The history of the Congo is complex and deeply troubled. Please conduct research about the history of this country (using the links below as a starting point). Then post a 500-word reflection on your assessment of how Kingsolver both portrays and uses the history of the Congo in The Poisonwood Bible. Is her telling of this part of the Congo's history accurate? Has she taken liberties with the facts? If so, why? If not, why? Does her use of the Congo's story help you understand some universal truths about humanity in terms of our response to conflict, betrayal and tragedy?
http://www.peace.ca/afcolonialismcongo.htm
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad34
Barbara Kingsolver portrays and uses the history of the Congo in The Poisonwood Bible very well and accurate. All the major events that happen in the novel that drastically change the Congo are accurate facts of how things happened during those tough years for the Congo. Kingsolver correctly portrays how Belgium misuses and abuses the Congo for personal profit in rubber and diamond mining. She also depicts the way events unraveled leading to the Congo’s independence with great truth. She uses the facts that 96 delegates from the main Congolese parties were invited to Belgium for a conference in Brussels in January 1960 to decide the future of Congo. She accurately expresses how the independence is rushed and in less than six months, on 30 June 1960, the Congo is independent.
ReplyDeleteShe then accurately explains how Lumumba became Prime Minister and how unrest leads to the attacks on Europeans. In July the Belgians flee the country, which is also depicted in Kingsolver’s novel when the Price family is told to leave the country. Later, Katanga declares independence through Tshombe and as a result, Lumumba asks for Soviet help in recovering Katanga. All of this is clearly described in The Poisonwood Bible. The factual events of how Mobutu takes over duties of the government in the name of the army and then stages a coup in October 1965 are all used accurately in the novel.
Kingsolver further shows evidence of factual knowledge when she explains the change of names as the Congo becomes Zaire. She does this by expressing how each city and village name is changed to become more local and to get rid of the foreign influence. She also clearly describes the moment of Lumumba’s death and how mysterious the events relating to it were. She makes it clear that there is a strong suspicion that the United States and Belgian governments set up the assassination of Lumumba. Kingsolver also very accurately portrays the way foreign countries continued to take resources from the Congo after its independence. Foreign countries created the tension and fighting that broke out in the Congo between the many different parties and rebel groups.
Another portrayal that Kingsolver very deliberately points out is the drastic consequence of colonization. She clearly brings these consequences out to the reader through her use of imagery and through her depiction of how chaos breaks out after independence. She shows the reader how strongly something is affected when it is first controlled by an outside party and then released without any support. She gets the reader to understand how dependent colonized countries were. She points these arguments out directly through the events that evolve throughout the novel as a result of all the political changes and tension. She also points these arguments out indirectly through the use of symbolism in the form of Methuselah the parrot. The parrot symbolizes a colonized nation and Kingsolver depicts the consequences through the struggle of the parrot when it is set free after living in a cage for a very long time. Methuselah is unable to live on his own and therefore continues to need foreign help. If this is not provided, as in the end happens, he dies. His death possibly expresses Kingsolver’s opinion of how dependent nations will end up without help to develop.
Barbara Kingsolver’s use of the Congo’s story does help one to understand some universal truths about humanity. It clearly shows how humanity is very greedy and how people respond to conflict, betrayal and tragedy in all the wrong ways. Instead of thinking for the common good, sharing, and coming up with solutions to problems together, humanity tends to go for personal benefits.
Chris Deal
ReplyDeleteBarbara Kingsolver’s account of the history of the Congo is quite accurate but only to the extent that her characters, specifically Orleanna Price, understand as they are the narrators. As the characters develop through the plot of the novel and become more immersed into the Congo itself we also begin to grasp a more genuine understanding of the political and economical situation of the Congo and how deeply affected it has been by colonization. This is why we never learn about the Abako group and Joseph Kasavubu, because during his period of political power, the Price’s couldn’t care less. Kingsolver does leave out certain things that have no relevance to the Price’s stay in Africa. We hear very little of King Leopold in the novel but his role in the shaping of Congo is immense and devastating. However the narrators of the story had never heard of him, like most Americans at the time, so he isn’t mentioned. I doubt many missionaries or foreigners were told of the horrible atrocities committed in King Leopold’s name or the way Belgium used and oppressed Congo.
