Leah is a very interesting character. To me she seems to be embracing the Africa Journey in a different way than the others in her family. She is the most down to earth and really wants to impress her father. She is constantly following him around, and trying to help him. I think that this will turn on her by the end of the book, and she will be upset. She develops over this reading in the way that at first, she hated Africa and everything about it, and now, she is trying to make friends, and have a good time. She interests me a lot because she is very involved with Africa, she plants a garden, goes exploring, and listens in on her fathers conversations. She at first views Africa as disgusting with bad smells, but now she is exploring and seems to be enjoying it more.
1. Over the first two parts of The Poisonwood Bible, Leah, specifically her thoughts of her father, have developed and greatly changed. Leah has great reverence and love for her father and anything he says to her. She follows him around gardening and spits out his ideas and words to others and while she is narrating because she admires him so much. But no matter the great obedience of Leah, her father seems too busy. Nathan, who "noticed the children less and less,"(98) becomes so focused on converting the people of Kilanga, he seems to be forgetting his children and how essential it is to be a father, especially in a challenging time like this one in Africa. Throughout the reading, Leah's obedience and great appreciation for her father seems to falter and decrease. There are small instances of anger towards her dad like when she declares she "felt a stirring of anger against [her] father for making me a white preacher's child from Georgia."(115) From being in Africa, she is realizing the ignorance of being white and religious, and blames her father for this. A more obvious act of rebellion is when Leah does not return from the forest after her father beats her and must return the owl to the wild. Not only does she not return for a long time, but her father plays it like her doesn't care. Though Leah will still stick up for her father and still shares his beliefs, the decline in obedience is showing and can be traced from her father's increasing neglect. 2. Leah respects Africa and it's cultures. Though their religion has shown prejudice against Africans, Leah does not make note of it like others do. She respects how kids younger than her have to take care of families and work hard just to survive. She also appreciates their simpler priorities of finding food, building houses, and staying away from poisonous plants, besides more materialistic ideas from white, American society. Leah makes an effort to catch on to the language and is frustrated when she cannot pick it up quick enough. Also, she takes an interest in the new found independence in Africa, and is intrigued by Patrice Lamumba during his speech. I think her experiences in Africa so far have put things in perspective for Leah and left her a better, wiser person so far. She can now see the damage white people have done to them. Also, she is understanding the equal amount of importance the Africans have in the world compared to her, despite their differences.
Through this past reading, Leah has continued her gradual appreciation and understanding for Kilanga and it's people. She uses lingo often and when she comes back from Leopoldville she realizes how generable and honorable it was for the Kilanga people to give them that welcoming feast when they had first arrives. But her progression in this way is contradicted by her prejudice for non-Christians like when she is astonished that Mama Mwanza being so nice to them while she is "not even Christian!"(207) Leah also is realizing how hard this trip is beginning to be. Anatole makes her realize that Ruth May's life in truly in danger and that she must take advantage of the time they have. In a way, it seems that in this reading Leah has lost her innocence. She even says it herself. "That is surely childhood's end, when you look at a thing like a rabbit needing skinned and have to say: "Nobody else is going to do this.'" Leah is being influenced by African culture as she grows up in Kilanga by dealing with the incoming hardships.
Leah has changed a lot throughout the book so far. The reader can slowly see her losing faith in both her father, and her religion. At the beginning of the novel, she followed her father around, and wanted to please him. Now, she doesn't care about his opinion and does things in spite of him. She can now do whatever she wants because her father doesn't think that she is worthy of his time and patience. She doesn't get punished with "the verse" so she is free to be herself. Her sisters, especially Rachel believe that most of the problems are because of Leah. Leah causes trouble and makes Nathan angry, which he takes out on the other children and Orleanna. Leah wants to go on adventures which get everyone into trouble. Leah has matured a lot throughout the novel. Besides that she has learned to not follow in her father's footsteps, she is learning the true meaning of family. She constantly blames herself for Adah's abnormalities. After anything happens to Adah, Leah wonders if once again she is leaving Adah behind. For example, when the village is running away from the ants, before Leah can get in a boat to safety, she makes Anatole find Adah and make sure she is okay. Leah feels responsible for Adah and wants to be the best sister she can be now. Leah is also embracing Africa. At first she did not like living in Africa, and although she would much rather be living in a nice house with food, she is exploring, and talking to the African people. She is learning how people survive and enjoying her new company of Anatole and the school boys. I think Leah has matured the most out of any of the sisters. She goes from following her father, and believing what she is told, to following her mother, and doing what is right for her, thinking about what she is told, and not changing the religion of the African people.
Leah's story is a beautiful one. Her journey I believe has been most drastic and unpredictable. She began a devout Christian, but only because that is the path her father told her to follow. The experiences in Africa mixed with her inner ambition allows her to change her perspectives and see all the horrible faults in her father and in western society in general. While Adah respects African culture and wants to improve society, Leah embraces and joins the culture. It is very interesting that despite Ruth May's death, Leah can live in the environment of it freely. I think it is because Leah had seen so much of this trouble happening around her to other families in Kilanga and how tragedy is somehow part of their everyday lives that they live with and overcome to be optimistic. This idea has been planted into Leah's head, just as many other ideas of Africa has. Leah's suffering continues throughout her life, but she believes this is what makes her life important and worth while. It almost makes her content just knowing she can go through pain and get through it in one piece. Leah and Anatole's relationship is so unique and expresses the benefits of Africans deep culture that can be offered to Westerners. I enjoyed Leah's story especially because when I first began reading I found her devotion to her stubborn father so frustrating, yet she has become such a different and better person from living in Africa.
7 comments:
Emma Schulman wants Leah
I want Leah as well!
