The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel that explores themes of colonialism, religion, family, and personal identity. Set in the Congo during the tumultuous period of decolonization, the novel follows the experiences of the Price family, a missionary family from the United States, as they confront the challenges of living and working in a foreign country.
Socratic seminars are a popular teaching method that involve students discussing a text through a series of open-ended and thought-provoking questions. Here are some potential Socratic seminar questions for a discussion of The Poisonwood Bible:
How does the novel portray the relationship between the colonizers and the colonized? What themes does the novel explore in this regard?
How does the novel explore the theme of religion and faith? How do the different characters in the novel express their faith, and how does their faith shape their actions and decisions?
How do the experiences of the Price family in the Congo challenge their assumptions and beliefs about themselves and the world? How do their experiences change them over the course of the novel?
How does the novel explore the theme of family dynamics and relationships? How do the different members of the Price family interact with each other, and how do their relationships evolve over the course of the novel?
How does the novel use the perspective of the different narrators to explore its themes and to tell its story? What insights do the different narrators provide, and how do their perspectives contribute to the overall narrative?
How does the setting of the Congo play a role in the novel's themes and story? How does the political and social context of the Congo shape the experiences of the characters and the conflicts they face?
How does the novel use symbolism and imagery to explore its themes and to convey its message? How do the various symbols and images in the novel contribute to the overall meaning and impact of the novel?
These are just a few potential Socratic seminar questions for a discussion of The Poisonwood Bible. Other possible questions could focus on the themes of power and control, cultural differences, and personal responsibility, among others.
The Poisonwood Bible Discussion Questions & Review
Were you surprised that he wanted Rachel for one of his wives given the tension between blacks and whites? The worldwide view at that time that Africans were poor savages like the cartoons with the cannibals! Into that cabinet I stuffed notes, clippings, photographs, character sketches, plot ideas, anything that struck me as relevant to the huge novel I wished I could write. Everything has a price. Ok, here goes… Story Recap In Books 1 and 2, we meet the Price Family: father Nathan, mother Orleanna and their 4 daughters, Rachel, Leah, Adah and Ruth May. What message do you think Barbara Kingsolver is trying to teach us with this part of the story? Maybe we can set up a day time Twitter chat so we can discuss it live when we are done. Desire also leads to reward-based learning. Just announced: our Foodie February 2015 event. Is he the right person to preach to the Congolese? I had the same wrestle with myself of laying the book aside at first and now picking it up again and forging ahead and into its world.
Mountains Beyond Mountains and Poisonwood Bible Socratic Seminar Notes
He is self-made and prosperous who could lose a few farmers as he is prosperous. I was such a tomboy, I did ballet for like a week. Slipping into secret religious ceremonies. If I were going to live somewhere like the Congo for a year, it would be hard to pick just one! Along with these nationalities come cultures. Are they in love or is their marriage more a business arrangement? I wish we were in the same room too. I identify as a Christian, and I enjoyed this book very much. What I am enjoying most so far is getting to know about life in the Congo.
Poisonwood Bible Discussion Questions for Readalong Week 1
Kingsolver shows the price these women paid to find their selves in the world through the neglecting of Nathan and the consequences of his decision. The cultures around the world are so unique and each and every one of them is very different yet very alike all at the same time. The beauty of a Socratic seminar is that everyone has a voice. The beginning was still tough for me to get through. It might sound naive.
She is surprised to learn this, his view of her, and as a reader it took me a bit by surprise, but I think it is apt. There is a never-ending mound of questions that can be used to compare and contrast culture to culture, but the fact that there are so many connections in the midst, humanity should simply practice and preach multiculturalism and assimilation. In the 90s it was still ruled by Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator the US had helped to install 30 years earlier, and because I'd publicly spoken against him, I was not allowed into the country. She fought to keep them together through the toughest of situations dealing with an overzealous husband, Nathan, in a land where survival was physically demanding and difficult. . .
I loved Brother Fowles, now this is what I think a missionary should be like. I looked at it as one giant time capsule. Grace is not my strong suit! He is fed and taken care of by his masters; he does not have to fend for himself, losing the primal instinct and simple ability to do so. An example of this was when I gave my claim that fitting into society can seem like a form of happiness but is not. Share some of your favorite quotes from this book.
There is just SO much here — I could talk about it for hours — wish we were sitting in the same room together! The parrot is kept in a cage for the majority of his life. Integrity is the quality of having strong moral pronciples. But I do know that if I were them, I would have left when the Underdowns suggested it! As with many good plays, The Crucible has many timeless facets, which Miller has incorporated, and these can give us valuable insight into many of our own Arthur Miller: Reading Response Journal: The Crucible 1121 Words 5 Pages 1. She poses questions of right and wrong of topics discussed today. What do we learn about cultural, social, religious, and other differences between Africa and America? The girls make hope chests. Psychologists and educators often use purposeful questions to help people connect the dots between ideas they already know, are capable of deducing, or simply need to clarify.
The family has quite a culture shock when they arrive in the Congo. Discuss the structure of this novel in these terms. I can practically feel myself standing at attention when I see Orleanna or Adah narrating a section!. Will it make their condition better or worse? Especially in the Congo. There are on hundred twenty-two. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it — from garden seeds to Scripture — is calamitously transformed on African soil.
Mountains Beyond Mountains and Poisonwood Bible Socratic...
What causes Proctor to change his mind and not confess? I hope you find a post that resonates with you and helps you celebrate the small victories in your life. Talk about a super short discussion that will at best end in crickets and at the worst end in a heated argument! It certainly is a great warning for well intentioned, missionaries who do not understand the culture they are approaching. Eeben Axelroot: friend or foe? Those trips were no place for a child, believe me. It's a big, wide world. Why was he kicked out from the mission program? While there he finds love and makes some new friends but at the same time makes some new enemies. Literary Analysis Essay On The Crucible 630 Words 3 Pages Shawn Jande Ms. Did you have one or make one? The story of the CIA-backed coup in the Congo in 1960 struck me as the heart of darkness in a nutshell.
