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The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible. Book 4. Mobutu. “A rook who would be king.” Connection to CIA Truth comes out 15 years later (1975) Lumumba threatened the world CIA wanted/needed a replacement Lumumba is beaten savagely- dies “Oh, it’s a fine and useless enterprise, trying to fix destiny” (324).

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The Poisonwood Bible

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  1. The Poisonwood Bible Book 4

  2. Mobutu • “A rook who would be king.” • Connection to CIA • Truth comes out 15 years later (1975) • Lumumba threatened the world • CIA wanted/needed a replacement • Lumumba is beaten savagely- dies • “Oh, it’s a fine and useless enterprise, trying to fix destiny” (324).

  3. What we lost • “Each bad thing causes something worse” (327). • Nathan forces a vote for Christ; Christ loses. • Result: Nathan’s perception of the “pitiful country…children dying…poverty.” • Tata Ndu • Knows the history, the place, the people • Knows the strength of Congolese comes without/despite white men

  4. Village Hunt • Village Hunt • Create a ring of fire to trap animals • Leah is allowed to accompany the men (unheard of before) • Irony: the same people who voted down Christ, vote for Leah • Serves as a warning to Tata Ndu= the people have chosen to make change. • Leah kills a young impala/ others (Tata Ndu’s son) claim they did it

  5. Seeing the Hunt • Adah • Sees Tata Ndu’s anger • Watches the hunt with anticipation- what will come? • Sees the happiness that death brings the people: “The death of something living is the price of our own survival, and we pay it again and again” (347) • Rachel • Too awful to watch the hunt • Wants food without the consequences • Tries to wash herself clean • Equates humans to animals

  6. What should have been the best was the worst • “Eyes watched us from the trees…” (353). • Snake • Nelson sees a snake outside the chicken house: “There was some dark thing out there watching us from the forest and coiling up” (357). • Tool of the witch doctor? • Tata Kuvudundu (“single dancer with six toes”) • Threatened the family • Placed the snake in the family’s way

  7. Ruth May’s Death • Bitten by a snake • Adah recites Dickinson poem, “Because I could not stop for death…” • Orleanna “behaves as if someone else had already told her” (368) • Did she know/anticipate she’d lose a child? • She seems prepared • Ultimate irony: Ruth May dies without being baptized

  8. Baptism • Cleansing: Orleanna washes Ruth May • She sings to RM like a baby • Everyone watches Orleanna’s love for Ruth May and sees her favoritism • Ruth May’s death equalizes Orleanna with the Congolese women (370). • Orleanna gives everything away- she’s done

  9. The Storm • Needed to end the drought • Symbolically comes after Ruth May’s death • Nathan takes the opportunity to baptize Ruth May and all the other children of Kilanga

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