William James Kemp Gregg Narrator Analysis 19 March 2014

Point of view is a tool used by many authors to help portray the authors views or idea
that he/she is trying to show to the audience or reader. In Barbara Kingsolvers novel, The
Poisonwood Bible she uses first person point of view but from five different narrators. By using
multiple people as narrators she is able to show all five opinions on certain key elements in the
novel as well as show the different experiences that each girl has in the novel. The five narrators
in the novel are; Orleana, Adah, Rachel, Ruth May, and Leah. Each female has their own
specific style in the novel that helps to convey their own thoughts and the thoughts of the author.
Orleana is the mother of the four daughters and the wife to Nathan. She constantly talks
about her suffering through her difficult marriage and child birth. Kingsolver uses Orleana as a
parallel to the Congo and how it suffers everyday while countries strive around it. Orleana is
always putting her children first and her husband first even when she is vulnerable and needs the
nutrition and help from others.
Rachel is the character who is closely linked to her cruel and difficult father, Nathan. She
is always consumed by the material things in life no matter what she is told or viewed as by her
family. She never seems to care about anyone else in the story, by continuing to gain wealth
through three marriages an still not seeing the pain around her in the Congo. She ignores all else
for self-benefit and blames the Congo for everything bad that has ever happened to her.
Leah is Nathans biggest follower for most of the novel. In the beginning, being an
Idealist, Leah agrees with her fathers intentions and tries to help him. After, gaining knowledge
of the town and seeing the racism and the unjust in the area she becomes seriously bothered.
Eventually, her compassionate nature takes over and she disapproves of her fathers forceful
ways in the Congo and how he is not giving the people options.
Comment [KG1]: Show is not a good word,
should change to portray or convey
Comment [KG2]: Same as KG1
Comment [KG3]: Same as comment KG1
Comment [KG4]: This should be her instead of
their because I am referring to the author not the
narrators
Comment [KG5]: same as KG4
Comment [KG6]: Difficult child birth because of
her having to eat dirt for nutrients, could also be
caused by the bad marriage but especially during
her pregnancy.
Comment [KG7]: and
Comment [KG8]: Nathans
Comment [KG9]: idealist