The things Barbara Kingsolver does choose to talk about have direct relation to the Price’s and had an effect on their family in some way or another. The riots in the capital city and the violence towards white people were significant because it was dangerous to the family. I think Kingsolver focused more on events like these than others like King Leopold’s reign because it was what most of the international world was seeing. In the same way that the Price’s had minimal news, being all the way in the jungle, the world did not see the damage colonialism and foreign interference had caused but instead just saw on the news that Americans and Europeans were being killed.
The historical retelling of the Congo in The Poisonwood Bible does teach us universal truths about the greed of men and the damage a wealthy and powerful country can do to one that is less advanced. The Congo is yet another example of the way that colonization sets countries back by decades.
Barbara Kingsolver portrays the Congolese history very well and very accurately. All the major events that happen in the novel that drastically change the Congo eg. Lumumba getting assassinated, Belgium bringing in armed forces etc. are all accurate facts of how things happened during those really tough years for the Congo. Kingsolver also portrays how Belgium misuse their power in the Congo to reach the rubber and diamonds scattered across the country. Due to this fact the Belgians then took all the women and tortured them, for the men however it was different those who didn’t want to work in the fields got a limb chopped off, and those who did work on the field they were treated like slaves. She uses the facts that 96 delegates from the main Congolese parties were invited to Belgium for a conference in Brussels in January 1960 to decide what the Congolese future is going to be. She accurately expresses how the independence is rushed and in less than 6 months, on 30 June 1960, the Congo is independent. Kingsolver further shows evidence of her own knowledge when she explains the change of names in the Congo such as the Congo becoming Zaire. She does this by expressing how each city and village name is changed to become more local and to get rid of the foreign manipulation. She also evidently describes the moment of Lumumba’s death and how inexplicable the other events relating to it were. She makes it clear that there is a strong thought that the United States and Belgian governments set up the assassination of Lumumba. Another interpretation that Kingsolver very purposely points out is the extreme consequence of colonization. She clearly brings these consequences out to the reader all through her use of imagery and through her interpretation of how chaos breaks out after independence. She shows the reader how strongly something is affected when it is first controlled by an outside party and then unrestricted without any support. The parrot symbolizes a colonized state and Kingsolver depicts the consequences through the struggle of the parrot when it is set free after living in a cage for a very long time. Methuselah is unable to live on his own and therefore continues to need unrelated help. If this is not provided, he dies. His death possibly expresses Kingsolver’s judgment of how reliant nations will end up without help to develop.
ReplyDeleteIn 1908, the Belgian government conquered the Congo Free State when King Leopold II of Belgium decided that he wanted to rule somewhere, since he couldn’t rule his own people. He forcibly took over the Congo when he convinced other Western colonial powers that he was legally taking over the country with the agreement of its leaders. From here, the history of Congo becomes a tragic, inhumane, story where innocent lives were tortured and killed for the sole benefit of Belgium.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, The Poisonwood Bible, readers can see the Congo’s influence on the Price family, especially at the falling action of the novel where Leah becomes a passionate ‘Congolese’ and tells us her frustrations of the situation in Congo. Although the novel does not bring out the true brutality in Congo during the Belgian conquer, readers can see through Anatole’s situation how nonsensical and inhumane the conquer was. The novel also tells of the great Patrice Lumumba and his tragic death that was on the same day as Ruth May’s death. In the novel, Anatole was one of Lumumba’s followers, and for this reason, Anatole was imprisoned many times. However, Anatole had followed Lumumba for good reasons, since Lumumba may have been the greatest Congolese leader that might have led Congo to peaceful freedom.
Readers know that Joseph Mobuto assassinated Lumumba. Mobuto led Congo back into downfall, as we can see in the book. Like King Leopold, Mobuto was a self-centered dictator who ruled for self-benefits. Leah and Anatole experience the effects of this type of leadership as they are continuously frustrated by the state and condition of Congo. They often get into trouble for trying to carry on what Lumumba started, which was extremely difficult as Mobuto was backed up by the United States and the CIA.
