Offending A Reader

In my own opinion I believe that the reader of a book has every right to have reservations regarding how certain characters, races, ethnicities, etc. are portrayed. As we discussed in class, the Vietnamese woman reading The Things They Carried found the book offensive and did not want to teach this book. I find it interesting, however, in how she argued that she believed that the book was shining light on all the flaws of Vietnam, yet the book rarely if at all dives into the culture, people, personalities, or even encounters with Vietnamese people. I feel very strongly that communities that should be represented and deserve a voice if the author feels as though it is of value to show different perspectives within the book. Consequently, in The Things They Carried, I believe O'Brien was not trying to capture diverse views, he was trying to tell his own story. Maybe this was a coping mechanism to get over certain stories he had trouble processing, or perhaps he felt that his story would show a glimpse inside his mind as a young child. Either way, this book was created to show the audience how an American soldier was not as brave as everyone thinks, or the weight they carry inside them; each individual carries with them something either hidden or in plain sight. If O'Brien were to add another component of describing the Vietnamese, who is to say that it would be accurate? How could he understand the everyday banter between the soldiers or the thoughts going on inside their heads? How would this embellish the story? I believe it would take away from his writing, as he wishes to tell stories that linger between Americans. His strong suit is the American side; wouldn't it be difficult to capture a perspective that he simply could not write about? I think that O'Brien is telling the stories he needed to tell rather than sugarcoating or lying in order to capture more perspectives. For these reasons, I do not believe that this story is particularly offensive, as it his personal accounts, although I could understand how it may be difficult for the Vietnamese woman to read an American's opinion.

Mary Anne's Character

I would honestly like to believe that Mary Anne is not a fictional character. While the possibility of journeying to Vietnam is seemingly impossible, O'Brien writes this compelling story in a way that makes the reader wonder, what is the real truth? In essence, the entirety of his book has the reader ask him or herself what is the truth? Mary Anne's bravery and spontaneous desire for fighting in war are what convinces me that she is a real character. I want to believe that a woman could accomplish fighting a war and showing other men that she is not afraid to cut her hair and cover her body in black ash. While I may question the route at which she reached her boyfriend, I entirely believe that the war took her in and taught her lessons that most if not all women at that time never had the opportunity to achieve. I find it extremely interesting the transformation that occurred, from a woman dressing in all pink and white with a bubbly personality to a woman who is in her army uniform, and laughing only at the things she truly finds funny. Mary Anne's character to me is one that shows me the true effects of war and how it has this unique ability to change a person forever. I believe that this is the change that Mary Anne was waiting for in her life, as a woman during this time was supposed to merely send love notes to her husband or boyfriend fighting in war. Her character breaks barriers that were not seen during this time. Her character shows ambition and determination that she does not need to live under the wing of her boyfriend, she can fight on her own and moreover be on her own. For this reason, I would have to say she is my favorite character.

A Letter In The Mail

A letter in the mail can change a life. For me it's an acceptance letter; for O'Brien, it is a draft notice. In Tim O'Brien's chapter On the Rainy River, the writer exposes the fear of the draft. As O'Brien explains to the reader, his life was normal for a graduate of college. As O'Brien explains, he thought he was "too good for this war" (39).  I find it hard to wrap my head around the idea that if one is drafted, they are required to drop everything or every future endeavor to serve in the war. When analyzing this chapter, I agree that with O'Brien's logic that the government should implement a new system or requirement/law for choosing who should be selected to serve. I find it interesting that the government had/has such power over its people... and moreover that the government can alter a person's life. When reading the stories within The Things They Carried I tuck away in the back of my mind the thought that none of these stories would be created if O'Brien had not been drafted. In a way, his writing career may have ceased to exist, but at the same time, I wonder how his life would have turned out if he did attend Harvard for graduate school. The stories that he has shared with the reader are ones that have altered his perspective on life; they are experiences that the typical/ average person will never be able to understand fully. War evoked fear as well as an appreciation for life and death. I wonder if without being drafted that someone could understand life in this way. In my own opinion, I had grown up in society or generation where going into war is much different than when O'Brien was drafted. It is a rare occasion in today's day and age that I even hear talk of war and the experiences of the men and women serving nowadays. For me, the men and women that are serving are not my brothers or sisters or cousin, partly because they choose not to, but also because the draft is not something that is implemented at this time. For this reason, my perception of this idea of drafting is may be completely different than someone during the time of the Vietnam War. 

