The Deep Roots of Colonization in The Poisonwood Bible.

In The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver explores the implications of colonial oppression on a colonized population. The story of the Price family serves as a potent political allegory for the broader effects of colonialism on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kingsolver uses the tool of allegory to explore broader political issues on a more personal level by giving the reader a direct, first-person insight into her characters’ point of view. This choice of narration is paramount to her message, giving the reader multiple lenses through which to view the events of the book. Each lens delves into colonial oppression in a unique way, allowing for the complexity of the topic to shine …show more content…
However, Africa resists its own exploitation. As Africa becomes increasingly crushed under colonial powers, resistance like Lumumba is bolstered. This is shown in the Price family after Ruth May’s death when the Price family break away from Nathan and flee, representing Africa’s struggle against oppression. These larger colonial power dynamics really come out in the ways that the characters who represent them are depicted, giving the reader further insight into large topics through symbolic characters. Kingsolver also uses a broad range of moral and ethical frameworks, showing that one isn’t definitively better than the other. Throughout the book, Orleanna wrestles with the moral implications of her complicity in her child’s death and the pain that Western powers have inflicted on the Congo. To try to herself she pleads, “What happened to us could have happened anywhere, to any mother,” displaying her deep seated guilt (Kingsolver 49). Orleanna symbolizes the populous of countries built by colonial enterprise, grappling with the weight of the responsibility for what was done in their name, and sometimes under their watch. “Most of us alive today didn’t participate in those decisions, but we do benefit materially from this history,” and have to