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| Poisonwood themes http://forum.gayleturner.net/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=3286 |
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| Author: | Teresa Goodman [ Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Poisonwood themes |
I thought guilt was an underlying theme of Poisonwood Bible. All five of the women had some guilt over their sister's and daughters death. They also showed guilt over the tragedies they witnessed in Africa everyday. This reminds me of the tragedy in Rowanda. (I rewatched the movie this past weekend) How can the world turn their back on such human tragedies? Hatred is such an ugly thing. The sad thing is that until the movie came out on Rowanda, I had never heard about this. I felt guilty for not paying attention to the news and learning about this sooner. However, when I asked my husband, he was familiar with it but he watches a lot of news and enjoys reading several newspapers a day. |
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| Author: | Penny Barnes [ Wed Apr 05, 2006 6:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Yes, I believe that they all felt guilt too. I also believe that each one of them was affected by their sisters death in different ways, and it led to the many different paths that each one took after she died. P.S. I also think that Nathan got what was coming to him. He was a mean little man. 
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| Author: | Deborah Hess [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:28 am ] |
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I agree. They were all feeling guilty. I thought it was very interesting the paths that the girls took. It is funny how Adah was left behind by her mother during the ant attack, but ended up taking care of her later in life. They almost seemed to be the closest in the end. |
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| Author: | Jamie Little [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Without guilt, none of the events in the book would have taken place the way they did. The family would have never ended up being missionaries in Africa without Nathan's guilt. Boy, it makes you think - guilt is a powerful thing! |
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| Author: | Cindy Fowler [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
So perceptive. I see change as another. Their experiences changed them so much that they did not "fit" in when they returned to the U.S. Isn't it odd - but I think Rachel was the only one who never returned to the U.S. (besides Ruth May and Nathan). I remember the first time I left the United States. I was 19 and went to study for five months in France. I remember thinking, "I will never be the same again." And I wasn't. I thought the same thing when I left for Paraguay four years later. And of course, I wasn't. My biggest fear was losing the connection to my family. By the time I left for Mexico, change had become a way of life. And I didn't worry about "fitting" in any more. But the culture shock is difficult to live through and I struggled with re-entry every time I came back to the U.S. to live. I had to make myself stay put, grow roots, build a home, and reach out in the community. Once I did, I found that I was able to allow forgiveness into my heart. And my own guilt slowly dissipated. I think we all carry around a lot of guilt - to return to the original theme. And I guess our story is how we live with it. Cindy |
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| Author: | Bendy Pennington [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:18 pm ] |
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Guilt could make you or break you. You might become a better person because of it. You may break because you can't bear up under the pressure. You may try to over compensate and end up hurting others along the way (as Nathan did) and not see the harm you have done or are doing. Bendy |
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| Author: | Julie Little [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Cindy's picture |
Cindy came up with some really great character analysis' at our last meeting of the characters. It really helped me to see the book in a different light. |
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| Author: | Heather Howell [ Sun Apr 09, 2006 11:20 am ] |
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I definitely agree that we all carry around alot of guilt. When I was 15, I went to the Bahamas (The Grand Bahama Island), and I was shocked by the living conditions. There was one really nice hotel and casino, but the citizens of the island lived in one room shacks. It made me realize that tourist had done this (at least to some extent) to these people. This made me think. In reality, how many problems has America caused world wide? Could the war in Iraq have been avoided if America would have had a different foriegn policy fifty, forty, thirty, or even twenty years ago? |
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| Author: | Jamie Little [ Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:25 pm ] |
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Reading this book has given me a little more understanding and perspective when looking at others. When I don't understand how someone could act in a way that shocks me, I think that I will try to think about where they are coming from. There is a reason for each action, and a story behind it. |
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