Symbolism In The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver

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In the Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, the Price family forcefully goes on a journey to the Congo to assist Nathan, the fatherly head, in educating the people of the Congo about the word of God. Throughout the novel, Nathan uses the symbol of the bangala tree as a comparison to Jesus considering “bangala” means something precious and dear. However, the meaning of this word changes completely when spoken improperly. In the beginning of the novel Nathan's experiences of the time he spent in war are revealed, which causes him to be moved my selfish desires to save everyone. Specifically, Nathan decides to go to Africa for this missionary trip to help the people of the Congo despite their being a language barrier. In order for him to