Background Information for The Poisonwood Bible

 Written 12 Books  Prodigal Summer, The Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven, Animal Dreams, shorts stories, poetry and nonfiction.  The Poisonwood Bible  Best seller lists, finalist for the Pulitzer and PEN/Faulkner awards, Oprah's Book Club selection.  2000, Kingsolver was awarded the National Humanities Medal given for service via the arts.  Bachelor’s degree in biology/ecology.  Became a feature writer of scientific topics for a variety of newspapers and journals  Kingsolver’s father was a physician who practiced in the Congo for short time in  Uses writing a "form of political activism”, although she insists her stories are “purely fiction”

 Pygmies  Late 1800’s – H.M. Stanley’s exploration  King Leopold II of Belgium became interested  Leopold authorized Stanley  to establish posts along the upper Congo River  to negotiate with tribal rulers  By 1884, Leopold declared a right to govern the entire territory  Renamed "The Congo Free State," and Leopold was king

 Controlled interior  Directed mining activities  diamonds, cobalt, etc.  Abused natives  forced labor, whippings, hostage taking, mutilation, etc.  Leopold enraged Europe. 1908, Leopold turned the Congo over to the Belgian government.  Renamed "Belgian Congo"

It is blood-curdling to see them (the soldiers) returning with the hands of the slain, and to find the hands of young children amongst the bigger ones evidencing their bravery...The rubber from this district has cost hundreds of lives, and the scenes I have witnessed, while unable to help the oppressed, have been almost enough to make me wish I were dead... -Belgian Official

 “A rich nation of poor people”  Natural resources  Diamonds  Cobalt  Copper  Zinc  Rubber  Ivory  Fish

 1957 – First opportunity to vote  June 30, 1960, Belgium granted independence to the Congo and installed Patrice Lumumba as prime minister.  Violence followed  UN helped restore order  Threatened to call Russia, accused of being a communist.  Lumumba arrested and murdered; symbol of African Nationalism  European immigrants, missionaries, etc. fled the country as rumors abounded of the killings of white people.  Lumumba became a symbol of African nationalism.  Volatile leadership, quick change of hands  Mobutu was the eventual dictator

 Ruled  Supported by U.S. as Cold War ally.  Traditional name changes – Leopoldville to Kinshasa; Congo to Zaire.  Left “a house that had been eaten by termites” -NYTimes.  Reign described as “African Tragedy.”

 Kingsolver later learned what had been going on in the Congo at the time of her stay there during the early 1960's.  US secretly sabotaged the Congo's shot at independence  Installed dictator Joseph Mobutu in Lumumba's place  Fears of communism, maintain control of resources  Kingsolver’s outrage  30 years later, Kingsolver felt prepared, emotionally and professionally, to write PB.

5000MILES5000MILES M I L E S Second largest continent  11,700,000 sq. mi. 10% of the world’s population. 2 ½ times the size of the U. S.

 Annual rainfall of up to 17 ft.  Rapid decomposition (very humid).  15% of the land surface of Africa.

Covers 12% of the continent. Extends over 9 countries. 2,720 miles long. 99% of the country of Zaire is in the Congo River basin.

Right: Okapi Bottom Right: Green Mamba Snake Bottom Left: Flesh-eating Driver Ants

 Patriarchal  Tribal – village chiefs  Superstitious  Market place  Famine  Mutual Respect with Nature

 War-plagued  1 st, 2 nd Congo Wars  Open to western influences  City life vs. rural life  Struggle to prosper and thrive independently  Culture thrives