In the novels Things Fall Apart and The Poisonwood Bible, the perspectives are extremely different. One is from an African perspective of living and seeing the white people come. The other is white women adjusting to living in Africa. No matter the differences, there is one striking similarity. Both main male characters in the novel behave the same and are sexist against women despite being from two different places.
Nathan Price and Okonkwo are quite similar men, despite obvious differences. Nathan is white and Okonkwo is black. Nathan has one wife and Okonkwo has many. Nathan is Christian, and Okonkwo is not. But besides those differences there are more similarities. Both have short, fiery tempers. They always snap at those around them angrily. They both are extmely passionate about what they believe in. They are very confident in being strong enough to be well known in their communities, whether that be physically or otherwise. They don't always have their families best interests at heart (Okonkwo kills a boy who calls him father and Nathan won't Baptize Ruth May by herself, it has to be ceremoniously). And lastly, they both beat their wives and children.
I think Nathan feels so strongly about women attributes being wrong for the same reason Okonkwo does. He thinks it shows weakness. But more than that, because he's a hard core crazy type Christian, he probably believes women are the devil sex because Eve was the one who convinced Adam to eat Forbidden Fruit and get them banished from the Garden of Eden. He believes that just proves women are the weaker and more conniving sex. He thinks that women stray from God more and use their bodies promiscuously. He thinks they have weaker will power and less intelligence. He says an education is a waste on a girl, showing he does not believe they are capable of learning which makes them dumb.
Monday, May 15, 2017
The Men
Nathan and Okonkwo have many similarities and many differences. Both are male leaders in their families and have leadership roles in their communities. In addition, both men have similar views on women and their roles and value to society. However, they are members of very different communities and believe in different values causing them to have differing morals. When looking at Nathan, you can see that he is a very religious man who works as a minister and is father to four girls. He is the leader of his family and abides by the bible in all aspects of life. He is a Christian man with Christian values and beliefs that he stands by at all times. He has a monogamous relationship with his wife, Orleanna, and puts God above all else. In contrast, Okonkwo has a polygamous relationship with multiple women and has children with all of them. He does not practice any specific religion but does follow tribal customs and beliefs. His main focus in life is to make sure he is in a position of power and that he is seen as a manly individual that is strong and feared by those under him. Both men wish to be in a position of power, however, it is through a different context.
Due to their struggle for power, both men deal with this differently but manage to take their anger and issues out on others. Okonkwo wants all power and masculinity placed on him so he does whatever necessary to make it happen, even killing his son himself. In Nathan's case, he just gets angry and the people living in the Congo that aren't listening to him and also at his family for their lack of support that he feels. Both men blame others for their own issues and insecurities, however, they take them to different heights and express their feelings in different manners.
In regards to femininity and women, both men feel threatened and dislike these topics. In Okonkwo's case, he has multiple wives and children that he expects to feed him and do the household chores yet he doesn't give them the respect and appreciation that they deserve. Instead, he abuses his wives and children and criticizes their actions when they don't comply with what he wants. Often viewing them as helpless creatures, Okonkwo does not see the value and strength of women and often states that he wishes his female children could have been male. From Nathan's perspective, things are quite similar. He has four daughters and a wife that he lives with and he treats them as if they are his property rather than his family. He expects them to do as he says and believe in what he believes in and will not tolerate and discrepancies to his order of things. He is a man that values other men and views women as mothers that cook and clean all day. He finds women to be foolish and dependent on men. Their power and drive intimidates Nathan and he treats women as lesser individuals in an attempt to make them less confident and make himself more powerful.
Nathan Price feels so strongly about feminine attributes being "wrong" because they make women seem powerful and strong which is how men should be characterized. Nathan is a traditional Christian man that does not see the value of women and follows the Bible at all times. If women are not discussed positively in the Bible, Nathan will not see them as such. Also, femininity threatens Nathan simply because he is the only male in his home. If women are deemed more powerful, he is all alone in his own home where he feels he should be the dominating leader.
Due to their struggle for power, both men deal with this differently but manage to take their anger and issues out on others. Okonkwo wants all power and masculinity placed on him so he does whatever necessary to make it happen, even killing his son himself. In Nathan's case, he just gets angry and the people living in the Congo that aren't listening to him and also at his family for their lack of support that he feels. Both men blame others for their own issues and insecurities, however, they take them to different heights and express their feelings in different manners.
