The Poisonwood Bible

Introduction

The Poisonwood Bible to be Barbara Kingsolver's most ambitious and meaningful work. The book's narrative develops out of Kingsolver's conviction that life is political on all levels. The paper discusses Nathan Price's character in the novel (Demory, 181).

Analysis

Nathan price is a stock character. Throughout the novel, he displays his disapproval for his wife, daughters, and the Congo. Nathan Price does not agree or support anyone or anything that does not fall under his strict order, or what he believes to be God's Law. Nathan often portrays God's will on ideas or things that will in the end work out for his own good. He appears to be a Baptist preacher who works only for the good of God, but in reality, he is selfishly working to secure his own soul. Nathan resents his wife and daughters along with the people of the Congo because he feels as if they interfere with his final slate and orderly rule (Koza, 295).

Nathan Price is also one of the antagonists. His strict order often causes conflict in the girls' lives and in the lives of those who reside in the Congo. His demeanor often causes his wife and kids to feel as if they should live on edge and alert of his ever-ready temper. In the novel, Nathan Price causes conflict by stubbornly trying to enforce Christianity on the people of the Congo. Nathan never considers the difference in cultures and is completely set in his ways. Christianity is not welcomed as warmly as Nathan would have liked by the people of the Congo and their leader Tata Ndu. This causes an immediate growing conflict throughout the novel.

Nathan causes conflict again in the lives of his family. By causing his family to feel as if they are walking on thin ice and by never showing any sign of love and emotion towards them, he is forming a widening rift between himself and his family. The girls commonly refer to him as Reverend which puts his role as a father on a less personal level. Nathan makes it clear that his wife and kids will never live up to his high standards or those standards he claims God sets for all. By doing this his family slowly pushes him away from them and resents him even more.

The character Nathan Price is an overly zealous missionary from Georgia who arrives in a small village in ...