Kingsolver uses numerous historical references in her novel to set a more realistic atmosphere for readers as the plot progresses through a time of political change in Congo. The theme of captivity verse freedom is continuously backed up by these historical references of Congo. The general idea of what Congo went through is symbolized by the parrot, Methuselah. Methuselah is a caged parrot who has been set free, however, he still has to rely on his previous owner to survive since he has lost the ability to survive in the wild. Later on, Methuselah is captured killed by a bigger prey. This is an extremely effective way to let readers recognize the setting, the theme, and the overall idea. It is also surprisingly amazing how Kingsolver integrates the history and politics of Congo in her novel without making it sound like an encyclopedia. Although not extremely detailed, which is understandable, the historical part of the novel is accurate and realistic.
Kingsolver’s use of Congo’s story in the novel did not cause me to realize anything new about the universal truth of humanity; rather, it just confirmed theories I had previously about human nature. Humans are all naturally evil and selfish, which is a universal truth that was brought out through the historical references of Congo. If given the opportunity to rule anyone without any circumstances, one would take the selfish path of self-benefit verse benefit of others. Anything anyone does is for selfish reasons. Of course, the other universal truth about humans that people like to have freedom. Anyone would choose freedom verse captivity, although freedom may not necessarily be the better option.
Barbara Kingsolver’s use of the history of the Congo in her novel is fairly accurate, however it has few exceptions.
ReplyDeleteKingsolver uses the history to enhance the storyline and conflict in the book and does not focus entirely on the political status of the Congo. She uses the character of the leaders who actually existed in real time to show they made life miserable for the people in the Congo but not nearly as much as what really happened. The reason for this, I think, is that she did not want to concentrate on the politics part but rather used it as a tool for developing the characters and the personalities of those characters in the story, through their reactions to the current situations at the time.
However, the Price family who are left in the Congo do not seem to be affected in any way compared to the locals and what the history of the instability in the Congo states. In fact, characters like Rachel and the visitors to her hotel were very calm and relaxed and had no worries. It could be their ignorance or it could merely be the fact that Kingsolver did not include it in her version of the Congo that is mentioned in her novel. Her not including all the facts could be so that it is not a distraction from the storyline and the novel would be more interesting and not a history fact book. It suggests that she only wants us to get an idea of the problems going on and would rather us relating the characters to the political status and leaders ourselves through our own analysis.
The above are the reasons why I think Kingsolver took some liberties with the facts and did not concentrate wholly on the condition of the country but on the Price family instead.
Kingsolver’s story does help me to understand some universal truths about humanity in that they would do anything in their greed for power and money, including having their own fellow human beings suffer. The main example would be the Belgian King Leopold II, who colonised the Congo; which is in itself unethical. He took over the country and resulted making the locals mine for the precious stones contained in the country and taking it back to his country; in other words, stealing. King Leopold did exist in the Congo’s history and did carry out the deeds mentioned in the book, which is only a small portion of what he actually did.
These are the ways in which Barbara Kingsolver uses the correct history of the Congo in her novel to enhance the story in terms of conflict and discrimination as well as to portray some universal truths about humanity, mainly greediness.
Barbara Kingsolver’s account of the history of the Congo is very accurate but only to a certain extent. When writing the novel Kingsolver made sure that her characters understand the history of the congo. As the characters grow and develop throughout the detailed novel they become a part of the Congo.
ReplyDeleteAfter the readers see this happening in the book they begin to have a deeper understanding of the political and economical situation in Congo at the time. As the book progresses the reader gets a deeper insightful view into the congos troubles as well as the characters.
While writing the book, Kingsolver left out several things that do not relate to the price family.
In the book, Barbara does a good job of giving accurate information but she leaves out important facts that relate to Congos political history. In the novel we hear almost nothing about the King Leopold even though his role in developing Congo is huge! King Leopold is not mentioned in the book because the price family had most likely never heard of him. I think this was a good reason as to why Barbara did not involve him in the novel at all.
The information Barbara Kingsolver chooses to talk about the direct relation to the Price’s and had an effect on their family in some way or another. The riots in the capital city and the violence towards white people were significant because these events were dangerous to the family and relevant to their current situation as they remained in the Congo.
Another valid point as to why Kingsolver did not include all of congos history as Chris said, is that the Price’s had minimal news so it would be highly incorrect if they knew everything that was happening in the world without the news or newspapers.
In all Kingsolver uses the correct history of the Congo to enhance the story but leaves out certain bits of history that are not relevant to the characters or the novel itself.
