Moderator

1. What are your thoughts as a reader about which is the one general Song that the three children are singing?

2. Do you think that the songs of the three remaining Price Sisters would differ if Ruth May were still to be there? If so why/how?

3. How have each Character changes throughout the book?

4. How would you translate the quote at the beginning of the section in order to find its deeper meaning?

5. In particular, how has Rachel changed; and why is it that she can’t hold a marriage together?

6. Has Orleanna truly forgiven Nathan?

7. Why do you think Kingsolver still have Ruth May in the book?

8. What is Ruth May trying to get across to Orleanna?

Lit Circle #4: Exodus- Phsycological Critic

Psychological Critic

Leah Price:

As most of us have already discovered Leah has change tremendously throughout the book. In the beginning of Poisonwood Bible Leah was your typical daddy’s little girl; but as the book progressed she began to realize that she to has he own thoughts. She began to question her father. As the book continued Leah began to think more and more as an individual, until finally she totally rebels against her fathers will. In Exodus she states “I wouldn’t see my baby sister again, this I knew. But I hadn’t yet considered the loss of my father. I’d walked in his footsteps my whole life, and now without warning my body had fallen in line behind my mother.” I think this is when it finally hit her that she has completely became her own person

Adah Price:

As long as everyone could remember Adah never verbally spoke. In the beginning she was always the one being walked all over because of her disability. Yet, as the book progressed she felt a need to speak as she stated in one of her books in Exodus. “I have decided to speak, so there is the possibility of telling. Speaking became a matter of self-defense, since Mother seems to have gone mute, and with no one to testify to my place in the world I found myself at the same precipice I teetered upon when entering the first grade: gifted, or special education with the ear pulling Crawleys?” She too has changed; after the death of her baby sister, Ruth May, Adah came to realize that she too can also be similar to her sisters even though she is a “crooked little person”.

A love that will last...

Find someone who calls you beautiful instead of hot; who calls you back when you hang up on them; who will stay awake just to watch you sleep. Wait for that someone who kisses your forehead; who wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats; who holds your hand in front of their friends. Wait for the one who is constantly reminding you of how much they care about you and how lucky they are to have you. Wait for the one who turns to their friends and says, "this is the right one."

You're not gonna be his first, his last or his only. He's loved before & he probably will again. But if he loves you now, what else matters? He's not perfect & you aren't either. But if he can make you laugh at least once & cause you to think twice, admits to being human & making mistakes, hold on to him & give him the most you can.

He's not going to quote poetry, he's not going ot be thinking about you every moment, but he'll give you a part of him that he knows you can easily break. Don't hurt him, don't change him. Don't expect more than he can give, try not to over analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad & miss him when he's not there. You love him, & he loves you. Be happy that you even have something as special as that.

Dear Athletes,

People don't play sports because its fun. Ask any athlete, most of them hate it, but they couldn’t imagine their life without it. It’ part of them, the love/hate relationship. It’s what they live for. They live for the practices, parties, cheers, long bus rides, water, Gatorade, as well, as coaches you may hate but appreciate invitational, and countless pairs of different types of shoe. They live for the way it feels when you beat your rival team by only one run in extra innings, and you know those 2 extra sprints you ran in practice were worth it. They live for the way you become a family with your team, they live for the countless songs you sing in your head when you're running ALL those laps. They live for the competition; they live for the friends, the practices, the memories, and the pain. It's who they are. It's who we are. WE ARE ATHLETES.

Bel & the Serpent Class discussion Reflection

In our small groups each group discussed how Orleanna's chapter began differently than in the other books. Also how she talked more about politics this time. Another thing each small group discussed was the different reactions to Ruth May's death that each of the girls, Orleanna, and Nathan had. We discussed how Rachel was more worried about how her mother, Orelanna, would react to Ruth May's death rather then actually worrying about the death of her "baby sister" herself. After this occurred Rachel realized that this was no longer a vacation to the Congo it was a reality and if or when they return to the United States the memories of "the Congo" will not just be something that can be forgotten. We discussed how Leah seemed to be in a state of shock rather than being sympathetic to the loss of her "baby sister." All Nathan Price really worried about was how his other daughters had not been baptized yet. Instead of morning over his youngest daughters death, his mentality of thinking is "Oh well". Ruth May's death came as something other than horrible to Adah. With Ruth May's death Adah came to realize that her and Ruth May are similar. They both seem to be "the eyes" now. Adah created her on palindrome, which is somewhat of a hymn, as a way of protecting herself and Ruth May from the spirits of the Congo. Adah's palindrome is one on the only ways Adah can truly express herself. We also discussed what Bel and the Serpent stand for or means. It was hard for our group to decide weather or not Bel was symbolic for Tata Kuvundundu or Nathan Price. We chose Tata Kuvundundu as a candidate to be Bel because in the Poisonwood Bible the villagers of the Congo falsely worship him. Yet, we also chose Nathan Price because he to in a way wants the Congolese people to worship him. Although he says he is preaching God's word, we, as a class, came to the conclusion that he seems to be doing "his job" for himself not others.