Stories

In Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried the writer shares rather personal stories to the reader that expose the brutality, love, hatred, death and so much more within the war. One passage toward the beginning of this book that stood out to me was the following: " Forty-three years old, and the war occurred half a lifetime ago, and yet the remembering makes it now. And sometimes remembering will lead to a story, which makes it forever. That's what stories are for. Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity when memory is erased when there is nothing to remember except the story" (36). This passage reflects the sheer meaning of this book as a whole. Each story presented to the reader dives into the past of Tim O'Brien and how the war will always be engrained into his mind through the stories he shares and recalls. Whether it be a story he has never shared, such as pondering over the idea to flee to Canada, or the memories that lasted among his friends and the jokes regarding the things they carried with them, O'Brien creates this unique book to dive into the real encounters of the war. While a reader may never understand the true hardships of a soldier, he or she certainly can understand and appreciate that war is most definitely complex, and that even some stories should never be shared. Untold stories may be because the story could expose fear or cowardness. In my own experience, the stories that are passed down to me are much different than war stories, although they may hold similar weight in my heart. For instance, milestone memories my grandfather has told me about his childhood, I will always hold close to myself since it "joins the past to the future." This passage to me reflects how I perceive all of the nighttime tales my parents use to share with me and how my imagination drifted into a story each night. While my fairytales are entirely different than wartime stories, the idea that the words passed down from generation to generation and always remains intriguing and thoughtful is what is most important. Without stories, one may never catch a glimpse into another person's life or mind, or the troubles, pain, love, and happiness that he or she has experienced.

I, Too

The poem, I, Too, by Langston Hughes, is a rather short poem, but within it are layers that unfold as I read it over and over again. Beginning with the line " I, too, sing America" was bold as the reader is introduced to the poem by this idea that the speaker feels the need to stand up for himself and fight for his role in America. It is evident in the second line that the reader finds out that the speaker is a black soldier, struggling to find his spot during wartime, as he is sent to the kitchen to eat, rather than with his own fellow Americans. In the second half of this stanza, however, he explains that he "laughs, eats well, and grows strong." I believe Hughes is revealing this sense of integrity and pride, even during times when the black soldier is faced with racial inequality. In the second half of the poem, Hughes entails that the next meal time he will sit in a spot and not move to go eat in the kitchen and that everyone will see "how beautiful he is" and that these other men will "be ashamed." In essence, this man is saying that he must be respected by his peers during the war, as they are all fighting for the same cause. I believe the writer put an altered version of the beginning line at the end " I, too am America" to show that he no longer just "sings" America but he is a part of the battle and rightfully deserves a place in his own country. While this poem has no rhyming scheme it is apparent that the writer wished to create a transformative poem, where between the first and last line, the speaker goes through a sort of transformation such as I can to I will. In this idea, the speaker transforms for merely singing of America to being America, as he gains the confidence to show everyone who he truly is regardless of his skin color. I find this poem extremely interesting because of the maturity and confidence gained in such a short amount of line.

Trench Duty

Siegfried Sassoon poem, Trench Duty, is an extremely visual and harsh account of a soldier during his time during warfare. More specifically, he shows the brave account of trench warfare. The soldier's explanation of the war itself is extremely dark as Sassoon portrays combat as something brutal, savage, and unsettling. The stanza begins with “ shaken from sleep, and numbed and scarce awake” and throughout the entirety of the poem the soldier explains how he set out for the trench and battled. The first line in itself is intense, as the just the words "shaken" numbed" scarce" are actions that many disturbing. As the poem continues, it is almost as if the reader can follow the actions of the soldier as there is "rumbling and bumping" throughout the night or when he is "crawling on his belly through the wire." I find it interesting how Sassoon chose to create the poem in a way as though it was a story, just merely written down in a book. The rhyming scheme— aabbccddefefgg— is a unique way to present the story as it almost seems more intense as each line is building up to the next. Without this rhyming scheme, it would just be a story, flat, without certain emphasis on the soldier's experience. The ending, "Blank stars. I’m wide-awake; and some chap’s dead” is extremely powerful as the author contrast a man who is wide-awake with one who is no longer a week. It is clear that Sassoon is emphasizing the idea that one may never know who is coming out alive and who may die in an instant. In this case, our narrator is alive, but this idea represents the essence of war, that some soldiers will never get to see such "blank stars" ever again. This poem was extremely dark, as I feel the writer wished to show that trench duty is not desired since a soldier faces death at any moment. 

