The Voice of a Child

The Poisonwood Bible is by far the most engaging and thought provoking book we have read in AP English this year.  By having the story narrated by more than one voice, a complexity and richness is achieved that is not possible when their is only one voice.  The fact that the narrators are all women and children is unique.  It is very uncommon to have a story told without the voice of at least one man coming through.  By having the wife and daughters of Nathan Price telling the story, readers get an honest look on the nature of Nathan Price.  Of all of the daughters and the wife narrations, my favorite is Ruth May Price because of her honesty and how her perception of the world and her father differs than her mother and sisters as a result of her young age.

Children rely on those around them to find truth in the world Ruth May Price is no exception.  As a five year old, Ruth May's perception of the world is often simplistic.  At the beginning of the first section of her narration, Ruth May discusses the concepts of blackness and whiteness and why they exist.  She starts it out with "God says the Africans are the Tribes of Ham" (20) and then goes on to tell the story of Noah and Ham and concludes with "that's how come they turn out dark".   In the same passage she goes on to talk about what her Sunday school teacher told her about Africans and how they would boil white people up in a pot.  These are examples of how they ideas of the people around her shaped her views.  However, she also says "so I don't know" (21) in reference to the boiling in the pot idea which shows the beginning of an individual thought process.  In another section, Ruth May is questioning how someone could be hungry if they have a bug fat belly, but she then justifies it with "I reckon that's what they get for being the Tribes of Ham" (50).  Again this shows a start of an individual thought process but she is still relying on the information she has received from others to find reason   The language she uses is so simple and colloquial which makes it fun to read in contrast to other books that are more complex and confusing.

In addition to reflecting the opinions around her as a way to form her own opinions, I also like the pure curiosity and adventurous nature of Ruth May (at least in the beginning part of the book).  The curiosity of a child is incredibly fun to read about and feel like one can remember what it was like to be a child.  After Ruth May had been spying on African Communist Boy Scouts from a tree top her mother was very concerned about her safety.  Ruth May says that "every day Mama said, You're going to crack your head wide open, but no sir.  I broke my arm instead" (116).  This made me laugh. There is no hint of concern in her voice.  If anything she seems rather proud that she proved her mother to be wrong.  This playful nature is unique to children and is not often captured in complex literature.  Another example of Ruth May's curiosity is when she "tried to see Nelson naked" (151). Most adults and older children know that trying to see someone is not only creepy but is also socially unacceptable.  However, in her five-year-old mind Ruth May was simply curious about what a boy looked like naked.  Her curiosity and adventurous nature is the driving force behind her narrative and is fun to read in contrast to the others.

The voices of women and children are so often lost in biblical and religious literature.  Male preachers are the voices most commonly heard.  Due to the fact that the female voices are so often lost, many people just assume that they believe the same ideas that their husbands or fathers are preaching.  However, this is not the case in The Poisonwood Bible.  It becomes evident very quickly that the women, especially Orleanna Price, the mother, have very different ideas than Nathan.  Reading about how they feel trapped and helpless is intriguing and heartbreaking.  When Nathan refuses to leave Africa because he believes it is his duty, Orleanna is devastated.  This indicates that she does not buy into the crap her husband is preaching.  The narration by the women allows readers to feel for them and become invested in their anguish.  It is genius.