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ReplyDeleteBarbara Kingsolver uses her novel, The Poisonwood Bible, to comment on the history of the former Belgian Congo. Today, this region in Central Africa is formed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. Both of these countries still show the scars of colonialism today. The novel highlights many of the issues the fledgling nation faced in the early 60s (mostly though the narrative of Orleanna Price).
ReplyDeleteThe Price family can be seen as allegory for the situation of the Congo, as their status in the Congo often mirrors the Congo’s political status. In the beginning of the novel, the family is optimistic and hopeful about their future, similar to the idealism found in the newly independent Congo led by Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. An odd divergence on Kingsolver’s part is the nonexistent role she gives Congo’s first president, Joseph Kasavubu, while in fact he played a major part in shaping the Congo, and was Lumumba’s greatest rival. He and some other prominent players (like Albert Kalonji, head of a moderate independence movement, and King Baudouin of Belgium) in the Congo’s political sphere were most likely omitted due to concerns on the flow of the novel, as politics is often too convoluted to be seen as good literary material. Kingsolver didn’t want to confuse her metaphors, and lower the symbolic power of her work with political digressions.
Patrice Lumumba, on the other hand, plays a relatively larger part in the novel, and is the only prominent political figure to come in contact with the Prices. Though it is not a personal meeting, Leah is affected by his confidence and his eloquence. Lumumba says that “We are going to make the Congo…the heart of light.” This line is part of an important recurring theme in the novel, light versus dark. In this case Congo is the source of light and good while the West and colonialism is the source of darkness and evil. Lumumba is later symbolized by Methuselah, as well as his whole movement for independence. He and his cause are swallowed up by a predatory night creature, the civet, representing the United States.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second poorest country in the world, following Zimbabwe. The horrible condition of this country is due to the terrible reign of a once-loved man named Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, or as he later renamed himself, (egotistical, much?) Mobutu Sese Seko. Mobutu’s violent and corrupt rule is often mentioned in the book. As Mobutu comes into power, and the Congo’s future darkens, the Prices’ quality of life also plummets. Mobutu is an unseen character until his death in Poisonwood Bible, and I believe the resulting one-sidedness of his character means Kingsolver was using Mobutu as a symbol for human greed and corruption. Mobutu betrays his homeland for money and power, and sends the Congo spiraling into poverty for his personal gain.
Mobutu was a strong ally to the United States during the Cold War due to his unrelenting opposition of communism. However, this standpoint caused the United States to overlook his unjust tyrannical rule. Orleanna looked to the United States, especially President Eisenhower, as a beacon of hope during her darkest hours, but lo and behold, Eisenhower was the wizard behind the curtain keeping Mobutu in power and effectively running the country into the ground. Kingsolver uses characters, like Lumumba, Mobutu and Eisenhower, and political events to communicate powerful ideas about human benevolence and strength even in the face of adversity, but also cruelty, greed and betrayal.
Barbara Kingsolver has a moderately accurate account of Congolese history. However, she fails to examine the real impact of the Belgian power that has been implemented within the governmental system. To fully understand the affect the Belgians had on the Congo, one must analyse a share of Belgian history that intertwines with that of the Congo.
ReplyDeleteIn 1831, Belgium had gained their independence from their neighbouring country the Netherlands. The result was a newly formed nation that was under the control of Leopold II, the second king of Belgium. King Leopold II was ambitious and was determined to enhance his own personal wealth, as well as the status of his own nation. He would do this by exploring and colonizing the lands of Africa. In 1876, Leopold hired Sir Henry Morton Stanley’s expedition to explore the area currently known as the Congo. The result was the formation of the Congo Free State that consisted of a colony bigger than Western Europe. However, the colony was part of Kind Leopold’s personal possession, rather than being part of the Belgian state. His nation was run by a dictatorship where millions of Congolese people died as a result of his misdemeanour. In 1895, Leopold’s acts of brutality were published by the British press, leading to a significant amount of on going controversy within western Europe. By 1908, Leopold was forced by the British vice consul to give the Congo Free state to the Belgian state. During this time, the alliance had also handed Belgium the former German colony of Rwanda, that had been taken from Germany’s possession after their defeat in World War I.
Once Belgium had legitimate control over the Congolese nation, Congolese lifestyle noticed slight improvements. Congolese economic and social life were enhanced to the point that it more or less resembled conditions in the Western world. The Belgian colonial administration started to create suitable infrastructure for the nation. They built railways, roads, plantations, mines, school, airports, and industrial areas. Segregation was however still an issue, where whites and natives lived in separate societies. Hence, Its social and political system resembled that of apartheid. Furthermore, Belgium had full governmental control; the Congolese did not have permission to participate in the running of their own country.