The Poisonwood Bible and As I Lay Dying

After reading both The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and As I Lay Dying by William Faulker, it was evident that the two novels diverge in setting, atmosphere, plot. The Poisonwood Bible, set in the African Congo, describes the Price family who journeys to Africa as Christian missionaries, yet finds several challenges during their prolonged stay. On the contrary, As I Lay Dying took place in Mississippi, where the Bundren family sets out to bury their dead mother, Addie. Among all of these differences, there appears to be one commonality: family dynamic. Within the two novels, both authors create a unique storyline based upon the family members perspectives regarding their individual situations.
In Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible, each woman character narrates a chapter, telling their own story during a time when women's voices were suppressed. Throughout the novel, each character explores a dysfunctional aspect of their own family upon arrival to the African Congo. It is evident that the women's narrative provides specific insight into the odd dynamic that exists between each family member. For instance, Rachel Price's character continually strives for her father's acceptance and love, yet her father was so self- centered that he could only focus on his missionary work. The idea that Rachel has to try and obtain love rather than merely receive unconditional love is a prime example that describes one dysfunctional aspect of the Price family. In addition, the reader can hear the opinions and thoughts of Oreleanna Price (the mother), and how she has to cope with her self-absorbed husband during times when she would have needed him most, for example, the death of their daughter, Ruth May. While these are only two instances that provide a glimpse into the family dynamic of the Price family, The Poisonwood Bible is a novel that explores the thoughts and actions that exist among the family members.
Similar to the family dynamic in The Poisonwood Bible, William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying uses each chapter to explore the dysfunctional aspects of the Bundren family. Although more than just the women tell the narration, Faulkner makes use of the chapters by letting each family member have a voice in this novel. Throughout each chapter, the reader gains a greater sense of how each family member views one another. For instance, the reader understands how Darl Bundren is continuously bothered by his brother Jewel and how he is the sole receiver of true love from their mother, Addie. Within Darl's chapters, the reader is granted the opportunity to understand and internalize Darl's perspective since his narration is extremely telling of his emotions and reactions. Moreover, the reader can understand the failing relationship that exists between the mother and father, Anse and Addie. Through Addie's chapter, the reader understands the dynamic that was present throughout their marriage, one where love slowly washed away, leaving her feeling isolated and alone and ready to ultimately die. Faulkner does an excellent job portraying the family dynamic using the voices of each family member.
Without such chapters, the reader would fail to understand why each family member has a specific emotion or is characterized by a particular action. By providing chapters narrated by each family member, the reader can understand the dysfunctional aspect of both the Price and Bundren families.

Jewel visiting Severn

Today I went on down to Severna Park, Maryland to see how them high schooler's work nowadays. It was a beauty and all, but all I could think about was how it was so goddam hot. It felt like I sure as hell may die in there. Some kids were nice, just sitting there watching me through the glass. But the boys be hemming and hawing in the next classroom down, shouting so loud the teacher couldn't even answer the question. They just wouldn't let her alone. I felt bad for the two boys sitting in the far back sitting real quiet waiting for some answers. The teacher leaned against an entire wall of whiteboard. I said to the tour guide how she be lucky she is getting all that space to write up notes. If only I had all that space to learn. It's pretty funny seeing everyone in the same uniform, all dressed up in pants and a white shirt. I reckon that this is the first place I ever have seen something like that. When the students changed classes it looked like a goddamn cult, moving so fast all dressed up I thought I might get called out for not looking like them. They all wearing the same shoes too. Because they be told to I'm guessing. I heard they get in big trouble if they show up wearing the wrong things. You'd be surprised though, most of them follow the rules.
The teachers were all serious too. Seemed really into their own subject. Real smart people, talking and talking until the kids brains be falling out. They love the kids I can tell. Some of the teachers let the kids chomp down on some food while they talk. I told the tour guide that I was pretty hungry at that point so she took me to the cafeteria. There was so much food I couldn't figure out what I wanted. The lunch lady told me the chicken tenders were great. So that's what I got. And she didn't lie. Those were the best tenders I ever had. After eating I thanked my guide and decided to walk by myself outside. I was impressed by the landscape. So many fields, it amazed me. So green. They were all empty, but I could only imagine the crowds that be cheering in the stands. I just knew that guide would get me to come back for the Homecoming game.