Lit Circle #3

New Critic

Passage (Leahʻs narration):
"YOU CANʻT JUST POINT to the one most terrible thing and wonder why it happened. This has been a whole terrible time, from the beginning of the drought that left so many without food and then the night of the ants, to now, the worst tragedy of all. Each bad thing causes something worse.

Analysis:
I thought this was an important quote to the whole text because Leah describes the cycle of life. She links bad tragedy and terrible thing together. She feels that lots of things relate to one another. She says how there is always a reason for almost everything if you just look hard enough for one. Leah also thinks that a person will go crazy if they think that all bad things happen as a way of punishment for his or her sins. She feels that God has given us a lifetime to punish ourselves and that we do not need to be punished.

Passage (Rachelʻs narration):
"I am surprised she hasnʻt tried to shoot an apple off my head, if we had an apple that is. There is not a speck of food anywhere. The ants ate everything people had stored up, which was not much to begin with because of the drought."

Analysis:
I feel this was an important quote to the text because it shows how when they are in the Congo things are not just given to them; they actually have to save up and conserve many things. Rachel talks about how Leah would shoot an apple off her head if the supplies were there.

Passage (Rachelʻs narration):
"Father went crazy. Weʻd always wondered what would happen if we flat out disobeyed him."

Analysis:
This was another quote said by Rachel. None of the Price girls have never flat out disobeyed their father; they had never seen his reaction or even wondered about what it would be. So when Leah decides to go out into the forest with her bow and arrow their father went after him; as Orleanna, Rachel, Adah, and Ruth May waited at home. Terrified of what he might do they locked their selves in their rooms by moving their beds in front of their doors. I think this was a significant quote to the entire text because if shows how no one ever hand the courage to stand up for something they believe is right, instead of just going with what their father says

History of the Congo during 1955-1966 & 2000-2006

The Independence Movement


"In 1955, when demands for independence were mounting throughout Africa, Antoine van Bilsen, a Belgian professor, published a “30-Year Plan” for granting the Congo increased self-government" (internet sorce). Most Belgians, who assumed that Belgian rule would continue in the Congo for a long period of time, accepted this plan. Yet some events proved this otherwise.

Congolese nationalists, notably Joseph Kasavubu and Patrice Lumumba became increasingly strident. They were greatly pleased by the visit of the French President Charles de Gaulle in late 1958 to the neighboring Middle Congo; which is today known as the Republic of Congo. He offered Africans the opportunity to vote in a referendum for continued association with France or for full independence. In January 1959, the Belgians slowly lost control of events in the Congo due to the serious nationalist riots in Kinshasa. In January-Febuary 1960 a roundtable conference was held with included Congolese Nationalists; it was dedcided then that the Belgian Congo would become fully independent on June 30, 1960


Independence and Conflict

The outcome of the ellections in June named Partice Lumumba as prime minister and Kasavubu as head of state. Due to ethnic and personal rivalries the Republic of the Congo, as the nation was once called, soon began to pull apart. These rivalries mainly began because of Belgian interest. "On July 4 the Congolese army mutinied, and on July 11 Moïse Tshombe declared Katanga, of which he was provisional president, to be independent. There were attacks on Belgian nationals living in the Congo, and Belgium sent troops to the country to protect its citizens and also its mining interests. Most Belgian civil servants left the country, thus crippling the government. On July 14, the UN Security Council voted to send a force to the Congo to help establish order; the force was not allowed to intervene in internal affairs, however, and could not act against the Katangan secession. Therefore, Lumumba turned to the USSR for help against Katanga, but on Sept. 5 he was dismissed as prime minister by Kasavubu. On Sept. 14, Col. Joseph Mobutu (later Mobutu Sese Seko), the head of the army, seized power and dismissed Kasavubu. On Dec. 1, Lumumba, who probably had the largest national following of any Congo politician, was arrested by the army; he was murdered while allegedly trying to escape imprisonment in Katanga in mid-Feb., 1961." Interenet source) By the end of that 1960's the Congo was divided into four quasi-independent parts: Mobutu held the west, including Kinshasa, then called Léopoldville; Antoine Gizenga, the self-styled successor to Lumumba, controlled the east from Kisangani, then known as Stanleyville; Albert Kalonji controlled S Kasai; and Tshombe headed Katanga, aided by Belgian and other foreign soldiers.



