Poisonwood Bible Essay An allusion is an expression designed to call something to mind indirectly. Whether to subliminally persuade someone, or to make a comparative point, allusions are an effective literary device. Barbara Kingsolver is an American woman who spent parts of her childhood in the Congo. She uses this first hand experience to fill her most popular book, the Poisonwood Bible with allusions. This story takes place at a time when the Congo is fighting for, and achieving independence from imperialistic countries. Belgium, the United States, and a number of other countries attempted to colonize the country of Africa and impose foreign domination. As this is happening in the book, a Christian missionary family resides in the
…show more content…
In the Apocrypha, (the section not always included in traditional bibles) Daniel is asked to prove to King Cyrus that their idol Bel is not a living creature that eats the offerings of the kingdom. Daniel believes the priests steal the offerings every night, instead of Bel consuming the food. He catches the priests and their families using ashes to mark footprints when they sneak in at night. A similar story, yet darker unfolds in the Poisonwood Bible. Tata Kuvudundu prophesizes that the animals will ‘walk like men on our paths’ and this foretelling seems to come true until Leah Price steps in. She uses the same method Daniel did, she spreads ashes around the family chicken coop after an evil sign is found outside of it the day before. “Only a man, one man and no other, who brought the snake in a basket or carried it stunned or charmed like a gift in his own two hands. Only one single dancer with six toes on his left foot” (362). The next morning, they see Tata Kuvundundu’s trademark 6-toed footprint along with a poisonous snake in their chicken coop. Leah catches Tata K with convincing evidence and exhibits Daniel-like traits in the process. The two stories have a lot in common besides the ashes. The priests are taking advantage of ignorant villagers who believed in a living, breathing idol. Tata K is taking advantage of ignorant Congolese people to make himself look like a powerful witch doctor. The powerful …show more content…
Adam and Eve, the first two human beings as stated by the bible, inhabited the Garden of Eden. It is ever fulfilling and would provide everything they could ever want and need. The one condition is they could not eat the fruit form the Tree of life, or Tree of knowledge. Yet they ate from the Tree of Knowledge anyway and are banished from the Garden and from God’s presence. In the Poisonwood Bible the garden of Nathan is a normal garden, yet it carries just as much relevancy and symbolism as the tree of knowledge did. The Price family previously lived in Georgia, so when Nathan Price bought along his seeds for the garden he bought American seeds, which would only grow in American soil with American weather and pollinators. The things they tried to bring from their own country and force upon the already existing continent of Africa did not work out. Part of the reason the Congo sought independence from their colonizers is because the American and Belgian customs did not belong in their homeland uninvited to begin
In the Apocrypha, (the section not always included in traditional bibles) Daniel is asked to prove to King Cyrus that their idol Bel is not a living creature that eats the offerings of the kingdom. Daniel believes the priests steal the offerings every night, instead of Bel consuming the food. He catches the priests and their families using ashes to mark footprints when they sneak in at night. A similar story, yet darker unfolds in the Poisonwood Bible. Tata Kuvudundu prophesizes that the animals will ‘walk like men on our paths’ and this foretelling seems to come true until Leah Price steps in. She uses the same method Daniel did, she spreads ashes around the family chicken coop after an evil sign is found outside of it the day before. “Only a man, one man and no other, who brought the snake in a basket or carried it stunned or charmed like a gift in his own two hands. Only one single dancer with six toes on his left foot” (362). The next morning, they see Tata Kuvundundu’s trademark 6-toed footprint along with a poisonous snake in their chicken coop. Leah catches Tata K with convincing evidence and exhibits Daniel-like traits in the process. The two stories have a lot in common besides the ashes. The priests are taking advantage of ignorant villagers who believed in a living, breathing idol. Tata K is taking advantage of ignorant Congolese people to make himself look like a powerful witch doctor. The powerful …show more content…
Adam and Eve, the first two human beings as stated by the bible, inhabited the Garden of Eden. It is ever fulfilling and would provide everything they could ever want and need. The one condition is they could not eat the fruit form the Tree of life, or Tree of knowledge. Yet they ate from the Tree of Knowledge anyway and are banished from the Garden and from God’s presence. In the Poisonwood Bible the garden of Nathan is a normal garden, yet it carries just as much relevancy and symbolism as the tree of knowledge did. The Price family previously lived in Georgia, so when Nathan Price bought along his seeds for the garden he bought American seeds, which would only grow in American soil with American weather and pollinators. The things they tried to bring from their own country and force upon the already existing continent of Africa did not work out. Part of the reason the Congo sought independence from their colonizers is because the American and Belgian customs did not belong in their homeland uninvited to begin