In 1955, educated-elites of the Congo began their uprising against Belgian rule. Their set out to stop the apartheid policies and bring democracy to their governmental system. They fought using strikes, civil disobedience, and civil unrest against their white oppressors. Through these rebellious acts, the Congo gained their independence from the Belgian colonial administration in 1960.
Barbara Kingsolver had made an accurate account of the Congolese history. She had clearly pointed out the signs of the ‘apartheid style’ of segregation and the civil disobedience that occurred in the Congo. She also made clear notes of the on going oppression and the social classes that had been established. However, she failed to show the direct impact Belgium had. This includes making note of Belgian establishments and how they may have positively affect Congolese Life. This is important because history has recorded how Congolese life had seen slight improvements yet lacked the support of Kingsolver’s book to back up this statement.
Bersabel Behonegne
ReplyDeleteThe Poisonwood Bible is a realistic fictional novel that is based on events in that happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Barbra Kingsolver did not indicate factual information in her novel about the happenings of the war; however she did use several characters stories to help the reader understand the state of living in The Democratic Republic of Congo at the time. The novel was published in 1998, during the midst of the Congolese Civil War. Barbra Kingsolver narrated the novel through four very different characters, and it was through their eyes that the reader is told of what happened in the Congo.
Each character added a different perspective to the chaotic struggle for Independence that took over their village in the DRC. Barbra Kingsolver narrated the story giving the reader as much information about the events that were happening in the Congo as the Price family knew in their village. The Price family, having lived their entire lives in the US was completely oblivious to the current situation in the Congo when they arrived there. As the story progresses Barbra Kingsolver narrates major changes in the DRC through the characters experiences. For example when major changes where happening in the Congo’s government, Kingsolver showed this through Ruth Mays eyes; in a trip to the doctor’s office after having broken her arm. It is at their doctor’s visit that the Price Family finds out about the changes that have happened since they arrived in the village. Kingsolver did this on several accounts, to let the reader know about significant changes in government, or the state the Congo itself.
Kingsolver left out many events that happened in the DRC during the Price family’s stay there, because it didn’t affect them or was not relevant to the development of any of the Price Family women. The way that Barbra Kingsolver narrated the story gave the reader a strong idea of what was happening in the DRC without blatantly stating it. As a reader I felt that Kingsolver’s choice to do this amplified the readers experience as it put the reader in the shoes of the Price Family.
Barbara Kingsolver’s use of the history of the Congo, is quite accurate but to a certain extent. She didn’t focus on the war itself but has used certain political characters of the Congo to help build up the plot story. While writing she left everything out that didn’t relate with the Prices and that hadn’t an impact on them either. In the book, while the book progresses slowly, the characters learn more and more about the political situation of the Congo at that time, Barbara Kingsolver does that so that the Price’s family situation is looked at with more gravity. In this way, the reader’s have a better understanding/deeper of what both situations look like - the family’s and the Congo’s (to better understand the problems the family was going through). Like Anais said in her comment, Barbara Kingsolver has left out anything the Prices haven’t heard off, and therefore didn’t have any sort off impact on them. For example, she mentioned things like the riots against white people and how that had an impact on them, because that’s when the family wanted to leave to go back to the States but Nathan decides to stay, to accomplish what he came there for, although his family was threatened. To conclude, B. Kingsolver’s use of the history of the Congo is accurate, but she only leaves out things that don’t have anything sort of impact on the Price family.
ReplyDeletePart 2
ReplyDeleteThe assassination of Patrice Lumumba played an important role with Ruth May and Anatole. It started with Ruth May hearing Axelroot being given orders on his radio to do with Lumumba, and then with Axelroot telling her Lumumba was ‘as good as dead.’ This affected Ruth May’s perception of the congo and the way it ran. Anatole was a follower of Lumumba and was probably the most affected in the village by his death, as he had to be even more of an activist for his political party.