10 Rules of Writing

When reading the article "Margaret Atwood's 10 Rules of Writing" I found it extremely interesting to see the mechanics of an author's brain. It is very seldom that a reader takes the time to understand just how much time and thought goes into constructing a novel, whether it is a "best seller" or not. What I enjoyed about this article was the fact that Atwood discusses the difficulties of writing a piece that grabs the attention of all readers; I never truly thought about how many different lenses a writer must look through. For instance, as Atwood describes in rule six, " What fascinates A will bore the pants off B." In my own writing, I do not often think about this, I always feel that the topic I write about would interest others. This tool of perspective is something Atwood has raised awareness toward for me, especially if I want others to believe that my own "story" could relate to him or her.
I also enjoyed learning that Atwood uses a thesaurus, a grammar book, and a "grip on reality." When she says "Writing is work" I can now appreciate all of the precise details that go into crafting the perfect novel. I often thought that when writing a novel, for most authors the cleverness of the novel came naturally. Reading this tip seven, made me realize that even famous writers uses the tools that are accessible to better there writing.
Lastly, my third favorite rule was number 10, "Prayer might work. Or reading something else." I find this rule the most relatable to myself when writing. I do not believe that I could construct a piece of writing without reading other materials. Other materials, in my opinion, show a future writer how to capture your own voice, and how to write a narrative or analytical paper that is intriguing to an audience. I find that for myself, the knowledge that I have gained, including specific words and phrases, has helped me to build my writing style. Without understand a word in context of a book or novel, I might never have learned what the word even means. I also believe that reading other works can help inspire a writer to think of obscure topics that they might not have written about. For instance, in a novel that introduces a utopian society a reader may be inspired to think about what his or her own utopian society would look like. Without understand other novels that have this similar idea, they might not have been able to think of a topic to write about.

Ruth's Recognition Of Loneliness

“Her son had never been a person to her, a separate real person. He had always been a passion.” (131)

When reading Toni Morrison’s, Song of Solomon, I have carried the passage restated above with me when analyzing the relationship/encounters between Milkman and Ruth. I find it interesting Ruth internalizes the significance of her son’s life, just at the point in time when Milkman’s ex-girlfriend attempts to kill him from breaking up with her after twelve years. Morrison uses an entire page to carefully weave in the thoughts of Ruth and what he son truly means to her. During this time in the novel, Ruth faces the fact that Milkman indeed has “never been a person to her” because he stands as a physical representation of a larger concept. To Ruth, he represents the last hope that she had to rekindle the relationship between herself and her husband, Macon Dead. Macon, because he had been so clearly mortified by his wife and her odd relationship with her father, can never look at Ruth the same. There fiery relationship that once linked them together had shattered to pieces the moment he saw his wife being more intimate than normal with the Dead doctor. Ultimately luring Macon to have sex with her, Ruth got pregnant with Milkman. Because this was her last attempt to fix this loneliness and brokenness, Milkman stood as “a passion” in hopes that a human creation that both Ruth and Macon made, would inevitably fix all of their problems. Unfortunately and to her dismay Milkman did just the opposite. In fact Morrison even explains how Macon wished to kill Milkman. His attitude both reflects the idea that he wanted to both kill the romance that Ruth had thought existed and to kill the actual human that formed because of there interaction. I believe that Ruth remains close to Milkman because he symbolizes this last hope that she desired. At this moment in time, Ruth needed comfort but in turn she received nothing but loneliness. It is interesting choice that for so many years Milkman is blind to how much his presence has affected his family when he was in her womb. I believe that Ruth nurtures Milkman differently than the rest of the children because he is the last standing human that could have potentially drawn Macon back to Ruth.