In regards to femininity and women, both men feel threatened and dislike these topics. In Okonkwo's case, he has multiple wives and children that he expects to feed him and do the household chores yet he doesn't give them the respect and appreciation that they deserve. Instead, he abuses his wives and children and criticizes their actions when they don't comply with what he wants. Often viewing them as helpless creatures, Okonkwo does not see the value and strength of women and often states that he wishes his female children could have been male. From Nathan's perspective, things are quite similar. He has four daughters and a wife that he lives with and he treats them as if they are his property rather than his family. He expects them to do as he says and believe in what he believes in and will not tolerate and discrepancies to his order of things. He is a man that values other men and views women as mothers that cook and clean all day. He finds women to be foolish and dependent on men. Their power and drive intimidates Nathan and he treats women as lesser individuals in an attempt to make them less confident and make himself more powerful.
Nathan Price feels so strongly about feminine attributes being "wrong" because they make women seem powerful and strong which is how men should be characterized. Nathan is a traditional Christian man that does not see the value of women and follows the Bible at all times. If women are not discussed positively in the Bible, Nathan will not see them as such. Also, femininity threatens Nathan simply because he is the only male in his home. If women are deemed more powerful, he is all alone in his own home where he feels he should be the dominating leader.
Nathan, Okonkwo, and Women
Nathan and Okonkwo are both very masculine men, driven by insecurity and influenced by society. Both men are compelled to action by situations in their lives that made them feel weak or out of control. Nathan Price was coincidentally spared from a situation in World War II where he surely would have died; as it is, he survived but has to live with the guilt of knowing that all of the other men were not as fortunate. This plagues him, pushing him to be demanding and to fight for the spread of his religion throughout the Congo -- he must resist failure of any kind, to make his life worth it in his own eyes and to deserve survival.
Okonkwo is in similar circumstances. His father was a weak and shameful man, constantly demonstrating physical and mental weakness. Okonkwo feels his father's shadow over him at all points in time, making him feel as if he too will become a failure. This insecurity of his own worth and power makes him constantly work hard to be a man of prestige and honor. He takes multiple wives and does not tolerate disobedience or insubordinance from his wives and children. He works to be a great farmer and warrior to gain social standing in his village. All of this is to avoid the humiliation and dishonor of being like his father, who was mocked and hated.
Okonkwo and Nathan are so insecure that they become madly driven to hypermasculinity, in order to prove (to themselves and others) that they are not weak or failures. They use the same methods through which they attempt to gain power. They try to take control of their wives, families, and villages through violence, in order to feel powerful and accomplished and to maintain their respective traditions and religions, because these things are ways for a person to feel in control. I don't see many differences between them; Okonkwo has some moments of softness, though not many. Both men are driven mad by their loss of control and tradition.
I think that the reason why Nathan (and Okonkwo) resist femininity is because it is seen to be weak. Because Nathan is so dogmatic, he surely believes the Bible's dictations that women are base, temptresses, unintelligent: meant for producing children and quite certainly not meant for expressing their opinions and being individuals. Especially because he has a wife and four daughters, and so is surrounded by women who could easily come together and undermine his authority, he feels that he must maintain total control in his household through violence and bullying. When his wife and daughters eventually abandon him, he is driven insane because he feels his total lack of control over his family, Africa, and his attempts at mass conversion.
Okonkwo is in similar circumstances. His father was a weak and shameful man, constantly demonstrating physical and mental weakness. Okonkwo feels his father's shadow over him at all points in time, making him feel as if he too will become a failure. This insecurity of his own worth and power makes him constantly work hard to be a man of prestige and honor. He takes multiple wives and does not tolerate disobedience or insubordinance from his wives and children. He works to be a great farmer and warrior to gain social standing in his village. All of this is to avoid the humiliation and dishonor of being like his father, who was mocked and hated.
Okonkwo and Nathan are so insecure that they become madly driven to hypermasculinity, in order to prove (to themselves and others) that they are not weak or failures. They use the same methods through which they attempt to gain power. They try to take control of their wives, families, and villages through violence, in order to feel powerful and accomplished and to maintain their respective traditions and religions, because these things are ways for a person to feel in control. I don't see many differences between them; Okonkwo has some moments of softness, though not many. Both men are driven mad by their loss of control and tradition.
