The Poisonwood Bible Entry #2

Find at least two significant quotes from each chapter on pages 35-68 and respond to those quotes.

Chapter 5: Leah

"The tendon of his jaw was working, so I knew he was preparing a revelation.
The education of his family's souls is never far from my father's
thoughts. He often says he views himself as the captain of a sinking
mess of female minds" (36).
I think this quote is important because it shows, in some ways, how the Father views the women of his family. He does not seem to have a very high opinion of them, and in
some ways belittles anything they may say or want to accomplish. This book takes place in 1959 and maybe that is why the Father takes such a sexist position when it comes to his family of women, but I would think that being a strong evangelical Baptist, Nathan Price would show more respect for the women in his family.

"This is what I most admire about Father: no matter how bad things might get, he eventually will find the grace to compose himself. Some people find him overly
pecially--is a bit racist not having been exposed to "the African race". I think this racist point of view may cause some conflict later on in this story. Of course, I don't know if you can necessarily take everything Rachel says literally due to her critical view of the world around her, but we are able to get somewhat of a sense of how accustomed the Price family is to African people.

"I was sore at Father all right, for having to be there in the first place. But it
was plain to see he was put out, too, something fierce. When he gets
his mind set on something you'd just as well prepare to see it through"
(49).
This quote gives the reader insight on two subjects. The first, the fact that Rachel is very upset at her Father for dragging her to the dirty, African Congo. She may hold this against her Father,secretly, in the future. Secondly, this quote gives the reader insight on how her Father acts if a plan he has made is not executed in the way he expects it to. It is obvious that the Father is quite stubborn, and would like to deliver the "Word" to the Congo people in his way, and his way only.

Chapter 7: Ruth May

"Mama Tataba told Mama about it in the kitchen house and I was listening. They won't talk about the bad things in front of my sisters, but me I can listen all the livelong day while I'm getting me a banana in the kitchen house and peeling it" (51).
This quote shows the some of the Price family dynamic. It gives the reader insight on how Ruth May will know more information or "bad things" about the Congo then her sisters will, on account that her Mother and Mama Tataba will discuss different subjects in front of her. This quote also shows that the Mother of the Price family feels that her three oldest daughters may overreact if they hear some of the subjects her and Mama Tataba discuss privately.

"But Mama has this certain voice sometimes. Not exactly sassing back, but just about nearly....She calls him sir the way she calls us Sugar and Hon, trying to be nice. But still. If it was me talking back that way,he'd say, "That is a fine line you are walking on there, young lady."And he appeared to be fixing to say just such a thing to Mama. He was debating about it" (53).
This quote shows the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Price. It seems that when Mrs. Price gets really upset about something she has a sassy tone to her voice, which in return makes Mr. Price angry. In some ways, I think Mr. Price treats his wife the same way he treats his young daughters, or he would like to treat her that way. To me, they do not seem to have mutual respect for, or really love one another. Mr.Price belittles his wife, and Mrs. Price seems restless with the situation she is in.

Chapter 8: Adah

"'Sending a girl to college is like pouring water in your shoes,' he still loves to say, as often as possible. "It's hard to say which is worse, seeing it run out and waste the water, or seeing it hold in and wreck the shoes." And so I shall never have the opportunity to have my leather wrecked by college, but I do owe a great debt to MissLeep for saving me from the elementary discard heap" (56).
The "he" Adah refers to in this quote is her father, Mr. Price. This quote is significant because it confirms any suspicion the reader may have that Mr. Price is sexist and has not respect for the women in his family. Even though Adah and Leah are both very smart children, he will never give them the opportunity to pursue any type of career by attending college because he believe it is a waste to educate women. It
is clear in this passage that Adah wants to go to college, and maybe, in some ways resents her Father for speaking such words as this.

"This is our permanent order: Leah, Ruth May, Rachel, Adah. Neither chronological nor alphabetical but it rarely varies, unless Ruth May gets distracted and falls out of line" (62).
This quote is significant because it shows the dominance order between the four sisters. The order begins with Leah, the most outspoken, "Daddy's girl" daughter. Next, Ruth May, the baby follows probably because she does not want to get left behind. Rachel,the oldest, follows because she doesn't want her sisters to "find something good without her" (62). Adah is the last in this order of the sisters. She is the disabled twin and as she explains, drags her right side of her body behind her left. I think this "permanent order" is really a reflection of the dominance order in teh house among the girls.

Chapter 9: Leah

"We had already understood what was now dawning on my father: Methuselah could betray our secrets. I didn't say so, of course. I haven't contradicted on any subject, ever" (66).
In this quote, Leah is explaining how Methuselah, the African Parrot that lives with the Price family, can betray Price family secrets by repeating whatever she hears the family saying. This fact just begins to dawn on Mr.Price when he hears Methuselah say the word "Damn", which she must have learned from somebody in the household because she did not know that word when the Price family first arrived in Africa, Mr. Price is sure.This quote is said in the midst of Mr. Price's interrogation of his daughters as to who said the curse word, but all the girls stayed completely quiet. This quote also shows that Leah has so much faith, and in some ways fear, of her father that she would never contradict his decision or something he said.

"We all knew very well who'd been the one to yell that word Damn! She'd said it over
and over when she wept over the wreck of useless cake mixes. But none of us could let him in on that awful secret. Not even me--and I know I'm the one to turn my back on her the most" (68).
This quote is significant because it lets the reader into the "secret" of who spoke
the word Damn--Mrs.Price. This quote also explains how in some ways the four daughters try to protect their Mother from their Father's anger, and how even though they are a strong Baptist family many secrets are hidden between the daughters and Mother, and Mr. Price. I believe this quote is also important because Leah admits to the reader that she is the daughter who turns her back on her mother the most because she loves to spend time with her Father. I think this conflict between Leah
and her mother will cause some conflict in the future.