The Poisonwood Bible  By Barbara Kingsolver

Author Background  Born in 1955 in Annapolis, Maryland but grew up in rural Kentucky  Lived in the Congo for 2 years and kept detailed diaries of what she saw  Said that she never considered writing because all the authors she knew were “old dead men.”  Went to DePauw University in Indiana to study biology (after giving up on classical piano)  Became very interested in social activism

 She believed her calling was to change the world through fiction  She worked in the field of scientific journalism while writing novels at night  The Bean Trees was her first novel  All of her novels have social, ecological, or political messages centered around family stories

Background on Novel  Set in the Congo in Africa mainly during the late 1950’s and 60’s.  Traces the story of a missionary family (parents and 4 daughters) when they move to the Congo

Background on the Congo  The Congo is located in the heart of Africa and had no borders until Europeans took over in 1881.

 The Belgians ran the Congo very brutally  Diamonds and rubber were the main export in the Congo  If Congolese miners didn’t work “hard enough” or produce enough diamonds, the Belgian leaders cut off their hands. Belgium as Colonialists

 The leaders didn’t allow the Congolese to become educated for fear that they would one day retake their nation.  At the urging of the United Nations in 1960, Belgium withdrew from the Congo and the Congo gained independence.  Chaos ensued as law and order collapsed.  No one had any idea how to run a country…there were less than two dozen people with degrees at the time in the country.

 Patrice Lumumba: elected prime minister by the people and the UN protected him with its troops. Charismatic, beloved by people.  Clashed with army (didn’t raise their pay) and President Joseph Kasa-Vubu (elected by Parliament)  He asked for aid from the U.S. and was denied. When he considered aid from the Soviet Union, he was seen as a threat (aligned with a communist nation)  Within 10 weeks of election, Lumumba was removed from office and was murdered by Joseph Mobutu, a former army sergeant and Lumumba aide, who took over.  It is well documented that the CIA and Belgian authorities were complicit in Lumumba’s murder.

 Mobutu renamed the country Zaire  He won the support of western leaders who merely saw him as anti- communist. US gave millions in aid.  For 30 years, he robbed his country, taking government revenue for himself.  Mobutu was overthrown by rebel forces in 1997 and a rebellion in 1998 launched the country into renewed chaos.  The Democratic Republic of the Congo today is a country where poverty is rampant and corruption is the norm

Post-Colonial Lit Crit Theory  Concerned with works produced by colonial powers (formerly or currently) OR by those that were/are colonized.  Analyzes issues such as power, religion, culture, and economics, particularly when viewing the Western colonizers’ control of the colonized.  Believes those colonized are marginalized. “History is written by the victors,” so texts are biased or have omissions. “Empire” is not seen in positive light.

Some Post-Colonial Lit Crit Questions  How does the text, explicitly or allegorically, represent various aspects of colonial oppression?  What does the text reveal about post-colonial identity? (“double-consciousness”)  What group is treated as “the other”? How are they treated?  What does the text reveal about the politics and/or psychology of anti-colonialist resistance?  What does the text reveal about cultural differences that shape identity (race, religion, class, gender, customs)?

Theme Topics  The cultural arrogance of the West (including the United States)  Guilt and redemption  The picture of true Christianity/faith  Social justice issues (poverty, war, injustice done by those in power)

Characters  Nathan Price —preacher, father in the family, arrogant, determined  Orleanna Price —mother  Rachel —15, girly, hates the Congo  Leah —14, admires her father, strong mentally and physically (enduring)  Adah —14, twin of Leah, has a limp, doesn’t speak but understands others, has strange talents (reads backwards, poetic)  Ruth May —6, gives the child’s perspective

Central questions…  How does the Price family (and others) function on a smaller, fictitious level to symbolize universal themes that occur on a broader level throughout history? (What can each character “stand in” for?)  How are Biblical allusions used to add meaning? (Look for irony!)  How are the themes timeless and universal (transcending gender, culture, race, time and religion)?  How does Kingsolver’s style establish and build character in the novel?