Pilate vs. Ruth

It is quite interesting how Toni Morrison portrays two central women in Milkman's life  -- Pilate and Ruth -- in two completely different lights. Ruth, a quite and more reserved character in Song of Solomon confides in very few people in her lifetime. Throughout her life, she was always dependent on someone else: first her father, then Milkman. As a woman who felt misplaced in her own home, she needs this deep-seeded connection in order to act as herself. Ruth struggles to feel the importance that she believes that should earn. She confides in Pilate, the complete opposite of herself, in order to receive support for herself during her pregnancy with Milkman because she would not have the ability to be a strong and independent woman when facing the anger and frustration of her not-so-loving partner, Macon Dead. Pilate's character represents the outgoing qualities that Ruth never had. She is the exact opposite character that Ruth never was: arrogant, independent, confident, and "free". Pilate exudes confidence while Ruth struggles to find it. I believe that Toni Morrison develops this contrast in order to reflect the insecurities of Ruth and point out the carelessness/freedom of a woman once so close to Macon Dead. I believe that Morrison uses Pilate and Ruth to reflect the path of these two women and the different ways they have strayed/ dealt with the man with a superiority complex, Macon Dead. She uses Ruth's character to represent the life of a black woman who struggles to reveal herself to the world because she is suppressed by a husband who has a superiority complex. In contrast, Pilate defies the odds of a woman during the middle twentieth century, as she journeys throughout the United States, trying to find her own soul -- something rarely seen in that day and age. Pilate respect's her brother's wishes to never step foot in his house again, though she does not see this as a setback, it further allows herself to become for engrossed in herself: finding the power of song to heal and finding joy in her daughter and granddaughter. Overall, Morrison uses Ruth and Pilate to represent the different roles of woman in a society that often suppressed them during this time.

Racism within Song of Solomon

Not Doctor Street. What is wrong with this title? In the initial chapters of Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison explains that the black community voted to name the street "Doctor Street" because the only black doctor in the entire town lived there. During the mid-twentieth century (the time the novel takes place) black men and women would face discrimination, antagonism, and oppression. The first instance in which Morrison reveals this discrimination is through the title of a street. The surrounding white community wished to discredit the black doctor's success by changing the name of the street to Mains Avenue. It is evident that the women and men who live on this "Not Doctor Street" are the men and women who face racism in their everyday lives. For the doctor, he was faced with criticism and discrimination based on his skin color and was inhibited from practicing medicine at the local hospital. While his talents were extraordinary, his complexion degraded his chances of helping white people who were gravely ill. As the house was passed down to his daughters family, each character deals with racism in their own unique ways as the Doctor did several years prior. For instance, Macon's character represents racism in the black community. Macon strives to obtain status, wealth and respect by owning a business that controls several houses within the black community. By holding this position, Macon wishes to be seen as higher than those who surround him. In addition to Macon, Milkman too takes on the challenge of living during a time where racism was at an all-time high. Milkman, who was shielded for a majority of his childhood from discrimination, discovers through the words of Railroad Tommy all the things black men will never be able to do. Milkman's character at the age of twelve was exposed to this idea of racism through a laundry list of positions and titles he will never be able to achieve. While those are just two out of the five family members, it is clear that Morrison has each character exposed to racism and faces the challenges of discrimination, oppression, and antagonism in all sorts of ways -- both in the black and white communities.

The Evolution of a Relationship

Toni Morrison does an excellent job conveying the long-lasting relationship between Twyla and Roberta. When analyzing this short story overall, I find it quite interesting to view the evolution of their friendship. At a young age, it was evident that the two young girls had much in common, as Twyla and Roberta were the only two girls at St. Bonny’s whose mother’s were still alive. Although they arrived at St. Bonny’s for different reasons (One mother ill, the other always dancing), It is my own belief that this parallel united, particularly in an orphanage where the majority of children have lost a parent. As the two women grow older and set apart to develop their owns lives, it is intriguing to see the vast difference between the two character’s interactions. Who was once a best friend is now an acquaintance. At this time I believe that racial identity was a large portion of why they grew apart, particularly because in their young adulthood, racism was an everlasting problem that suppressed black people all across America. However, I also believe that in both Twyla’s and Roberta’s adolescent years, they both were shielded from this racial inequality, and when each woman discovered the real world, the author felt the need to show each woman's true colors. For Roberta, she felt superior to the world like the big girls in makeup. For Twyla, she was content with who she had become regardless of who she had become when with Roberta. I believe that the moment that Twyla and Roberta run into one another at the grocery store could parallel the times when they would be foolish together at St. Bonny’s. It is evident however that Twyla becomes increasingly uncomfortable because she recognizes that the relationship she has now is so far from what they had at St. Bonny’s. Both characters are aware of this growing apart, however, they still find their ways to see one another whether on good terms or bad. For these reasons, I believe Morrison wished to convey the theme that as societal norms evolve, relationships among friends, colleagues, or loved ones are too evolving, leaving both damage and hope between certain people.

