The Poisonwood Bible

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Historically, marriage was traditionally considered an important marker for a person’s social status. In your opinion, what were some of the benefits for women in choosing to marry? What were some of the consequences of choosing not to marry? What options were available for women who married but later regretted doing so? Did these options have any consequences?

Teaching Suggestion: The role of women in American and Congolese society in the 1960s is a central theme of the story, particularly in relation to why the women of the Price family make certain decisions. While the novel’s first-person narratives can help readers understand gender struggles, the above short-answer question is the perfect opportunity to introduce the differing roles of women in mid-20th century society and how they relate to agency, divorce, and religion.

• This article from UN Women provides a brief overview of some of the obstacles women face in Congolese society.
• This overview from the Women’s International Center highlights the main points of the changing role of women in American society, emphasizing the 1960s as an important decade of change for women.

2. Between 1884 and the start of World War I in 1914, European powers divided (i.e., colonized) Africa amongst themselves to steal natural resources from the continent. Often called “The Scramble for Africa,” this division left the continent almost completely governed by European powers, except for Liberia and parts of Ethiopia. Under the guise of ‘bringing civilization’ or ‘saving non-believers,’ the reality was that the land was exploited for resources and many individuals living in Africa suffered extreme atrocities. This was particularly true in the case of the area owned by Belgium’s King Leopold II, called the Congo Free State. Consequences of this period were evident for years after, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, when many of the African people began to call for independence. Based on the video and discussion in class, describe the effects of this colonialism on the African continent. What was the viewpoint of colonialism from the colonizing nations? How did it differ from the viewpoint of the colonized?

Teaching Suggestion: Use this question to introduce the topic of colonialism and to discuss how Western colonialism affected colonized places. Emphasize the long-standing effects of colonial power on the colonized and encourage students to discuss the different viewpoints in class. If students are currently enrolled in a world history course, this is a good opportunity to highlight links with their history curriculum for a cross-disciplinary approach.

• This African Biographies video on King Leopold II provides information on the atrocities committed in the Congo under Belgian rule.
• This overview from the New World Encyclopedia discusses the events surrounding the Berlin Conference in 1884 (i.e., “The Scramble for Africa”), which led to the colonization of Africa by European powers.

Short Activity

Identify the Differences Between Fictitious and Non-Fictitious Passages

When exploring a certain time period or historical event, both fiction and nonfiction are valuable lenses into the lives of the people of that time. While nonfiction seeks to provide factual accounts of events, usually through different perspectives, fiction that focuses on a historical era can also be valuable. It may capture the reader’s interest through a compelling story while simultaneously informing them about an era. Read the fiction and nonfiction passages below. Working in groups, summarize the main points of each passage and then identify the passages as either fiction or nonfiction. What are some key characteristics of fiction and nonfiction? What is the value of each type of writing?

Teaching Suggestion: You can use this activity to introduce the historical fiction genre and the idea of a primary source as an important component of nonfiction writing as it relates to firsthand accounts. Identify what elements of each passage indicate the type of literature (narrative style, voice, etc.). Discuss the importance of using both types of literature in introducing a historical era. In the examples below, the non-fictitious passage is a primary source from an American reporting on the atrocities seen in the Belgian Congo. While any excerpt could work for this activity, the paragraph beginning at the end of page 245 and ending in the middle of page 246 is the example suggested from this passage. The fictitious passage is an excerpt from Mrs. Price’s narrative in the novel.

• Nonfiction account: “An Open Letter to His Serene Majesty Leopold II, King of the Belgians and Sovereign of the Independent State of Congo, by Colonel the Honorable Geo .W. Williams of the United States of America. Suggested excerpt- paragraph beginning on page 245 “When I arrived…” and ending in the middle of page 246)
• Fiction account: Excerpt from Mrs. Price in The Poisonwood Bible

Suggested excerpt: “A territory is only possessed for a moment in time. They stake everything on that moment, posing for photographs while planting the flag, casting themselves in bronze. Washington crossing the Delaware. The capture of Okinawa. They’re desperate to hang on. But they can’t. Even before the flagpole begins to peel and splinter, the ground underneath arches and slides forward into its own new destiny. It may bear the marks of boots on its back, but those marks become the possessions of the land. What does Okinawa remember of its fall? Forbidden to make engines of war, Japan made automobiles instead, and won the world. It all moves on. The great Delaware rolls on, while Mr. Washington himself is no longer even what you’d call good compost. The Congo River, being of a different temperament, drowned most of its conquerors outright. In Congo a slashed jungle quickly becomes a field of flowers, and scars become the ornaments of a particular face. Call it oppression, complicity, stupefaction, call it what you like, it doesn’t matter. Africa swallowed the conqueror’s music and sang a new song of her own.” (437)