I think that the reason why Nathan (and Okonkwo) resist femininity is because it is seen to be weak. Because Nathan is so dogmatic, he surely believes the Bible's dictations that women are base, temptresses, unintelligent: meant for producing children and quite certainly not meant for expressing their opinions and being individuals. Especially because he has a wife and four daughters, and so is surrounded by women who could easily come together and undermine his authority, he feels that he must maintain total control in his household through violence and bullying. When his wife and daughters eventually abandon him, he is driven insane because he feels his total lack of control over his family, Africa, and his attempts at mass conversion.
Friday, May 12, 2017
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.
Leah's Likeable Change
Having the novel be written from the perspectives of Orleanna or her children allowed for each character to be developed outside of another’s point of view, and gave a fuller understanding of the events of the story by providing varying accounts. As the novel progressed, I found myself liking Leah’s character the most. She showed one of the most dynamic changes in the novel, and seems to hold the least bias in her descriptions of her surroundings. Leah proved to be a very interesting character because of her rebellion against allowing people to make assumptions on who she is, and her change in the initial devotion to following her father.
Leah puts a lot of effort into making sure people distinguish her from Adah, and that they see her as not extremely feminine. She mentions that she asks to keep her hair short to always have a way to keep her different from Adah. She often gets paired with Adah, whether it be in learning, house chores, or in description as part of a set of twins. However, even then she separates herself in small ways such as not learning French because Adah already has or carrying all of the water herself and having Adah follow behind (and subsequently leave her to be eaten by lions according to Adah). Leah also often expresses her disdain of household chores and prefers those that let her be outside. She also almost purposefully doesn’t put much effort into her embroidery for her chest, as she doesn’t think she will get married and doesn’t find it important to be viewed as a traditionally feminine. This made her a very interesting character have a perspective from as she is unique from her siblings but has these inner conflicts that impact the way she thinks about situations.
When Leah is first introduced, her most striking characteristic is how she will follow everything Nathan says. Despite having the same upbringing and education as Adah, she does not hold the same cynicism. Because of this, she wasn’t been able to view her father from the perspective other than that of a child. She couldn’t yet grasp that even he can have flaws. She initially holds a very strong faith in God and has the same mindset as Nathan in that they are in the Congo to save everyone. Leah thinks that she can be the one to help save them. However, as she begins to comprehend the repeated failures of Nathan’s methods, and she sees the independence of ceremony and how the people living in the Congo are able to survive much better than the Prices can, she begins to lose her faith both in her father and God. It is interesting to see her development both in her passages and from the description of others.
Maybe one of the most interesting aspects about this book is that though the narration switches characters, it stays within Orleanna and the children. This is important because though they may have had some discussion with Nathan on their going to the Congo, it really was none of their choice. Also, by having it narrated by women and children the novel shows their importance throughout lives of the family, especially Oreleanna's struggle to provide food that her family will eat while not expressing this to them.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Perspective Changes Everything
By design, The Poisonwood Bible contrasts both Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness in various ways. The most obvious of which are the narrators, as discussed in the last blog post. Another difference is the portrayal of Africa, both as a political continent and a physical landscape. Heart of Darkness follows a white man's journey driven by a white man's quest. The view of Africa is very much from an outsider, with little description of the environment other than mysterious and unknown. Things Fall Apart does follow a native of Africa, but focuses on the people in the story rather than their surroundings. While forest is the setting of unholy people and deeds, such as twins, killing your adopted son, and practicing Christianity, the scene itself is not described. Rather, it is used as a catalyst for all that is bad and immoral in the world. For The Poisonwood Bible, the jungle represents far more than a insentient force or a backdrop for human activity. It is a living, breathing ecosystem with beautiful creatures and forms a complex web of plants and animals. Each being is described in detail, with significant aid from Kingsolver's background in biology.
In HoD, the people of Africa appear solely as scenery, no more humanized than animals. In TFA and TPB, these same people are described as real people, with human thoughts and faults. However, TFA and HoD decline to mention the true animals of Africa, the mongooses, mosquitoes, and snakes of the natural world. In TPB, animals are separate from both whites and natives, seen as observers and players in the events of humans. Through portraying animals as having minds of their own, Kingsolver makes sure that they do not get lumped into the same category as the natives, and vice versa, as both HoD and TFA do. Instead, they are an entirely separate entity with thoughts and feelings of their own, able to decipher the complex signals of humans and how to respond to such.
