Annotating novels has never been my favorite thing, but I told myself this time i would really try. I decided to focus on the character of Rachel Price, the eldest of the 4 daughters. At first I chose her because, if I'm being completely honest, she seemed like the easiest to read/understand. However, Rachel's perspective offers quite a bit of insight into how many white people viewed Blacks at the time. Even though she was in Africa, she expected the civilians to be more "civilized". She criticized their appearances and behavior, apalled that the women wore nothing on the top half of their bodies, letting their breasts be seen to everyone. Rachel is extremely superficial and arrogant, and to be honest she rubbed me the wrong way at first. Not that this is any real justification, she has been seen her whole life as a beautiful young woman, and people really only focused on her outward beauty. So, naturally, that is what her thoughts gravitate towards. Also, Rachel's relationship with/view of her father is one of contempt. She despises her father and basically everything about him. Because all of the girls connect their father with God, their view of their father greatly affects (even possibly synonymous with) their view of God and religion. Rachel doesn't like her father, hence she doesn't exactly like God all that much. Thoughts?
-Dayna M.
I do not think that Rachel does not like God as much as she is simply too focused on other things. Rachel is just too caught up in superficial and material things, and she holds her father in contempt because he made her lose those them. Especially in respect to the other girls, Rachel is not the most extreme in her disrespect of religion seeing as Adah actually announced (well to the reader at least) that she does not believe in God. I think Rachel's real problem is with her father's undeserving power and actually that of all men. I have noticed that she is always commenting on how the men in society are different from the women and have different perks, so I think male superiority is something that just bugs her... but I'm not sure why yet.
ReplyDeleteJust some thoughts :)
-Audrey T.
I can relate to Rachel as far as her annoyance with religion goes. Surrounded with that much criticism 'In the name of God' wears on a person and does lead them to reject the institution as a whole. While she was being unfairly judgemental, I also thought that she was one of the most real characters of the book, she is upfront with her dislike of the Congo, and I find it's refreshing for someone to stop beating around the bush and be honest with themselves and us.
ReplyDelete-Brianna C.
I would think Rachel kind of embodies today's more secular society. I'm not saying everyone hates religion or anything like that, but it's a topic that isn't usually discussed in everyday conversations. Society is appalled with something new and labels it as taboo, just as Rachel is shocked at the bare chests of the Congolese women. The Poisonwood Bible really is becoming a very interesting read, as I'm sure it is becoming evident to everyone that each of the daughters represent something in society, and I just can't wait to decipher them!
ReplyDelete-Lian C.
I agree with Audrey that Rachel doesn't necessarily dislike God, but the power that her father seems to think has been given to him in the name of God. She is bitter that she has to be in the Congo away from her precious material things, and wants to go home at the first chance she gets. At first I just laughed at Rachel because of her lack of understanding, but I'm sure that if I was forced to move to the Congo I would feel a lot of the same things. So maybe Rachel is more relateable than we think she is.
ReplyDelete-Elise P. :)
I think Rachel is focused on other things in this point in her life. It isn't that she doesn't believe in God, but that He isn't her main priority. Leah, for example, follows clearly in her father's footsteps, wishing to be as wise as she thinks he is. Her life is based off of religion, while Rachel is more into material things. In the end, she hasn't put enough thought into religion to truly make her own opinion.
ReplyDelete-Taylor C.
I had a hard time picking out who I wanted to annotate, so in the end I chose to do all of them in the beginning (Partially b/c I have a hard time keeping track of everyone). I think its neat how each one of them have their own ways of thinking even though they are sisters, from Leah to Rachel they all seem to focus on their father more than anything else.
ReplyDelete--Josiah K.
I don't know if it's so much that she doesn't like God or that she just resents her father for putting God above everything else in their family. But I agree with what you said about Rachel relying on her looks. It seems with her being the prettiest of the sisters, and with a father who believes educating women is absurd, it's really all she has and so she becomes superficial. It really isn't until the hope chest that she starts to focus on something other than herself. But for some reason I feel like she's the one who will probably end up learning the most because of how superficial she started out.
ReplyDelete-Sapir L.
I'd have to say that I agree because this pattern is evident in all the girls. Adah does not have strong feelings of love for her father at all, thus she often questions him and God because she must associate them on some level. On the other hand, Ruth May seems to love her father and support God, but it is also because she is naive and a very young girl who loves her father and God because that's what she's been told and she doesn't think too much for herself.
ReplyDeleteFinally, Leah as we know deeply followed her father (early in the novel)and looked up to him. She admired him and strongly belived in God and his power just as her father did. So, I definitely see this pattern that you're talking about, it was actually a really interesting insight you had here :)
-Hillary D.
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ReplyDeleteI agree in what you were saying that Rachel rubbed me the wrong way as well. It really bugged me how her prized possession was her mirror. Then once that was destroyed, it seemed like she shattered as well, like without that mirror she wasn't herself either. I chose Leah, because she seemed like the most responsible to me and I felt like I would learn the most through her. Good Post.
ReplyDelete-Christiana R.