The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver

Their presence in the novel and how the clan was affected depended on the missionaries themselves and the relationships they held with the clan. Mr. Brown for example, created a hospital and a school in Umuofia. Constantly he urged the clan to send their children to school to be educated, so that they may have the hope of being independent from the white man. Mr. Brown also managed to create peace and respect between the clan and the church, emphasizing the importance of tolerance, “And so Mr. Brown came to be respected even by the clan, because he trod softly on its faith” (Achebe 132). Religion was discussed openly between Mr. Brown and Akunna, one of the clan’s most respected members.

Self-acceptance and redemption are harder to achieve than forgiveness from others. When one feels redeemed, it means that they can be fully forgiven. Pip from Great Expectations is a great example of self-forgiveness and redemption because even after his family forgave him for the wrongs he committed, he still felt uneasy about himself until he cured himself of the disease he had: egocentricity. Richard Rodriguez’s character from his autobiography Hunger of Memory (however? ), has not displayed his self-realization because he is not aware that he has harmed people from his actions and because of that he has not matured.

As she describes them, the days when there was still room for laughter in her husband's evangelical calling, before her pregnancies embarrassed him, before he returned from World War II a different man, a man who planned ''to save more souls than had perished on the road from Bataan.'' Her husband, Nathan Price, had escaped those miseries simply by luck, and knowing it curled his heart ''like a piece of hard shoe leather.'' As her husband continually preaches the good Lord’s word, she is faced with what seems to her to be the more important burdens of life, survival and keeping her family safe and sane. She doesn’t appear to have nearly so strong of a religious background as her husband would have hoped for her, however, throughout the novel it is made quite clear that she is in fact a better person than her husband could have ever hoped to be. Her daughter, Leah, captures her mothers religion very well when she says, “my father wears his faith like the bronze breastplate of God's foot soldiers, while our mother's is more like a good cloth coat with a secondhand fit.''

Elie had felt that his father was a liability for his own survival and did not feel the need to weep over his death. Elie also states that he was “Free at last” showing that throughout the course of the novel Elie had thought as his father as pulling him back from survival. The reason for Elie feels this way is because Elie is still on his journey and his primary goal is to survive through the camps. Elie has become quite desperate through his journey of survival and searches the “recesses of my feeble conscience” for his most inner thoughts. Throughout the novel, Elie had been storing these thoughts in the back of mind.

The irony that is obvious is in the comment that, "…they should be a good influence on Christian right…but nearly all the Christian weddings attended have pregnant brides." (Kristof 27) Kristof expressed his opinion of the missionaries in Africa in a way that allows the reader to relate to what Kristof wrote. Every rhetorical appeal is visible in "God on Their Side." Through a laid-back writing style, Kristof supports the missionaries and their crusade to help, but he does not support their journey to spread their religion. The article "God on Their Side" by Nicholas D. Kristof was filled with good information and emotional appeals that teach the reader of the help that some people in Africa are receiving.

Nathan and the white colonists before him have given the indigenous people of Kalanga a negative connotation of the white skin. Leah realizes this and her objective for justice is fueled by this. She seeks her own personal vendetta to right this implication. Instead of believing the native of Africa create their own injustice she instead follows a mission to right the injustice her homeland implemented on the people. One way or another Leah has always focused on the justice of changing the Congolese mindset to one that she determines is righteous..

He was introduced to the value of education as a potent way of helping him assert his self-worth to become a church and community leader and to fight racism in the larger society. “King’s basis for his campaign of nonviolence originated in the highest type of love - love for people who hate you. King preached that the combination of agape (spiritual love) with nonviolent action would elicit change”(Walton 78). It is quite easy for me to think of a God of love mainly because I grew up in a family where love was central and where lovely relationships were ever present. It is quite easy for me to think of the universe as basically friend... ... middle of paper ... ... cowardice.

Brown draws strength from the admiration and reverence that he has for his family and spiritual teachers. His guide, Satan, begins to place doubt into the heart and soul of Brown’s spiritual foundation. He spe... ... middle of paper ... ...n taught and perceived to be faithful. The only problem is that his faith was not based on the right things. He drew strength from the people of his town, church, and his family, and his marriage.

Lucie’s endless dedication to her father is an example of how one person’s sacrifice can inspire life in another. Lucie is not the only one making sacrifices in their relationship though; as Dr. Manette recovered he made bold sacrifices for his daughter. For example, Jarvis Lowry, who was a friend of Dr. Manette, requested permission to destroy his beloved shoe-making tools. Dr. Manette was reluctant to give up the tools that were like a security blanket to him. Dr. Manette declared that, “in [Lucie’s] name, then, let it be done; I sanction it” (207).

As they exchange back and forth, it becomes clear that they are in agreement about the glorious afterlife that is in store for all that believe in God. They also share that they will pray for each other. This politeness and shared fa... ... middle of paper ... ...hing “bad” happened they found a way to rejoice in the suffering. The Puritan believers were selfish with sharing their faith. A plantation missionary stated that sharing the gospel to slaves would “promote our own mortality and religion.” However the gospel and religion the masters shared with their slaves did not remain the same.