Leah is a very interesting character. To me she seems to be embracing the Africa Journey in a different way than the others in her family. She is the most down to earth and really wants to impress her father. She is constantly following him around, and trying to help him. I think that this will turn on her by the end of the book, and she will be upset. She develops over this reading in the way that at first, she hated Africa and everything about it, and now, she is trying to make friends, and have a good time. She interests me a lot because she is very involved with Africa, she plants a garden, goes exploring, and listens in on her fathers conversations. She at first views Africa as disgusting with bad smells, but now she is exploring and seems to be enjoying it more.
1. Over the first two parts of The Poisonwood Bible, Leah, specifically her thoughts of her father, have developed and greatly changed. Leah has great reverence and love for her father and anything he says to her. She follows him around gardening and spits out his ideas and words to others and while she is narrating because she admires him so much. But no matter the great obedience of Leah, her father seems too busy. Nathan, who "noticed the children less and less,"(98) becomes so focused on converting the people of Kilanga, he seems to be forgetting his children and how essential it is to be a father, especially in a challenging time like this one in Africa. Throughout the reading, Leah's obedience and great appreciation for her father seems to falter and decrease. There are small instances of anger towards her dad like when she declares she "felt a stirring of anger against [her] father for making me a white preacher's child from Georgia."(115) From being in Africa, she is realizing the ignorance of being white and religious, and blames her father for this. A more obvious act of rebellion is when Leah does not return from the forest after her father beats her and must return the owl to the wild. Not only does she not return for a long time, but her father plays it like her doesn't care. Though Leah will still stick up for her father and still shares his beliefs, the decline in obedience is showing and can be traced from her father's increasing neglect.
2. Leah respects Africa and it's cultures. Though their religion has shown prejudice against Africans, Leah does not make note of it like others do. She respects how kids younger than her have to take care of families and work hard just to survive. She also appreciates their simpler priorities of finding food, building houses, and staying away from poisonous plants, besides more materialistic ideas from white, American society. Leah makes an effort to catch on to the language and is frustrated when she cannot pick it up quick enough. Also, she takes an interest in the new found independence in Africa, and is intrigued by Patrice Lamumba during his speech. I think her experiences in Africa so far have put things in perspective for Leah and left her a better, wiser person so far. She can now see the damage white people have done to them. Also, she is understanding the equal amount of importance the Africans have in the world compared to her, despite their differences.
Through this past reading, Leah has continued her gradual appreciation and understanding for Kilanga and it's people. She uses lingo often and when she comes back from Leopoldville she realizes how generable and honorable it was for the Kilanga people to give them that welcoming feast when they had first arrives. But her progression in this way is contradicted by her prejudice for non-Christians like when she is astonished that Mama Mwanza being so nice to them while she is "not even Christian!"(207)
Leah also is realizing how hard this trip is beginning to be. Anatole makes her realize that Ruth May's life in truly in danger and that she must take advantage of the time they have. In a way, it seems that in this reading Leah has lost her innocence. She even says it herself. "That is surely childhood's end, when you look at a thing like a rabbit needing skinned and have to say: "Nobody else is going to do this.'" Leah is being influenced by African culture as she grows up in Kilanga by dealing with the incoming hardships.
from when my internet wasn't working:
Leah has changed a lot throughout the book so far. The reader can slowly see her losing faith in both her father, and her religion. At the beginning of the novel, she followed her father around, and wanted to please him. Now, she doesn't care about his opinion and does things in spite of him. She can now do whatever she wants because her father doesn't think that she is worthy of his time and patience. She doesn't get punished with "the verse" so she is free to be herself. Her sisters, especially Rachel believe that most of the problems are because of Leah. Leah causes trouble and makes Nathan angry, which he takes out on the other children and Orleanna. Leah wants to go on adventures which get everyone into trouble. Leah has matured a lot throughout the novel. Besides that she has learned to not follow in her father's footsteps, she is learning the true meaning of family. She constantly blames herself for Adah's abnormalities. After anything happens to Adah, Leah wonders if once again she is leaving Adah behind. For example, when the village is running away from the ants, before Leah can get in a boat to safety, she makes Anatole find Adah and make sure she is okay. Leah feels responsible for Adah and wants to be the best sister she can be now. Leah is also embracing Africa. At first she did not like living in Africa, and although she would much rather be living in a nice house with food, she is exploring, and talking to the African people. She is learning how people survive and enjoying her new company of Anatole and the school boys. I think Leah has matured the most out of any of the sisters. She goes from following her father, and believing what she is told, to following her mother, and doing what is right for her, thinking about what she is told, and not changing the religion of the African people.
Leah's story is a beautiful one. Her journey I believe has been most drastic and unpredictable. She began a devout Christian, but only because that is the path her father told her to follow. The experiences in Africa mixed with her inner ambition allows her to change her perspectives and see all the horrible faults in her father and in western society in general. While Adah respects African culture and wants to improve society, Leah embraces and joins the culture. It is very interesting that despite Ruth May's death, Leah can live in the environment of it freely. I think it is because Leah had seen so much of this trouble happening around her to other families in Kilanga and how tragedy is somehow part of their everyday lives that they live with and overcome to be optimistic. This idea has been planted into Leah's head, just as many other ideas of Africa has. Leah's suffering continues throughout her life, but she believes this is what makes her life important and worth while. It almost makes her content just knowing she can go through pain and get through it in one piece. Leah and Anatole's relationship is so unique and expresses the benefits of Africans deep culture that can be offered to Westerners. I enjoyed Leah's story especially because when I first began reading I found her devotion to her stubborn father so frustrating, yet she has become such a different and better person from living in Africa.
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