In Febuary 2000, the United Nations approved a force to monitor the accord but because of the situation in the Congo at the time, it was unstable to permit the force to move in. In December 2000 a new agreement calling for the pullback of all forces was signed; but it was signed without the participation of one of the rebel groups.

In January 2001, Kabila was assassinated. Joseph Kabila, was named his successor. Joseph Kabila's government resumed cooperating on peace negotiations, and ended the ban on political parties.

Beginning in March the forces of foreign nations began pulling back from the front lines and even pulling out from the Congo. "Peace talks began tentatively in October 2001, and in 2002 agreements were signed successively with one of the rebel groups, Rwanda, and Uganda, although no agreement was reached with the largest rebel force, the Rwandan-backed Congolese Rally for Democracy–Goma. By the end of October 2002, most foreign troops had been withdrawn from the Congo. The government and both main rebel groups reached an accord in Apr., 2003, when they signed a peace agreement that called for a power-sharing government led by President Kabila, and an interim parliament. Despite the peace deal, fighting continued in parts of the Congo, especially between tribal groups in the east, and in June, 2003, the United Nations dispatched French-led peacekeepers to E Congo in an effort to restore order."

In that same month the government and rebels agreed on the composition of the new government. The democratic elections were scheduled for 2005. By the time of the government's establishment it was estimated that 3.3 million people had died either directly or indirectly; due to the fighting that began in 1998.

At the end of July, 2006, Congo held elections for president and the national and provincial legislatures. Joseph Kabila won 44% of the presidential vote with a strong showing in E Congo but he failed to win the required majority; his party won 111 [[out of 500]] National Assembly seats and was able to form a governing coalition.
The presidential results caused a spark of violence between Kabila's partisans and those of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, the former rebel and interim vice president who was the runner-up [[with 20% of the vote]] and did well in W Congo.


The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

Literature Circle Notes on Book Two The Revelation

Reflection

A main topic that came up in our class’s discussion about Book Two in Revelations was how Methuselah could possibly be a metaphor for many different things. The main and most obvious connection that was made was Methuselah and the Price family. This was because like Methuselah the Price family was also in a way trapped in the Congo. Another topic we pondered on was “the Pygmies”. My specific group could not define “the Pygmies”; sadly, we thought they were animals of some sort. Yet when discussing our questions with other groups we came to the conclusion that they were actually a small tribal group of midgets. We also discussed how Ruth May compares herself to a green mamba snake; the Congos deadliest and quietest snake. It just seemed like a strange comparison that Ruth May had made. We discussed how Nathan Price seem to only be going on this missions for himself not necessarily for others and how this is an ego booster; much like Kravinsky. We also discussed how Nathan Price treats Orleana, his own wife, like she is just another one of his daughters. To close our discussion about Book Two in Revelations we discussed how different the lifestyles of the Price family are compared to the Congolese people. Mostly how the Congolese people had to learn survival skills at such a young age and how the young teenage girls already have babies of their own.

Love.

* Love - it can`t be explain, defined, or seen. no words or wisdom can truly define it`s feelings.

When I first saw you I was afraid to talk to you. When I first talked to you I was afraid to like you. When I first liked you i was afraid to ♥ you. Now that i love you....I am afraid to lose you.

I’ve found the one that I can be myself around that I can say whatever I want, I can laugh with, I can smile with. That I can hug, that I can kiss, That I can fight with, and that I can scream with and still be crazy about ♥

out of a token of my love for him i baked a giant cookie =D
enjoy...

