Similar Setting, Different Perspective

A setting plays a part in the foundation of a story, it often influences if not directly causes many key events in a novel. The Poisonwood Bible, Things Fall Apart, and Heart of Darkness are all set in Africa. Similarly to Things Fall Apart, The Poisonwood Bible holds accurate and somewhat similar descriptions of the landscape. However, the view of it is closer to the view in Heart of Darkness as the Price family seems to think it is a personified menace in the same way Marlow viewed the jungle.

Many of the descriptions of Africa in The Poisonwood Bible are alike if not parallel those in Things Fall Apart. Kingsolver has clearly put extensive research into the climate and natural species of the Congo, as she is able to include correct descriptions of the environment in her novel. She mentions events such as the unpredictable rains that also occurred in Things Fall Apart. She also describes what plants can or cannot grow in the Congo, and how people are able to live off those that do grow. Her description of Africa is precise and shows what the Prices would most likely actually experience in the Congo.

Despite the accuracy in the description, the characters’ reception to Africa is similar to that of Marlow’s in Heart of Darkness. When Nathan’s garden is ruined by the waters, they do not view it as their own fault but of the menace of Africa. Also similar to Marlow, they tend to only relate to Africans who have adopted European language and customs. The only African characters they seem to actually connect with beyond Ruth May’s occasional playmate are Anatole and Nelson, both of whom have received education in English. For Marlow, the first time he began to view Africans as people was when he met his helmsman.

Kingsolver’s inclusion of animals and animal characters also in a way mimics the relationship the Price family has with the people living in the Congo. Methuselah was already in the Congo and had been taught English by the former missionary. However, despite his knowing English, the Price’s were never able to connect with the bird and found it an annoyance, eventually trying to get rid of it. This in a way relates to how despite teaching the Africans to speak English or French they will still hold their own ideas and won’t have to fully take up European culture.

The Poisonwood Bible holds accuracy in describing the setting, but the characters still hold bias in their view of their surroundings. They tend to find all actions of Africans or of the climate purposely sinful, especially upon their first arrival. By creating a rift in their relationships with even the animals around them Kingsolver sets up the difficulties the Prices have in connecting to and understanding the culture and environment around them.