In the beginning of the novel, Leah is a young Christian, American girl who looks up to her father, Nathan Price. Leah looks up to her father, describing him as “having a heart as large as his hands. And his wisdom is great” (42). This shows how much respect Leah has for her father. She puts her father on a high pedestal as he “understands everything” (66). She does not talk back or say one bad thing about her father that would bring him down from that pedestal in the first part of the novel. Leah “[hasn’t] contradicted [her] father on any subject, ever” (66). This shows that, to her, he is all knowing and will alway know what is best. Due to the fact that Leah holds her father in such high regard, she is always trying to do things well enough to “suit” her father (37). Leah believes that at the age of fifteen, she “must think about maturing into a Christian lady” in order to gain Nathan’s approval (103). Leah also holds a strong faith in God which may stem from the pursuit of her father’s approval. She has …show more content…
Her views on her father and her religion fully change and develop as she begins to form her own opinions and broaden her views on culture, family, and religion. The time Leah spends in the Congo changes her and the way she views the world. Through Leah, Kingsolver brings to light the topics of imperialism and religion discussing the issues with both, especially when the two ideas are combined. Through Leah, Kingsolver expresses the negative effects imperialism has on the people of the country being colonized. She illuminates the problems with the idea of justifying imperialism with religion. Through Leah’s experiences, Leah and the reader explore these topics. The trials and tribulations Leah faces as a result of living in the Congo, cause her views to develop and change. Through Leah, Kingsolver expresses how one’s surroundings significantly impact and shape one’s