113 pages • 3 hours read
The Poisonwood Bible
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussions of religious discrimination, racism, ableism, and death.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. How does Kingsolver's choice to tell the story through five different female narrators affect your understanding of events in the Congo? Have you read other books that employ multiple narrators to similar effect (e.g., William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying)?
2. The novel begins with Orleanna Price addressing an unknown audience and describing her time in Africa. How does this frame narrative shape your expectations for the story that follows?
3. What role does guilt play in driving the actions of different characters throughout the novel? How do their varied responses to guilt influence their eventual fates?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Each of the Price daughters develops a distinct way of coping with cultural displacement. Which character's response most closely mirrors how you might handle being suddenly immersed in a completely foreign culture?
2. The novel explores various ways in which people maintain or lose their faith when confronted with tragedy. How have your own beliefs been challenged or transformed by difficult experiences?
3. Throughout the novel, the characters struggle with forgiveness—both of themselves and of others. Reflect on a time when you had to wrestle with forgiveness. How does your experience compare to Orleanna's journey?
4. How do you relate to the various ways in which the Price women define "home" by the end of the novel? What makes a place feel like home to you?
5. The novel explores how childhood experiences shape adult perspectives. Which aspects of your own upbringing have most influenced your worldview?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book's relevance to broader societal issues, cultural trends, and ethical dilemmas.
1. How does the novel's portrayal of external intervention in Africa’s affairs resonate with contemporary discussions about international aid and development?
2. The novel critiques both religious and political forms of colonialism. How do similar dynamics play out in today's world?
3. How do the novel's portrayals of race, privilege, and cultural understanding contribute to current conversations about these issues?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book's structure, characters, themes, and use of narrative techniques.
1. How does the symbolism of the poisonwood tree evolve throughout the novel? What does it reveal about Nathan Price's mission and its consequences?
2. Analyze Kingsolver’s use of language to differentiate between the narrators. How do their distinct voices contribute to a broader understanding of the novel’s events?
3. Consider the role of disability in the novel, particularly as demonstrated by Adah. How does her perspective challenge conventional narratives about ability and worth?
4. How does the concept of muntu (the force connecting all things) function as both a philosophical framework and a literary device?
5. Examine how the novel's structure mirrors its themes of transformation and change. How do the shifting narratives reflect the characters' evolving perspectives?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book's content and themes.
1. If you were to write an additional chapter from the perspective of one of the Congolese characters, whose voice would you choose, and why?
2. Imagine creating a museum exhibit about the Price family's time in the Congo. Which objects would you display to tell their story, and how would you arrange them?
3. If you could write a letter to any character in the novel, who would you choose? What would you tell them?
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