Running Head: Poisonwood Bible: Leahs POV

Poisonwood Bible: Leahs POV Essay

Hunter R. Galindo
Biomedical Sciences
Period 3
West Career and Technical Academy

In Barbara Kingsolvers The Poisonwood Bible, the theme of freedom & captivity, and
love & betrayal is explored the most intimately and symbolically through the perspective of Leah

Running Head: Poisonwood Bible: Leahs POV

Price. Leahs intellectual and developing outlook on the situations that face both her family and
the people of the Congo allow each of these themes to be expressed in an amplified manner.
Within Leahs perspective, each component of the theme is defined through Leahs open and
developing character.
The theme of captivity from Leahs aspect is mainly conveyed through the one-sided
relationship she shares with Nathan, her father. Because Orleanna is so tightly bound to Nathan
(which in retrospect, keeps the rest of the family consequently tied to him as well) Leah has no
choice but to follow the demands and desires of her father, despite how that may affect her own
wants and needs; which, through obeying him so thoroughly, she begins to adapt as her own, and
its only until that bond is broken, does she begin to see her own faults in that, It has opened up
in my heart a sickening world of doubts and possibilities, where before I had only faith in my
father, and love for the Lord, (Kingsolver, 1998). Her relationship with her father is unique as
Nathans commanding force makes the rest of the family adapt to his own goals, but Leah is the
only one who truly embraces following in her fathers footsteps, as she fears falling into her
mothers weak and submissive role in any aspect of her life. At this stage in her life, Leah has
become so wrapped up in her fathers outlook on life, shes not entirely sure who to turn to when
she finally breaks free, almost like Methuselah and Orleanna in a sense when those binds finally
break, I grew up with my teeth clamped on a faith in the big white man in power - God, the
President, I dont care who he is, hed serve justice! (Kingsolver, 1998).
The theme of freedom is expressed through Leahs perspective by the tentative love she
shares with Anatole and through her loss of faith. After Leah falls from her fathers grace via
constant disagreements, she is subsequently freed from his hold, and she begins to open her eyes
to the injustices that are committed everyday in the Congo, regardless of the protection of any

Running Head: Poisonwood Bible: Leahs POV

religion, she begins to realize the pointlessness of praying to a God who wont listen, I felt the
breath of God go cold on my skin, (Kingsolver, 1998). The less time she spends away from
home (as in Nathans home), the more time she spends with Anatole, listening to him explain the
indecencies brought forth from other countries to the Congo. Whether itd be from stealing from
the people or their land directly, she loses faith in Gods ability to bring about justice. And when
her god fails to protect her and her family from the horrible natural disasters and other
devastating events, she begins to call upon her own inner strength to guide her through such
messes, I am the unmissionary, as Adah would say, beginning every day on my knees asking to
be converted, (Kingsolver, 1998).
The theme of betrayal is explored through Leahs ultimate loss of faith in her god, and in
turn the loss of faith in her father. Despite her constant praying and fierce belief that her god will
save her from all the injustices that her life is to bring, certain situations prove her wrong and
cause her to question her lifes beliefs and values, I want to live the right way and be
redeemed, (Kingsolver, 1998). Because Nathan was the one to ultimately instill such beliefs in
her from such an early age, she turns to him for answers when things dont play out as they were
meant to, but is met with stubborn reluctance on Nathans part. This in which only drives Leah
further from him, in response of not being satisfied with what he has to offer, Im going out
there to help Nelson, and Father can go straight to hell, ( Kingsolver, 1998). Through seeing
these injustices, Leah adapts Adahs belief that a god worth believing in would not mercilessly
ignore and abandon those who had no control as to their bringing into this world.
The theme of love is indicated through the deep regard Leah shows toward her father and
the love she begins to develop for Anatole. In the beginning of the storyline, Leah is solely
dedicated to earning the affection of her father, and the eternal love and protection of her god,

Running Head: Poisonwood Bible: Leahs POV

however, as the plot unravels, and she begins to gain perspective, the bond she shares with those
two begins to mean less and less to her, Id walked in [my fathers] footsteps my whole life,
(Kingsolver, 1998). Although the reader is able to distinguish that the relationship Leah shares
with her father is rather one-sided, she desperately chases after it, knowing itll give her some
kind of feedback that she is in fact doing everything right in Nathans eyes, I still like spending
time with my father more than I like doing anything else, (Kingsolver, 1998). As the novel
progresses and her outlook begins to shift, her love for Anatole slowly begins to replace the love
she felt for her father, her new love allows her once narrow perspective to expand into the
openness she now finds herself unable to ignore the world around her. Its through Leahs
perspective and plentiful insights, that these four themes are allowed to be fully explored and
expressed thoroughly.

References

Kingsolver, B. (1998). The Poisonwood Bible (p. 452). NY: HarperCollins.