In conclusion, the historical events in The Poisonwood Bible are all accurate (though some events were left out). The main four events that play a part in the novel are:
• The anger from locals towards foreigners in main cities
o i.e: Leopoldville
• The original gaining of formal independence
• The secession of the Katanga Province
• Assassination of Patrice Lumumba
These all affect different characters in different ways. The passages and characters, in the novel, that are affected by these events were all absorbed into the events in a way that made them seem as if they had originally been there. Which brings the story to life in a way that many writers strive to achieve.
-Hunter A. Fenn
The Poisonwood Bible written by Barbara Kingsolver is realistic fiction. It is the story of an American missionary family who comes to Africa and settles deep in the jungle to preach the Catholic religion to the native population. The story takes place in the pre-independence period of the Congo. King Leopold is still ruling with an iron hand when the Price family arrives. Barbara Kingsolver refers to many horror stories of King Leopold’s ruling throughout the book. It is most likely that similar stories would not have taken place in the Congo during that period. Many other books like King Leopold’s Ghost reveal the same kind of atrocities during King Leopold’s ruling.
ReplyDeleteThe next important historical phase of the book is when the Underdowns visit the Price family to inform them that elections will be held soon in the Congo. King Leopold’s ruling with a “fatherly hand” is no longer accepted and steps are being taken towards an Independent Congo. This is when the book turns more political. Clear assumptions are made throughout the book as to who is deciding on the future of Congo and who will “divide the map”. These assumptions might be too farfetched and the history of Congo does not reveal any of these shady deals that involve mercenaries such as Axelroot. The murder of Lumumba is explained in detail in ‘The Poisonwood Bible’ . We can read about the escape of Lumumba, how he was discovered and finally murdered. Kingsolver largely holds the US and Belgian secret services responsible for his murder in the book. Lumumba is unsuitable as a ruler for Congo. He is difficult and might be uncooperative and therefore needs to disappear. A more suitable leader is found in Mobutu. According to the book Mobutu is already chosen by the Belgian and American government even before the murder on Lumumba. This has not been proven by history. I think it is in this part of the book that Barbara Kingsolver exaggerates the facts and bends the truths.
Kingsolver might have exaggerated some of the facts and the story about the murder of Lumumba is probably fictional, however I think what she is trying to explain is that the faith of the former colonies heavily depended on the selfish motives of super powers such as the United States and the greediness of colonial powers such as Belgium who have mainly used the Congo for its natural resources. Belgium was able to prosper during the colonial times whereas the Congo was bleeding to death. The money that was extracted from the Congo was used to build beautiful buildings in Brussels and to improve the lives of the citizens of Belgium. I think Barbara Kingsolver tries to explain in her book that the well being of the population of the Congo is of zero importance to the colonial powers and that independence does not mean anything. Elections were rigged; the result was already known beforehand and decided by the superpowers.
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ReplyDeleteBarbara Kingsolver is also a historian through The Poisonwood Bible. She accurately reflects everything that occurred in the Congo during its independence and from then on after. This is quite important because one has to remember that another American person’s perspective on what truly happened could have been absolutely different. It is important for her to say exactly what happened in order to prove her point of how colonialism truly ruined countries such as the Congo. It all started with King Leopold even though she doesn’t spend as much time describing the barbarities he committed and focuses on the more post-independence trouble. Therefore, she also seems to be very much on the side of the Congo and this is apparent in instances such as when she describes Lumumba with such kind words, as opposed to Mobuto who she immediately relates to the United States. She really takes on the Congo’s perspective on the situation.
ReplyDeleteI would say that at the beginning of the novel, her characters begin with a typical American perspective of what the Congo is, but as the story proceeds and as they develop and gain their own opinions on Africa, they change. For example, at the beginning they all supported dearly President Eisenhower, and this is apparent as they describe him really kindly at the beginning of the book, but then right after independence and when they realize what the United States was doing in the Congo, the family views his picture much more differently. I suppose that Kingsolver wanted her readers to also break free from the typical stereotyped beliefs of Africa by following her characters. I think that she also represented the history of the Congo through other ways too probably allow the readers to grasp the concept better. For example Methuselah, the parrot, represents the Congo affected by the intrusion and imposition of the Price family, who represents the colonizing powers.
Barbara not only wants to show how hard attaining independence was for the Congo, but she also shows how hard it is to maintain it because colonialism would simply return to them, but this time disguised as economic help from the United States. She also focuses on the transition of the country on its way to absolute independence. However, here I think she only uses the fact that the cities returned to their original Congolese names to show this because the rest is very much still under conflict.
