The problem with little white girls (and boys)

[Zorra]

30. Good advice. I recommend reading Barbara Kingsolver's novel, "The Poisonwood Bible" in

order to get free lesson through storytelling on this subject. It's a great read, and drives home the complications of cultural differences, misunderstandings, and the ignorance often displayed by elitist imperialists. It was a finalist for a Pulitzer in fiction.

The Price family packs up their belongings and heads to the airport to begin their flight to the Congo, where they are going to spend a majority of their lives as the family of a missionary. However, upon reaching the airport bag check, they are informed that they cannot take all of their belongings. This the first problem of many the Price family will face in the Congo.

Since the Congolese villagers are seen through the eyes of the growing daughters, the view changes. At first, they appear as ridiculous savages. But as the girls mature, the villagers become fully fleshed-out human beings, immersed in a complex and sophisticated culture. Nathan's lack of responsiveness to this culture wears out his family's welcome, but he refuses to leave. Only after a series of misfortunes—culminating in the death of Ruth May—do the women leave Nathan Price to his folly.

The Price girls and Nathan attend a church service for the first time in Kilanga and they realize how different their culture is from one another: Leah helps her dad plant a "demonstration garden" and it immediately gets discouragements and criticism for Mama Tataba, a local who has become engaged as a live-in helper for the family. Nathan tries to hold an impromptu Easter celebration in hopes of baptizing an abundant amount of Congolese people, but he is not successful in baptizing even one, as the river along the village is infested with crocodiles. Leah and Adah begin to spy on Eeben Axelroot, the pilot who conveyed the family to Kilanga, and Nathan is trying to convince men one by one to conversion, and all the while Ruth May makes friends with the village children. Ruth May finds out about Axelroot's business with the diamonds after breaking her arm. After Mama Tataba's leave, a villiage child named Nelson is sent to help the Price family, and Nathan and Leah go to Leopoldville(present day Kinshasa) to witness what is going on with the independence in the Congo. Methuselah(a parrot the Prices adopted from the previous missionary) dies and Adah finds his feathers. Ruth May becomes very sick and lies in bed for the majority of the day. Leah and Anatole begin to spend a lot of time together and discuss a lot of things about justice and the Congo. Leah Price wants to participate in the hunt but it upsets the village elders even though it goes against their tribal customs, but she eventually is allowed to participate and even hunts an antelope.

The girls all gather together in the morning to check out the chicken coop. Inside they find footprints and a green mamba snake. A scream and gasp is heard from Ruth May who has been bitten by the snake. The girls watch her turn cold and blue before she passes away. Orleanna becomes filled with guilt over Ruth May's death. The rest of the sisters in the Price family go through many different life changes: Adah dedicates herself to getting an education back home focusing on her disease and sciences; Leah marries Anatole and they start a family together; Rachel still remains very self-centered but has married; Nathan dies in his unsuccessful mission.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Poisonwood_Bible