The Poisonwood Bible is refreshing in that the narrative structure differs from everything we've read before. Out of the five narrators, my favorite is Ruth May. I'm not as attracted to the writing as much as the experience of reading it. Though Adah, in my opinion, provides the most vivid and interesting descriptions of the world around her, Ruth May's obliviousness makes her narrative so enjoyable to read. This is because it's littered with dramatic irony, and her ignorance makes one long for her to know more, and know better.
Ruth May has misconceptions about a lot of things, and this is largely because she believes everything she hears. A prime example of this is her taking on the superstitions of Nelson. When Nelson tells her one can't say the name of a snake or a leopard at night or they'll find you, Ruth May immediately begins using 'string' and 'spotted cloth' as names instead, just as Nelson tells her too. Similarly, she takes stories of the bible (and stories of her father) literally, and things often get lost in translation. Because these superstitions and mishaps are so obvious to the reader but not to Ruth May, it provides comic some comic relief to the more serious aspects of the novel. These incongruences, often funny, are what make me affectionate of her character. Her boldness and curiosity make me wish that she could find some better place to grow up than under the tyranny of Nathan Price. Her boldness, curiosity, and adventurousness make one desire for her a better life.
This is a really interesting post discussing Ruth May. I love the last line of the first paragraph, I think it does a great job explaining exactly how the reader feels when reading Ruth May's perspective. I like how you discuss all the misconceptions Ruth May has about life and how she often takes things literally when they are meant figuratively. Your post is a little repetitive and I think that more examples of her perspective throughout the book could be beneficial to your post. Also, you didn't really discuss how the female and child perspectives affect the book's narration. However, your organization and points are great. Overall, nice job!
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree that Ruth May's perspective is the most fun to read! She sees the world through such innocent and impressionable eyes, it's hard not to want to agree with her. The example given about her willingness to believe Nelson perfectly captures her young spirit. The problem with this post is that it does not explicitly address the second prompt: the importance of women and children narrators. A short paragraph on this topic would improve this post immensely. For the first prompt, great job!
ReplyDeleteI love the way this post is organized. You go into specific examples as to why Ruth May's perspective is interesting to read. It's really interesting that you discuss what she would have been like if she was not being raised by Nathan. I wonder what would have happened if Orleanna had been a single parent? Or if Nathan weren't a total tool bag? I wish that you had discussed the importance of having women and children as narrators, because I think that you would have had some interesting things to say about that.
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