I believe she wishes to show us the consequence of imposing thoughts has on a people because sooner or later they will react to it. Africa has suffered a lot, yet it is strong enough to pull through and work at catching up to the other countries. This conflict in the Congo has made me enhance my idea of how driven human beings are by self-interest. It is quite awful and sad. Everything is centered on benefiting of a situation no matter how much others suffer, and if anybody threatens this then they are immediately taken out of the picture. It truly enhances my opinion on how dirty politics can be as well. Despite these facts, I also find The Poisonwood Bible allows this generation to redeem itself by recognizing all the pain Africa has had to go through to supply developed countries a lot of what it now boasts of and hopefully truly attempt at helping this time.
In the novel, The Poison Wood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver integrates the history of the Congo by depicting certain historical events through the use of imagery and symbolism.
ReplyDeleteThe parrot Methuselah is a clear example of how the author has used symbolism in the novel to portray historic events. The parrot is let free by Nathan in a fit of anger, representing the independence the Congo gains from Belgian rule. The cage that Methuselah was kept in represents the Belgian rule over the Congo and the act of releasing the bird from its cage elucidates the act of liberating the Congo from Belgium. The parrot is incapable of taking advantage of the situation to liberate him. This is a metaphor used to elucidate how the Congo could not survive without the Belgian forces running the country. Even though the Congo gained its independence the country had lost its ability to be independent. Methuselah eventually ends up depending on the price family for food and shelter. Methuselah is later killed by a civet cat which also symbolizes the United States invading the Congo leading to its downfall.
Barbara Kingsolver also makes references to important historic events taking place in the Congo. She refers to Patrice Lumumba’s speech where he says, “We are going to make the Congo, for all of Africa, the heart of light.” This quote depicts the idea of African colonialism and the author uses a historic event such as this speech from Patrice Lumumba in order to portray certain themes or motifs in the novel. This particular quote ties in with the theme of light and dark used throughout the novel. Barbara Kingsolver again uses this quote to illustrate the detrimental effects of the western world interfering with the Congo. The darkness of Africa may exist through the actions of men such as Eeben Alexroot however what Patrice Lumumba is trying to say is that Africa can be a representation of light without any western interference.
In conclusion Barbara Kingsolver’s incorporation of historic events in her story portrays a connection to the real world. It shows that Barbara Kingsolver has a deeper message that she is trying to propagate through her story. She is trying to illustrate the perceptions people had about the Congo and the detrimental effects of colonialism through her story The Poison Wood Bible. Sahan
Kingsolver’s portrayal of Congolese history is actuate with few exceptions. In terms of how the characters would have experienced the events in the book, she did an exceptional job. However some of those events were not portrayed to the extent at which they really happened. This was reasonable of Kingsolver as the story was not about Congolese history, but about the individual themes that each character portrayed. Kingsolver does not fabricate any particular political character yet leaves some important ones out. Nevertheless since the history of Congo is complex it would have been almost impossible to include everything in the novel. Still, Kingsolver manages to accurately portray events that related to the Price family. She has accurately portrayed the opinions of the political leaders mostly through Orleanna as she was the eldest narrator and therefore paid more attention to current events. The events mentioned were mainly to use to develop the characters and themes in the novel. For example, the Price’s opinion of America and its leader, Eisenhower, changes throughout the book as their western superiority is worn off by living in Congo. Also the assassination of Lumumba was portrayed not only through the direct statements of characters but also through Methuselah, the parrot. He was killed by a sneaky creature in the night just as Lumumba was sneaked upon by orders from Eisenhower. Mobutu, America’s puppet was a symbol for the damage colonialism can do to Africa. This is a theme in the novel and is perfectly represented by the tyranny of Mobutu. All of these examples and more were used to not only to develop the characters in the novel but to develop the themes which expose some universal truths about humanity. America did drive Congo to its ultimate downfall in real life but Kingsolver used the historical facts to drive the theme of arrogance and ignorance of the west. Kingsolver also uses the whole history of the Congo to display the theme of ambiguous justice. Every decision made in politics may seem “just” to some but will inevitably affect others negatively. In conclusion, Kingsolver accurately portrays Congolese history in relation to how the characters would experience those events. She also uses those events to portray some important themes about universal truths.