Literature circle #2 Lexicographer

Lexicographer

Kikongan Lexicon

Ábu- more or less
Baka veh- this means “we don’t pay for that”
Bákala mpandi- a good strong man
Bandika- to kill someone (But if you spit it out to quickly, it means to pinch back a plant or deflower a virgin.
Bangala- means something precious and dear. (But the way the Reverend pronounces it, it means the poisonwood tree)
Batiza- to terrify, (But pronounced with the tongue curled just so means “baptism”
Báza –means twins
Bënduka(Termite)- someone who is bent sideways and walks slow; Crooked Walker (What Anatole called Adah) But it is also the name of a fast-flying bird, the swallow with curved wings who darts crookedly wuick through the trees near the river.
Béene – means as true as the truth can be (the name that Anatole calls Leah Price)
Bidumuka- is the magic name of a chicken
Bikinda- means spirits of the dead.
Biläla- means the wailing for the dead.
Brnduka –means a giraffe
Fyata- no money
Hantu- a place or time
Khrushchev- Communists
Kibáazu- means that someone had put a curse on them
Kintu- animals, stones, or bottles.
Kukwela- whats wa up
Kuntu- a quality if being (ie. Beautiful, hideous, or lame.
Leá- is the Kikongo word for nothing much
Leba- a much nicer word that means fig tree
Mangwansi- a type of bean
Marché- a fruit
Muntu- man, people, yet it also means more than just that there is no special difference between living people, dead people, children, not yet born, and gods.
Muteete – means the grass to clean the Congoleses teeth.
Mvúla- means a pale white termite that comes out after a rain.
Mvúndla- means rabbit.
Nkisi –a fetish from the Nganga Kuvudundu to ward off evil.
Nommo- means word (It comes from the mouth said Nelson. Ie. A song, poem, a scream, a prayer, a name, water)
Nommo Bandu –means the littlest one on the bottom (what Nelson called Ruth May Price)
Nommo Leba – Leah Price
Nommo Mvula –Rachel Price
Tata Bidibidi- Mr. Bird= Mr. Fowles= Brother Fowles= the minister who has this mission before us and got kicked out for consorting with the natives to much.
Trop de jolies filles –too many pretty daughters
Umvundla- a type of stew

Phrase:

Mbote a-akento akwa Kilanga. Bënzika kooko. –means “Hey there, ladies of Kilanga. Why don’t you cut me some slack for a change”.

Words:

Agitated- To cause to move with violence or sudden force.
Agoraphobia- An abnormal fear of open or public places.
Anomalous- Deviating from the normal or common order, form, or rule.
Apparition- A ghostly figure; a specter.
Artillery- Large-caliber weapons, such as cannon, howitzers, and missile launchers that are operated by crews.
Cajoled- To urge with gentle and repeated appeals, teasing, or flattery; wheedle.
Conniption- A fit of violent emotion, such as anger or panic. Also called conniption fit.
Consorting- To keep company; associate.
Deficient- Lacking an essential quality or element.
Deleterious- Having a harmful effect; injurious.
Delirious - Of, suffering from, or characteristic of delirium.
Deuteronomy- A book of the Bible.
Dismayed- To destroy the courage or resolution of by exciting dread or apprehension..
Direly- Warning of or having dreadful or terrible consequences; calamitous.
Exaggerated- To represent as greater than is actually the case; overstate.
Exasperated- To make very angry or impatient; annoy greatly.
Ferocity- The state or quality of being ferocious; fierceness.
Flout- To show contempt for; scorn.
Forged- To form (metal, for example) by heating in a forge and beating or hammering into shape.
Gouge- A chisel with a rounded, trough like blade.
Guff- Slang Nonsense; baloney.
Haste- Rapidity of action or motion.
Hearth- The floor of a fireplace, usually extending into a room and paved with brick, flagstone, or cement.
Hemiplegia- the disease that Adah has; where half her brain got wrecked some way before she was born so the other half had to take over, and it makes her so certain things backwards.
Herbivores- An animal that feeds chiefly on plants.
Idleness- To pass time without working or while avoiding work.
Imperious- Arrogantly domineering or overbearing.
Inkling- A slight hint or indication.
Inadequately- Not adequate to fulfill a need or meet a requirement; insufficient.
Interdenominational- Occurring between or among or common to different churches or denominations.
Insolence- The quality or condition of being insolent.
Jalopy- An old, dilapidated motor vehicle, especially an automobile.
Keen- Having a fine, sharp cutting edge or point.
Leniency- The condition or quality of being lenient.
Malignant- Showing great malevolence; disposed to do evil.
Mortar- vessel in which substances are crushed or ground with a pestle.
Pandemonium- A very noisy place.
Peculiar- Unusual or eccentric; odd.
Perspiration- The fluid, consisting of water with small amounts of urea and salts that is excreted through the pores of the skin by the sweat glands; sweat.
Philander- To carry on a sexual affair, especially an extramarital affair, with a woman one cannot or does not intend to marry. Used of a man.
Plea- An earnest request; an appeal.
Pragmatic- Dealing or concerned with facts or actual occurrences; practical.
Prodigy- person with exceptional talents or powers.
Quarrel- An angry dispute; an altercation.
Queried- To express doubt or uncertainty about; question.
Ransacking- To search or examine thoroughly.
Roused -To arouse from slumber, apathy, or depression.
Sheer -To swerve or cause to swerve from a course.
Smote- Past tense and a past participle of smite.
Snuff- To inhale (something) audibly through the nose; sniff.
Tactfully- Possessing or exhibiting tact; considerate and discreet.
Tattled- To reveal the plans or activities of another; gossip.
Toting- To haul; lug.
Tutelage- The capacity or activity of a guardian; guardianship.
Tyrannical- Of or relating to a tyrant or tyranny.
Utterly- Completely; absolutely; entirely.
Vexation- The act of annoying, irritating, or vexing.

