow through with was “the verse,” where they were required to write out one hundred lines from the bible my memory. Rachel doesnt agree with the idea of faith, however she does not forget that it is there. She chooses to live a very superficial life in Congo, leaving behind the luxurious life in America as well as her religion.
Ruth May, at age five, is the youngest of the Price family and her religion is found in her innocence. Ruth May tries to understand the life in the Congo and makes friends with the Kilanga children through her games of “Mother may I?” Out of all the Prices, she is the most accepted by the Congolese and the rest of her family envies this. Ruth May is the innocent one and her words and actions deceive the guilty, her family. She acts as the means that separate the family apart. Her religion is found in her innocence, which keep her from the hardships that surrounds her. Ruth May doesnt understand the Bible to its full content at age five, however Gods spirit is present in her aura which allows her pureness to bless others around her. When she plays her games, it seems as though the Congolese feel her pure spirit and therefore join her in the act, something they would never do with another white. Ruth May symbolizes how the spirit of God affects the lives of those who cannot reject him, for due to their ignorance they dont follow him.
Leah, the