Poisonwood Bible Essay

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IntroPeoplealwaysgreatlyandnegativelyimpacteachother,thoughtheybelieveittobeforthe greatergood.Inthe1950'sEuropeanandAmericanimperialismtoreasunderwhattranquilitythere wasintheCongoThesecountriesmayhavenotbeenawareoftheirinfluenceatthetime,butthe outcomenonethelesswasdrastic.Culturalmisunderstandingsweretheultimatecatalystforthe Congo'sdestruction.InBarbaraKingsolver'snovelThePoisonwoodBiblepublishedin1998she exposeshowculturalignorancecreatesproblems.Withherchosensyntax,pointofview,andtime gapofeachnarratorKingsolverexposeshowclosemindednesscreatesunfulfilledresultsbecause individualscannotadapttoculturalchanges

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Allshewantedwashisapprovalandrecognition,butastimeprogressedshenolongervaluedhis valuesthesameway.Throughoutthetext"Leah,whoseeswiththeeyesofanintelligent,flexible learner,presentshistoricalandculturaldetails...integratesalltypesofknowledgeintohernarratives" (Austenfeld).ForexampleLeahembracedAfricanculturewhileherfathernevercondonedit.Leah Price'spivotalmomentfollowsatthechurch'svoteWhilethecongregationvoteson"tataJesus" ThePreacherstandsupandspitswoundingwordsinalldirections.Asherfatherinsultesthenative's cultureshenolongerconsidersherfathertobeaholyman.Eventhoughshewasraisedaroundhis teachingsshenolongerconsidershimtobeofpureintentions.Since"Nathanisarrogant,inflexible, andpassionatelycommitted"heneverattemptedtolearnthesociety'sneedshejustwantedtocreate ChristianclonesforhisownselfishsalvationIntheendshefinallystates,"IfIhadaprayerleftin me,itwasthatthisred–facedman[Nathaniel]shakingwithragewouldneverlayahandonme again"officiallyendinghergloriousthoughtstowardsherfather(Kingsolver333).Sincethereader progressedthoughLeah'sbildungsromantheyrealizeNathaniel'sinabilitytoadaptcreatedan individualworthyofamonstroustitle.

ThePoisonwoodBible
Anotherstrongcandidateinthereader'smindisRuthMay,sheisinnocent.
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