Encounter at the Howard Johnson

It was particularly striking to myself as a reader, when I reached the scene where Roberta and Twyla interacted at the bus station outside the Howard Johnson. Throughout this short story, it is quite impressive how Toni Morrison chooses to not reveal the race of each character. However, upon analyzing this scene, however, it is my belief that Morrison implies Twyla to be the black woman. During this scene, when Twyla approaches Roberta after several years apart, it is evident that Roberta believes herself to be of a greater importance. Morrison highlights this idea when comparing Roberta to the big girls with the makeup of whom, as children, Twyla and Roberta characterized those girls as persons' of greater status. I find this to reflect the racial stereotypes of this time, in which white people thought that they were better than everyone else and were plainly superficial. Although Morrison never truly specifies which woman is which, I find it interesting that several years later when Twyla acknowledges Roberta's superficial attitude at the bus station, she merely responds by saying "it was a different time back then" implying that racial division and racism were clearly evident during this encounter. While Morrison leaves this interpretation up for discussion, I believe it is important to acknowledge how skillful a writer she is, since many do believe the opposite of my beliefs. I further believe this embodies the style of her writing, as it portrays that the past/ any scene of one's past can be reflected on differently for each and every person.

Responding to someone else's post

Please view Annie's post.

America's Imperfections

It is infrequent to read a novel that highlights the imperfections of America. Kingsolver's choice to represent America with a negative connotation was extremely bold, especially as an American author. I believe she chose to represent the Congo as real as it gets because she wants to show the stark contrast between the two countries.

American authors often glorify characters that are from their own country because they know much more about their own territory rather than a foreign place. I believe that Kingsolver did an incredible job at informing the reader of a place that one might have not known. She chose the American, Nathan Price, to be the "bad guy" to give a balance and entail that Americans do not always have to win the hearts of the reader. In essence, Americans are not always the hero's of a novel, and Kingsolver chose the outlet of the Price family missionary goals to provide an example. Further the author shines light on Eisenhower's presidency, and how the American system of legislature was imposing upon the ill-structured government in the Congo.  U.S. History textbooks for instance, may be bias and only show the strong attributes that the U.S. has accomplished, however, Kingsolver does not fear telling the reader the negative effects of American intrusion. I believe Kingsolver had a deeper purpose to tell the readers that the Congo has so many layers, both culturally and geographically. America's interference with this natural beauty can be harmful especially toward a place such as the Congo.

The Color Purple vs. Poisonwood Bible

Although drastically different novels, both The Color Purple and The Poisonwood Bible are told in the first person perspective of women. Alice Walker, author of the novel The Color Puple wrote the story in first person point of view, from the perspective of Celie, to showcase the life of an African American woman facing racism and sexism in the late twentieth century. The Color Purple, showcases Celie's struggle to finding her own identity, during a time where oppression and racism were at its high. I believe that Celie's struggle to find her own identity mirrors that of Orleanna in The Poisonwood Bible. Tragically, both women are beaten by mean who are believed to have a greater power over the women. In this way, both Orleanna and Celie believe that they are inferior, and both spend the entirety of each novel discovering themselves and overcoming life-changing obstacles along the way.

Although her identity is not suppressed due to race, Orleanna struggles to find her true identity because her husband has suppressed her true ability to discovering life. As Orleanna describes, she has "lost her wings" (201). Losing her wings, metaphorically, is inept to acting as she wishes, and fails to see the true beauty of the world because he husband forces his life upon her (shown when the Price family goes to the Congo because Nathan wishes to spread Christianity). Similarly, Celie is both beaten and raped by her “father” as a young woman, and fails to understand how to re-discover herself and trust someone of whom she fancies.