Hello world I'm me...

Hello♥ so my name is Leilani, for those of you whom know me well you would know that I rarely allow people to call me by a certain name. So if I allow you to call me by that name then I TRULY DO LOVE YOU and your special!
I am a sophomore at ___A normal people___ school. A little bit about myself; where do I start...ok well. I am a witty, sarcastic, crazy, daring, joker, loving, lovable, loved, a dreamer, procrastinator, intelligent, outgoing, outspoken, groupie, adventurous, passionate, confident, yet not conceited ((I despise stuck up people)), Mysterious, Unpredictable, Persistent & Intense. I’m small but I have a big heart. I’m opinionated, independent, optimistic, benevolent, open-minded, easily consoled, honest, Forgiving but doesn't forget, introverted, extrovert, sensitive but don't always show it, serene, affable, and indecisive. I like a challenge. I love dancing. I have an amazing amount of energy and can be extremely playful. I can find fun in anything. I Love the Beach at any time* [[since I’ve been attending ___A normal people___ school I haven't been to the beach in a while && am starting to lose my tan]] I love fast cars. I'm high on life. I love rollercoaster’s but can’t stand going on a trillion all in one day! Always down for a good time. I hate Drama and people that start it but it's seem to have gone away since I left middle school. I hate boys but then can never get enough of them. I love trying out new things. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life & I know I’ll make plenty more. Don't give me your attitude; I have one of my own. I value love friendship & respect. I can definitely be quiet if I wanted to, and then there are other times where I'll talk to you forever. I Love my closest/true friends, although I only have a few of those, its all I need. I'm usually the crazy one out of the bunch, making everyone laugh. I live life to its fullest. I'm goofy... really goofy. I prefer wit and sarcasm over stupidity, but in the same respect, I’m just as serious. I'm a hopeless romantic. I'm in my own world most of the time. I hate liars & when people use/judge others. I'm not the kind of girl who says, I love you to every one of her boyfriends. I have to mean it before I say it, & I don't like when people throw those words around. I'm not the kind of girl who goes through a different guy every month either.

To all the fakes out there... Don't be someone your not. Be yourself. No matter what you will get HATED on through your life.

All that does is make you a stronger and more independent, intellectual human being that has something more to offer than the one that just brought you down. It makes you contribute more for what you believe in and teaches you to work your ass booty off that much harder. I am one of the most passionate people I know, and I have never been known to do anything with half my heart or halfass. Dancing in the rain is fun. I love being on the beach at night; it’s peaceful & romantic with someone you love. I love watching sun rises on the beach, concerts, Hispanic food, waffles, belts, parties, candles, music. I'm very independent, I always have been. I like to have everything clean, yet I don’t care for cleaning it myself; especially my own stuff. I love helping others. Getting me mad is not an easy task, neither is getting me. I can figure you out quicker than you think. I make wishes at 11:11, I love listening to it rain outside, but I hate when it storms & I’m alone. I have very high expectations and goals in life. I really want to succeed but at the same time fall in love. & I also have faith. I'm Strong Willed. I'm also very good at hiding how I really feel. & if you think you've figured me out, you haven't ;)

Historian

Apartheid plays a big role in book two The Revelation. Apartheid is "an official policy of racial segregation formerly practiced in the Republic of South Africa, involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against nonwhites, or A policy or practice of separating or segregating groups, or the condition of being separated from others; segregation" (Dictionary). Basically what that means is it is the segragation of two groups; mainly the White people concurring Africa; although Africa out numbers them.