In HoD, the people of Africa appear solely as scenery, no more humanized than animals. In TFA and TPB, these same people are described as real people, with human thoughts and faults. However, TFA and HoD decline to mention the true animals of Africa, the mongooses, mosquitoes, and snakes of the natural world. In TPB, animals are separate from both whites and natives, seen as observers and players in the events of humans. Through portraying animals as having minds of their own, Kingsolver makes sure that they do not get lumped into the same category as the natives, and vice versa, as both HoD and TFA do. Instead, they are an entirely separate entity with thoughts and feelings of their own, able to decipher the complex signals of humans and how to respond to such.
Different in So Many Ways
Although The Poisonwood Bible, Things Fall Apart, and Heart of Darkness all take place in the same setting that is basically where their similarities end. Of the three novels, Heart of Darkness most severely distorts the portrayal in terms of fairness and accuracy. In contrast, Things Fall Apart includes so many aspects of African culture and little mention of white culture. This creates a bias in the other direction because it is solely an African perspective (not a bad thing), but it is still a bias that should be noted. Right in the middle is The Poisonwood Bible. Although white perspectives are heavily present there are strong African characters who actually have names and interests and personalities.
Heart of Darkness is brutal in terms of its descriptions of Africans and the opinions the characters within the story hold towards the Africans. The white people, including Marlow, describe the Africans as more animal than human. None of the African characters have names never mind any characteristics that would make them complex and distinctly human. The Africans in Heart of Darkness are more a part of the savage uncivilized landscape than actually humans. This contrasts greatly with Things Fall Apart.
In Things Fall Apart, the main voices are African. Okonkwo is a overwhelmingly powerful voice (for good or for bad). He has values and opinions about how people should act especially as it it differs between men and women. African culture and religion is discussed at length and is not portrayed to be barbaric or somehow inferior as it is in Heart of Darkness.
The Poisonwood Bible has the most complex depiction of the African people. Due to the fact that the book is narrated by a bunch of white women, there is some unavoidable bias. The daughters have been raised by a father who shoves the stories of the bible down their throats. The youngest believed the story that the Africans were the tribes of Ham and were being punished because of the missteps of their ancestor. Contrastingly, the girls develop friendships with the Africans. They learn words in their language and hear stories about traditions in their culture. Although there is a level of misunderstanding, it is is no way the same as the misunderstanding the occurs in Heart of Darkness. In Heart of Darkness the misunderstanding occurs because the white characters refuse to learn and admit that the Africans are actually people. In The Poisonwood Bible, they are trying to understand it is simply a matter of breaking through the shell of habit.
The inclusion/symbolism of animals portrays intercultural relationships. It forges a bond between the culture of the white people and the culture of the Africans. Although there are many disconnects between the cultures, they can come together over the importance and significance of certain animals.
Heart of Darkness is brutal in terms of its descriptions of Africans and the opinions the characters within the story hold towards the Africans. The white people, including Marlow, describe the Africans as more animal than human. None of the African characters have names never mind any characteristics that would make them complex and distinctly human. The Africans in Heart of Darkness are more a part of the savage uncivilized landscape than actually humans. This contrasts greatly with Things Fall Apart.
In Things Fall Apart, the main voices are African. Okonkwo is a overwhelmingly powerful voice (for good or for bad). He has values and opinions about how people should act especially as it it differs between men and women. African culture and religion is discussed at length and is not portrayed to be barbaric or somehow inferior as it is in Heart of Darkness.
The Poisonwood Bible has the most complex depiction of the African people. Due to the fact that the book is narrated by a bunch of white women, there is some unavoidable bias. The daughters have been raised by a father who shoves the stories of the bible down their throats. The youngest believed the story that the Africans were the tribes of Ham and were being punished because of the missteps of their ancestor. Contrastingly, the girls develop friendships with the Africans. They learn words in their language and hear stories about traditions in their culture. Although there is a level of misunderstanding, it is is no way the same as the misunderstanding the occurs in Heart of Darkness. In Heart of Darkness the misunderstanding occurs because the white characters refuse to learn and admit that the Africans are actually people. In The Poisonwood Bible, they are trying to understand it is simply a matter of breaking through the shell of habit.
The inclusion/symbolism of animals portrays intercultural relationships. It forges a bond between the culture of the white people and the culture of the Africans. Although there are many disconnects between the cultures, they can come together over the importance and significance of certain animals.
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