In this way, these two characters symbolize the oppression of women and how the novel is an outlet to describe the atrocities of each of their lives. The reader is able to hear both of their problems as well as accomplishments when evolving throughout both novels.

Culture of the Congo

Barbara Kingsolver's novel, The Poisonwood Bible represents the culture of the people in Congo. Throughout the novel, the layers of the Congo peoples' culture unfold, and each narrator -- Rachel, Leah, Adah, Ruth May, and Orleanna -- helps to dissect different aspects of it. For instance, Leah Price's explains to the reader that the women "look as old as the world. Any colorful thing they might hold in their hands, like a plastic bucket, stands out strangely. Their appearance doesn't sit square with the modern world." (109) As a reader analyzing this new culture, I came to the conclusion that the women in Congo starkly contrast to women in America in almost every way possible. Leah, in this case, chose to expose just one way in which The Poisonwood Bible openly represents a non- American culture. Leah further explains that unlike American women, women in the Congo traditionally, according to their culture "have no real hair to speak of... [but] if they've got an inch or town to work with, hairdressers would wrap springs of it in black thread so it stands up in little spikes." (109) Throughout the novel too, cultural differences are explained by the characters. For instance, Mama Boanda Number Two's is an example of a woman who has "little spikes" sticking out from the top of her head because in general, women in this region chose to express their beauty in this fashion.

In addition to women's hairstyles, the characters explain that women too, instead of opening a bottle of water, or filling a glass of water from the tap, as Americans often do, women in the Congo carry buckets of water above their heads. Walking miles, these women fill a bucket of river water and carry it home to boil out the bacteria. In this way, it is evident that even the task of consuming water is different in a culture where technology has yet to reach that side of the world.

In one of Ruth May's early chapters, she does not hesitate to describe the culture of those living in the Congo by expressing her concerns for how they dress. As she entails " the girls don't ever, ever wear pants. And the little babies don't wear a speck of clothes so they can just squat down and pee-pee ever-when they take a mind to." Kingsolver chooses to add this tidbit of information to merely reflect the difference between American culture and the culture of those living in the Congo. In America, women are able to dress in any item of clothing they choose such as dresses, skirts, pants. In the Congo, however, women in pants is not allowed and considered shameful. This is yet again, another example of how Kilanga's culture differs from American culture.

Barbara Kingsolver's Inspiration.

The very first pages of Kingsolver's novel are dedicated to her own Author's note. Within the page and a half of writing, Kingsolver expresses her gratitude to many of her friends and family for helping her piece together the novel by giving her valuable tidbits of information regarding Africa and the Congo/ Zaire. After reading the novel and then again analyzing her authors note, I believe I have a strong premonition as to why she felt compelled to write this novel.

In my opinion, Kingsolver chose to write this novel to open the eyes of human beings all across the world, in an attempt to show the reader a destination so unique, so desolate, and so wondrous. As written in her author's note, Kingsolver has traveled all across Africa, witnessing new cultures, regions, weather, people, among other things. I believe her travels have influenced her writing because she feels that these small tokens of a culture or region need to be shared with the world. Furthermore, Kingsolver mentions that her parents went to the Congo to help the sick, working as medical and public-health workers. Although Mother and Father starkly contrast with the author's parents, it is evident that Kingsolver was inspired to write about this journey from America to the Congo due to her families' travels. By adding different personalities and character traits, Kingsolver managed to differentiate her own travels to the Price family travels. In this instance, Kingsolver takes a personal inspiration and creates two characters with similar backgrounds but freely lets Mother and Father take on completely different traits than those of her parents.

For American's, I believe that Kingsolver attempted to reach both adults and young adults on a deeper level. I believe that she was inspired by the amount of American's unaware of just how different housing, living, eating, and drinking are in a place such as Congo. For instance, the young girls describe the scenery as so vastly different than America's fast-paced and busy world. To Rachel, Adah, Leah and Ruth May, the Congo is a whole new experience that they all never truthfully were used to.  For this reason, Kingsolver most likely felt the need to craft a novel that captures these reactions of young adults such as Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May in order to show the emotions of how a teenager or child grasps such a culture shock.