Notes:
-1939 Lutton's General Store
-President Eisenhower spoke of having everything under control; the Kennedy boy said Uncle Ike was all washed up and we need look no farther the Congo.
- Eleanor Roosevelt
-Kilanga, June 90,1960
-The Belgium Army
The Belgium and American Business brought cilization to the Congo! American aid will be the Congo's Salvation.
-In seventy-five years the only road the Belgian ever built are the ones they ise to haul out siamonds and rubber.
- Not one single Congolese doctor and military officer, nothing, for the Beglian's don't allow them to get an education.
Communist
-Elections
-provisional government
-no longer The Republic of Congo

Regina Spektor

Regina Spektor was born in Moscow, Russia (in the former Soviet Union). She was born into a musical family. Her father was a photographer and also an amateur violinist, and her mother was a music professor in a Russian college of music; she now teaches at a public elementary school in Mount Vernon, New York. Regina Spektor studied classical piano since the age of six, practicing on a Petrof piano which was given to her mother by her grandfather. "She was also exposed to the music of rock and roll bands such as The Beatles, Queen, and The Moody Blues by her father, who obtained such recordings in Eastern Europe and traded cassettes with friends in the Soviet Union" (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Her family left the Soviet Union in 1989, when she was just nine, during the period of Perestroika when Jewish citizens were permitted to emigrate. Unfortunately, Regina had to leave her piano behind.

Beginnings as a songwriter

"In New York, Spektor gained a firm grounding in classical music from her piano teacher, Sonia Vargas, a professor at the Manhattan School of Music. Spektor studied with Vargas—whom Spektor's father had met through violinist Samuel Marder, Vargas's husband—until she was 17.[7] Although the family had been unable to bring their piano with them from Russia, Spektor found a piano on which to practice in the basement of her synagogue, also utilizing tabletops and other hard surfaces for this purpose.[2]
Although she had always made up songs around the house, Spektor first became interested in songwriting during a visit to Israel with the Nesiya Institute in her teenage years. Attracting attention from the other children on the trip for the songs she made up while hiking, she realized she had an aptitude for songwriting.[4] Following this trip, she was first exposed to the work of Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco, and other singer-songwriters, which gave her the idea that she could create her own songs.[4] She began writing her first a cappella songs around age 16, and wrote her first songs for voice and piano when she was nearly 18.[1]
Spektor completed the four-year studio composition program of the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College in Purchase, New York within three years, graduating with honors in 2001. Around this time, she also worked briefly at a butterfly farm in Luck, Wisconsin. She gradually achieved recognition through performances in the anti-folk scene in downtown New York City, most importantly at the East Village's Sidewalk Cafe, but also at the Living Room, Tonic, Fez, the Knitting Factory, and CB's Gallery.[2] During this period, she sold her self-produced CDs 11:11 (2001) and Songs (2002) at such performances" (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

She has a very unique style!

Quad Descriptions

Adah Price

But the way I see it through my Adah eyes
it is a flat plank clipped into pieces, rectangles
and trapezoids, by the skinny black-line
shadows of tall palm trunks. Through
Adah eyes, of the world is a-boggle with
color and shapes competing for a half-
brain's attention.


As I sat on a brick wall starring around the crowd of people whom just finished their 1:30 classes, I saw with my Adah eyes the sparkle of sequins across the quad shimmering in the sunlight much like the glistening off the ocean on a sunny day. The voices of people passed me, for a minute breaking the silence of my quiet day, much like a stampede of caribou. The trash around campus reminded me of the Congo and it's unsanitary ways. With my Adah eyes I saw the green tress and bushes swaying in the gentle breeze. They portrayed real live people reacting in motion to the earths call.

Cycle Paper

Much is expected of those to whom much is given. What have you been given and what, if any, expectations do you think people should have of you? What expectations do you have for yourself?

I have been blessed with the gift of a healthy life. I have also been given the opportunity to attend such a prestigious school. Although my parents don’t expect me to become the next president or a rocket scientist they do expect me to success. Not only because they know I can but because I have been blessed and given the right recourses to.

I have been blessed with good fortune and a good family foundation. I feel it is my right to give to my community what I can offer; such as Kravinsky had done. “Last summer, […] Kravinsky had given almost his entire forty-five-million-dollar real-estate fortune to charity, […]” (Pg 1. column 1 of the Gift). I might not be able to donate the efficient amount of money but I can help in other ways. Another thing Kravinsky offered. “[…] [Kravinsky] had donated a kidney […]” (Pg 1. column 2 of the Gift). I could donate my time and effort, I could share my education with children less fortunate, I could also even just donate my knowledge on life, and so much more. There are many ways to give back or help your community; it’s just a matter of the effort you put into it.

My expectations for myself are to finish these next two years of high school with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. I also expect myself to attend a good college, so that I can succeed in my life long goal to go into the field of medicine and become a plastic surgeon.

