I am really enjoying reading The Poisonwood Bible. The writing is amazing. I love how much Kingsolver changes her writing to create a distinct tone for each narrator. The characters are relatable and it's refreshing to have a book with strong female voices. Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart were interesting reads, but they left a lot to desire when it came to strong female characters (or even female characters who speak). The fact that this book is written completely from the perspectives of different women is really interesting to read.
I find Leah's narrative to be the most interesting to read. First of all, I think she's a really interesting character who undergoes an extremely drastic transformation. I like that she's a tomboy who hates indoor chores. I can definitely relate to that. Leah also strives to gain her father's approval and keeps trying to please him after repeatedly failing. (I'm pretty sure it would be impossible to make Nathan Price happy). She plays the part of the dutiful daughter until she realizes that her dad is kind of full of crap and she totally disobeys him. Leah is intelligent, has a strong will, and doesn't really care what others think of her. I also think it's hilarious that their neighbors refer to her as a male sex organ. Leah's chapters contain a lot of nature description and show how optimistic she is.
Leah's views on the world and her family have changed the most drastically throughout the novel so far, and it has been a really interesting journey to witness. Leah has also grown closer to the natives than most of her other family members. Nathan isn't really getting anywhere with the Congolese, but Leah has grown very close to Anatole, and even teaches at his school. Leah's sense of adventure and justice keep the plot moving.
As always, I love your slightly sarcastic tone that comes through your writing. I agree that it is really awesome how the author works to change the style of her writing for each character. It is super difficult to do that well. I love how you discuss the character Leah through the way her perception of her dad changes throughout the novel. However, it would be beneficial for you to include a bit more explanation for your ideas and probably discuss in more detail why exactly you think it is so important to have the voices of the women (because of course it is so important but why ?" Overall nice job.
ReplyDeleteI also really love your tone, which always adds some humor to your commentary. I agree that TPB is really refreshingly female, especially compared to the other two books we've read. I would be interested to know how you feel about the use of children's narratives though! I also love that you talk about how you relate to Leah, and I love the way you talk about her journey throughout the book so far. She really does grow a lot and change, especially in relation to her father, and I like the way you talk about it. How do you think her narrative is different from her sisters'? This is a great post; your content is great and I like your organization, where you talk about the book as a whole and then get into more detail. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your tone! It brings a more realistic view to how and why you love Leah so much. I would have liked some quotes and stronger textual evidence, though, to further strengthen your point. In which scenes did she start to go against her father, and what did she say when she started to have feelings for Anatole? You bring up a lot of very good points in a very fun-to-read way, and some quotes would really add to that. Awesome job!
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