Exile In Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible

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Edward Said once wrote “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift between a human being and a native place, between the self and it’s true home: its essential sadness cannot be surmounted,” however Said also stated exile can be “a potent, even enriching” experience. The Poisonwood Bible, a novel written by author,
Barbara Kingsolver, features a young girl, Leah Price, who experiences exile in both of these manners and is completely changed by her experience while living in the Congo as a missionary’s daughters. Leah Price is exiled from her father, her homeland, and her entire belief system, all of which she believed defined her as a young woman. Through this ostracism Leah develops her own sense of self and is able to grow into a self-sufficient woman, with her own world views. Kingsolver shows her reader how separation, even if forced, can help develop individuals and prepare them for their future. In being exiled from her father, Leah begins to develop her own thoughts and opinions about the world around her in place of mirroring her father’s belief system. This form of exile makes her life better by creating new opportunities to discover who she truly is. “‘Leah,’ he said, ‘who is the master of this house?’...’you are!’ she screamed at him” (Kingsolver 339). This moment is the final breaking point of Leah and Nathan’s relationship. The daughter who once Sterling2 adored her father and wanted nothing more than to please him, pushed to the place of pure hatred and blatant disobedience. After this moment Leah runs away and is able to participate in The Hunt against the will of many in their village, which is located in the Congo. The Hunt provided an opportunity for her to experience greater independence, as she learns to provide for her family and breaks traditional gender roles of the Congo. The reader can clearly see the official exile of Leah when Rachel states, “ He stated that Leah was a shameful and an inadequate vessel for God’s will, and that was why he would no longer even stoop to punishing her.” For Reverend Price disciplining his children is a biblical responsibility, “He who withholds the rod of discipline hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines and trains him diligently and appropriately with wisdom and love.” (Proverbs 13:24), so for him to give up correcting his child it is clear that he “had washed his hands of her moral education” (Kingsolver 356). This truly enriching exile continues through the rest of Leah's adult life. Even when her father crosses her mind, she is unaware of his well being, Leah says “I think about how he might be dead and I haven't heard yet” (Kingsolver 435). This form of exile brought about great growth for this Price daughter, enriching her life by allowing her to experience everything the world has to offer her and creating opportunities for her to grow into an independent young woman. .The closer the reader studies the relationship between Leah and Nathan, it is easy to see how their relationship mirrors the relationship that many christians
…show more content…
Exile can bring about some of the most difficult, yet most enriching and exciting changes in a person’s life. Barbara Kingsolver explores exile in her novel, The Poisonwood Bible, through Leah Price, the second price daughter. Leah is exiled from her father, her homeland, and her belief systems, which brings about many shifts in her character. Kingsolver uses exile in order to develop her characters from childhood to adulthood, much like in real life. Kingsolver mirrors the separation from a person's child like manner and the way they can no longer connect to who they were at that young age and early stage in a person’s life. The Poisonwood Bible features exile in Leah’s life in order to allow the reader to see how growing up and being
Sterling5
separated from childhood changes a person. Edward Said was correct in stating the exile is both
“enriching” and “alienating” as demonstrated in the life of Leah Price and her personal development. The unhealable rift between Leah and her past have shown how exile can drastically change a person’s entire

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