Ten significant quotes

Find at least two significant quotes from each chapter on pages 35-68 and respond to those quotes.

The Poisonwood Bible Entry (Roles)

What role do you think each child will play in the story The Poisonwood Bible?

Ruth May Price: Ruth May is the youngest of the four Price sisters; she is also referred to as the baby of the family. She is quite gullible and believes everything she hears from others. In her chapter she talks about a time when her class mate in Sunday school told her something about their new home in the Congo. “In Sunday school Rex Minton said we better not go to the Congo on account of the cannibal natives would boil us in a pot and eat us up. He said, I can talk like a native, listen: Ugga bugga bugga lugga. He said that means, I’ll have me a drumstick off’n that little one with the curly yellow hair. Our Sunday-school teacher Miss Bannie told him to hush up. But I tell you what, she didn’t say one way or the other about them boiling us in a pot and eating us up” (21). This quote shows us, the readers, how naïve and gullible Ruth May really is. Because she is the youngest of the family she still believes and supports everything her Father and Mother say meaning she doesn’t have her own voice yet.

Leah Price: Leah Price is the other twin, the healthy one, in the Price family. She seems to be quite observant of many things; she notices and infers things about her sister and others by just their actions and words. In a way she is critical and derisive towards others, mostly her own sisters. “In the beginning my sisters bustled indoors, playing the role of mother’s helper with more enthusiasm than they’d ever shown fir housework in all their born days. For one reason only: they were scared to set foot outside the house. Ruth May had the bizarre idea that our neighbors desired to eat her. Rachel, who sighted imaginary snakes at the least provocation, said,” Jeeze oh man,” rolled her eyes, and announced her plan to pass the next twelve months in bed” (35). Leah is Daddy’s little girl therefore she is glad to have gone on this journey to the Congo. She is also has the most positive attitude towards there new living style. She also supports and does everything Daddy says the right way. She plays the role of Daddy’s support system.

Adah Price: Adah Price is the quiet one with the disability of the twins in the Price family. People have said that she is quiet and choose not to talk much because of her disability. Although, Adah Price has a disability she is the most descriptive, observant, and keen out of the four sisters. She describes even the plainest things as elaborated as possible. I inferred this after she said, “But the way I see it through my Adah eyes it is a flat plank clipped into pieces, rectangles and trapezoids, by the skinny black-line shadows of tall palm trunks. Through Adah eyes, oh the world is a-boggle with colors and shapes competing for a half-brain’s attention” (30). Another example of this would be when she describes how her and her twin, Leah, grew different. “My twin sister, Leah, and I are identical in theory, just as in theory we are all made in God’s image. Leah and Adah began our life as images mirror perfect. We have the same eyes dark and chestnut hair. But I am a lame gallimaufry and she remains perfect. Oh, I can easily imagine the fetal mishap: we were inside the womb together dum-de-dum when Leah suddenly turned and declared, Adah you are just to slow. I am taking all the nourishment here and going on ahead. She grew strong as I grew weak. (Yes! Jesus loves me!) And so it came to pass, in the Eden of our mother’s womb, I was cannibalized by my sister” (34). She also loves and accepts each of her family members for their good characteristics and as well as their bad ones too; this includes accepting herself for who she is with her disability and all. She is the most honest and non bias; she seems to just tell it like it is. Adah, even with her disability, tells the clearest and most descriptive story line of their voyage through the Congo.

Rachel Price: Rachel Price is almost sixteen years old and is the oldest of the four Price sisters. She is at that stage in her life of adolescents and is in a way “to cool” to be seen with out of date family or parents. I inferred this after she had said, “Mother took hold of her hand and also mine—something I would not have tolerated in the slightest back home in Bethlehem” (22). I also inferred that she was a lot more concerned with her material items and looks then their twelve-month mission in the Congo; after she had said, “Day one in the Congo, and here my brand-new tulip-tailored linen suit in Poison Green with square mother-of-pearl buttons was fixing to give up the goat” (23). The modern day materialistic arose in her throughout their trip. I inferred that she is very depended on modern living and when put in the situation of their twelve-month mission she complains and refers a lot to the things they should have brought. An example of when this was shown when she always talked about what they should have brought. “Another thing we should have brought: Listerine” (23). Rachel is by far the most materialistic of the four as well as the biggest complainer. She will never forgive her father for pushing her outside of her comfort zone and removing her from her content life in Georgia. Instead of trying to make the best of the voyage to the Congo all she seems to be doing is complaining. This inference was made when she said, “A roar of voices and weird birds lombarded my ears and filled my head to the brink. I am sensitive to noise of any kind—that and the bright sunlight both give me tension headaches, but the sun at least by then had gone down” (24).

