The Poisonwood Bible
PLOT:
A missionary family (the Price family) move from their hometown in the States to live in Kilanga, a village in the Congo, in order to deliver God's Word to the people. Nathan Price, the evangelist, is looked up to by te rest of the family. He runs the church and tries very hard to convert the African people to God's will, but ends up failing time and time again, even while preaching with a translator, Anatole. Political problems arise as Congo is fighting itself for independence. The parrot, Methuselah, gets kicked out of the house and later dies. Methuselah's death foreshadows more death and creates a time-change within the novel. Things get more tense as Reverend Price shows no affection for her girls or her wife. New aspects are gained from the Price family, and they show rebellion toward the master of the house. Anatole and Leah grow close. Army ants attack Kilanga. Adah starts feeling betrayed by Orleanna. Ruth May gets bit by a green mamba, which was planted by the local witch doctor. Reverend Price still shows no response and forces family to live in Kilanga, but Orleanna packs the bags and decides to leave because the Congo is too dangerous. Orleanna and Adah leave back to America. Leah stays in the Congo and marries Anatole. Rachel moves and marries many times throughout Africa and runs a hotel. Later, they all meet up once Leah has kids and Adah is a doctor. All of the girls remain forever changed from their experience in the Congo.
THEME:
The major theme of the story is betrayal. Betrayal plays its part throughout the novel in the sense that the Bible should be shared, but instead, Reverend Price managed to create destruction for his family. The kids and Orleanna feel betrayed by their father and even God Himself after the death of Ruth May. They constantly question why bad things happened to good people. "It's frightening when things you love appear suddenly changed from what you have always known"-Leah.
CHARACTERS:
Orleanna: the mother of the family who shares the point of view of a loving, caring person
Rachel: the drama queen who fixates on her appearance and social status. The eldest daughter.
Leah: one of the twins who spent her youth influenced by her father. She's a tomboy and very bright.
Adah: the other twin who overcomes her physical disability with her brilliance and wisdom
Ruth May: the baby of the family. Her death ends the Price family relationship with Nathan Price
Nathan: the pastor who tries to overcome his past in the infantry by walking with God. Stubborn and ill- tempered
Anatole: Leah's future husband. Very wise, accepting, and kind.
OTHER:
The language of the Congo has various meanings for the same words. Bangala could mean either poison-wood tree or precious. When "Tata Price" preached that "Tata Jesus is Bangala," the title of the novel was expressed, because Reverend Price was teaching that Jesus is basically poison; hence The Poisonwood Bible.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"Sometimes you just wanna lay down and look at the world sideways"-Ruth May. I found that perspective is extremely important in this novel. Since the story is told from many different points of view. With Ruth May's simplistic style of speaking along with the way she incorporates perspective through a "sideways" world and how different everything looks, this quote struck a chord with me.
Pride and Prejudice
PLOT:
Mrs. Bennet is obsessed with marrying off each and every one of her 5 daughters. Mr. Bingley, who is wealthy, is in town. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy go to a ball where the Bennet sisters go as well. Jane hits it off with Mr. Bingley, but Mr. Darcy indirectly insults Elizabeth, the second eldest. Mr. Darcy comes off as proud and egotistical. Jane gets sick from traveling to Bingley's house; so she stays there. Elizabeth visits her and meets Mr. Darcy again. They still dislike each other. Miss Bingley tries to get with Mr. Darcy constantly because he is apparently wealthy. Mr. Collins, the man who will inherit the Bennet household comes in and tries to marry one of the Bennet girls. He is annoying. Wickham comes into the story and states that Mr. Darcy is selfish and jealous. Elizabeth likes Wickham; plus, he is an officer who is charming. Later, Mr. Darcy has Mr. Bingley leave because Jane seems to not love Bingley as he does for her, even though she is just shy. Jane moves to London to try to find Bingley. Charlotte, Elizabeth's best friend marries Mr. Collins for her own reasons. Elizabeth visits Charlotte, which ultimately ends up in her visiting Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who is Darcy's aunt. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth which she rejects. She still dislikes him even though he loves her. He writes Elizabeth a letter which clears his reputation. Lydia runs away with Wickham. Darcy ends up returning Lydia and paying Wickham's requested annual income for marrying Lydia, which restores the Bennet family's reputation. Elizabeth's feelings for Darcy change, while Darcy's feelings for her remain unchanged. Darcy and Bingley return to the are in which the Bennets live. Bingley marries Jane, and Darcy marries Elizabeth.
THEME:
Love is one of the central themes. It is a standard love story where love conquers all trials that stand between both Darcy and Elizabeth and Bingley and Jane.
Reputation is another theme, because the class system was very important during that era. When Lydia also ran away with Wickham, the reputation of the Bennet family was on the line, which made the family very serious about the events that followed.
The last theme is the line, "don't judge a book by its cover." Pride and Prejudice is a love story in which two characters misjudge each other from the start but ultimately fall in love after discovering their true personalities.
CHARACTERS:
Mrs. Bennet: crazy mom who only wants to see her daughters married
Mr. Bennet: detached father who loves his daughters but thinks his wife is somewhat annoying and overly obsessed
Jane: the eldest and most beautiful of the Bennet sisters who is shy and marries Bingley
Elizabeth: the second eldest and most beautiful, who is witty and may be quick to judge. Marries Darcy
Lydia: the youngest and most immature and gossipy who marries Wickham
Darcy: a forward, honest, yet serious gentleman who says what he thinks. He is extremely high-class
Bingley: an easy-going, generous, and wealthy gentleman
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever"-Darcy. I liked this quote because it sounded very cool to me as I read it. Being a part of the romantic climax of the novel, this line displayed how Darcy was still madly in love with Elizabeth, yet he was willing to admit that he would have been willing to leave her alone if she so desired.
Essays of Michel de Montaigne
OVERVIEW:
This is a huge grouping of essays written by a French Renaissance essayist. He displays many of his views on life. It is a translated piece and is therefore very difficult to understand or comprehend. The essays show a type of philosophy in which Montaigne analyzed through his many years of experience and deep thought the many universal truths that are held within the world. Traits, characteristics, people in general, and any other thought that crossed his mind proved to be capable of an essay topic. I have two favorite quotes from him. "There is no desire more natural than that of knowledge. We try all ways that can lead us to it; where reason is wanting, we therein employ experience." This quote shares Montaigne's train of thought, and like all of his pieces, universal truth is found within every line. "What do I know?" is my next favorite quote, because it poses a question only a philosopher like Montaigne would ask. After writing countless essays on sleep, idleness, experience, lies, etc., he still contains a sense of modesty and humility within all pieces of his writing that the credit for his thoughts should almost not even be granted to him. Although I found it extremely difficult to understand much of his writing, I enjoyed the many hidden gems that he had to offer.
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