Faith in Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible

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Faith in Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible

Throughout the Poisonwood Bible, Kingsolver utilizes the experience of the Congo to enhance and rediscover the faith of three of the Price daughters. At the age of fifteen, Rachel, the Price's oldest child, reveals her true beliefs of her religion through her petulant remarks of the Congo. During her stay in Africa, Rachel only talks of possessions she left behind. Rachel misses items such as toilet paper and sets of clean clothes. She, however, doesn't mention the bible in the list of items she longs for. She believes that the only method of survival is not to adapt to the conditions and surroundings. Rachel states, "The way I see Africa, you don't have to like it but you sure have to admit it's out there. You have your way of thinking and it has its, and never the train ye shall meet!" (235). From this quote, it becomes apparent that the Congo highlights her views towards religion. As she grew up with her father, she was forced into a religion, as in their family the punishment the children had to follow through with was "the verse," where they were required to write out one hundred lines from the bible my memory. Rachel doesn't agree with the idea of faith, however she does not forget that it is there. She chooses to live a very superficial life in Congo, leaving behind the luxurious life in America as well as her religion.

Ruth May, at age five, is the youngest of the Price family and her religion is found in her inn...

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