Response to Genesis quote.

And God said onto them,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish earth,
and subdue it: and have dominion
over the fish of the sea, every the fowl of the air,
and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:28


This quote teaches us about the meaning of life. It shows us, the readers, a way of living life to its full potential. After reading this quote many times I, personally, feel that it’s indirectly showing us how life is beautiful and how we need to add to this earth. We need to put forth our share. Basically, it’s saying that we need to have power for what we contribute to this earth. Although many people find religion missionaries cause conflict; I feel it’s good to believe in something. I believe in religion, God, and the right way. After reading this quote I think that the chapters in Book One will describe the way to live life and how we contribute our own personal part in the world. I think it might describe the way the characters live and their troubles.

Quintessence Piece

I chose my diary because I feel it is the only thing I have been truly honest to. Sad, I know, but true. There are just some things that I feel shouldn’t be said. Most of the time these things are harmless; yet, other times they would be better unrevealed. This diary knows my life’s deepest darkest truths. Within it it holds writings about everything from the clothes I wore that day to my deepest untold secrets.

Interview with Senor Bigglesworth

1. What was your initial reaction to Singers Solutions to World Poverty when he said that $200.00 will solve the problems?

“I think he doesn’t have the ground to be saying something like that. I also believe he’s assuming that everyone has that kind of money to be donating and that this solution/amount will actually work.”

2. Is sacrificing for others the ultimate good? Christ has sacrificed his own life. Should we too sacrifice ours so that others may live?

“Sacrificing for others is not necessarily always the ultimate good because it’s also important to consider yourself and not always or only think of others.”

3. If a homeless child in rags stood in front of you and asked for help most likely you would help them. So why is suffering that is personal harder to allow than suffering we see on TV or that we read about in the newspaper?

“Suffering that is personal is harder to allow than suffering that we see on TV or that we read about in the newspaper because you personal feel the quilt and you can help the child right then and there. Once you are approached by the child you are part of the situation meaning that you are obligated to help him. When it is on TV or in the newspaper we feel bad and want to help but don’t always get around to actually doing so.”

4. Should sacrifice always be treated like a math problem? Should a person sacrifice their own life only if more than one person will live because of this sacrifice? These are both things that Kravinsky had done and thought about.

“No, I don’t think math should be treated like a math problem because math is math and sacrifice is sacrifice. I mean sacrificing your own life for the sake of others is just dumb; I believe every person was put on this earth for a reason no matter what the reason is.”

5. How would you define being needy or a needy person?
"I think you’re needy when you’re in a position that if you don’t seek the help of others than you’ll lose your life.”

Boats and Birds by Gregory And the Hawks sung by KristenTrayer

The song Boats and Birds is originally sung by Gregory and the Hawks. I love this song because it has an amazing effect on my mood; it makes me calm and very happy. She has a beautiful voice that is soothing and has tranquility. Her music always puts me in a good mood when i hear it.

*The song is not being sung by them but a young woman named Kristen Trayer.

I know "Me"...

As of now I know so much yet so little of life. I know procrastination. I know the consequences of my actions before hand. I know the meaning of being trustworthy. I know what it means to be and to have a best friend. I know and prefer wit and sarcasm over stupidity. I know how to be crazy. I know daring. I know joke. I know dreams. I know intelligence. I know outgoing. I know outspoken. I know groupie. I know adventurous. I know passion. I know confidence. I know mystery. I know I am unpredictable. I know persistent. I know intensity. I know opinion. I know independence. I know optimism. I know benevolent. I know open-mined. I know when to be easily consoled. I know honesty. I know forgiveness, but never forget. I know class. I know introverted. I know extrovert. I know sensitivity, but may not always show it. I know serene. I know when I am affable. I know indecisiveness. I know challenge. I know dancing. I know music. I know faith. I know energy. I know friendly. I know playful. I know I'm high on life. I know mistakes. I know attitude. I know humor. I know conversation. I know romance. I know success. I know goals. I know failure. I know self peace.
I don't know where the future will lead me. I don't know what tomorrow will have in store for me. I don’t know true love or when you are in love. I don’t know death. I don't know what "nothing" is. I don't know why we are here. I don't know rape. I don't know when the end of the world will be. I don't know world peace. I don't know world hunger or thirst. I don't know divorce. I don't know war.