ReplyDeleteThe Congo Free State was conquered by Belgium in 1908. Many other African countries were at the same time period suffering from western colonization but the way in which King Leopold II and Belgium ruled over Congo has been described as one of the most inhumane and brutal regimes through African history. Even in Europe the terrible treatment of the Congolese was acknowledged as a crime against humanity. The only purpose Congo served to Belgium was the mining of for instance copper and diamonds and the rubber plantations, and the profit when straight to Belgium.
ReplyDeleteThe Price family come to the Congo in the time before independence and is quite oblivious to Congo’s situation. Throughout the novel Barbara Kingsolver gives the reader accurate information about the political situation in Congo, with use of the characters in her book. This gives a specific perspective to the political events in the novel. First of all, like many others have already stated, Kingsolver does not give the ‘full version’ of what occurred in Congo's history since all that happened did not affect the main characters of the book. Since the mediums of communication were poor at this time there is also no way for the Price family to stay up dated with event all over the country. They only receive information from outside of Kilanga through newspapers that are several months old or through other people that visit the village once in a while. Although, the information about Congolese history that is provided for the reader is perhaps not very detailed but accurate and gives a very realistic atmosphere to the story and reminds the reader that the novel is written as a realistic fiction. The Price family is so enclosed in their village that the outside world seems a bit irrelevant to them. Perhaps this is also the point of leaving out bits of history. It enhances that the country was quite divided and that information had to travel long distances to reach its destination. It makes the story more realistic and even though it could be seen as Kingsolver taking liberties, I think it is actually good that there is not too much detail about these events since it makes a nice balance between the political and the social.
The event that probably is most colorfully described by Kingsolver is probably the chaos that breaks out after independence. This is something that reaches the whole of Congo and has a great impact on the Prices and is therefore a very big part of the story. Kingsolver uses Methuselah, the parrot, to symbolize how dependant a colonized country becomes after being ruled over for so many years. Just like Methuselah who has been living in a cage his entire life, the Congo has been strictly controlled by Belgium. Methuselah is suddenly set free by Nathan and does not know how to control his freedom and stays close to his former home where he at least has shelter over his head. In the end Methuselah is eaten by a predator. This symbolizes Congo’s dependency on support and the predator, which in Congo’s case would be the US that in the end takes advantage of the country (again) using it for their own benefits. What is interesting about this is that even though freedom might seem big and hard to control, everyone would still choose freedom in front of secure confinement. This furthermore provides an idea that all controlled individuals needs time to prepare for takeoff and by controlling them, a country like Belgium also has the responsibility to give that to the controlled individual or country. Since this never happened to Congo it still suffers today and have lost many of the people have lost many hopes and dreams they had at the time of independence, 50 years ago. The universal truth lies in that those stronger and more powerful than other often lack the willingness of making life more equal and the history of the Congolese colonization in The Poisonwood Bible is just one of many example of the greedy nature of man.
Kingsolver’s account of the History of Congo in her novel The Poisonwood Bible was very accurate for the most part. She was able to show the effect of colonization in the country and the struggle the people had to face through her novel. Kingsolver used the Price Family to reflect the situation that was happening in Congo. When the price Family first got to Congo, all they wanted to do was change the people and make them believe their way rather than accepting their culture. However, as the characters develop, we got to see their individual opinion on things and the situation. Leah especially took interest in the politics and the reader was able to see how the Belgians were using the country for its natural resource through her character. Like most people have previously mentioned, though Kingsolver was able to portray the history accurately for the most part, she still missed out some important facts that happened during the civil war. However, since the book was mainly focused on the price family and not the history of Congo, It is not expected from Kingsolver to tell each and every single thing that happened at the time. As far as exploring the theme of the cultural arrogance of the west though, she was able to explore the theme very accurately through the point of view of the four Price women.
ReplyDeleteThe parrot Methuselah and The poisonwood tree were also used as a symbol to show the ignorance and carelessness the westerns were having towards the Congo. After Methuselah was set free by Nathan, she still wasn’t truly free. There were wild animals out there trying to hunt it down which is what happened with the Congo. Even after its independence, it still wasn’t truly free. As for the poisonwood Bible and How Nathan was never able to use it correctly shows the great ignorance they had. And this applies not just in the nation of Congo but the whole of Africa and how it was mistreated for its resources.