Poisonwood Bible Blog post #4

The mother is one of the most important characters from The Poisonwood Bible. At first, she seems to be an underwhelming character who blends into her role in the family. She fits into this box of a reluctantly obedient, simple wife of the Reverend, and she was first introduced through her subtle nagging throughout the packing process. She was a southern belle, with a heavy accent and an overuse of the word sugar. Even the Underdowns seemed condensing and unimpressed with the family, and mocked the mother’s accent. The Poiosnwood bible is centered around female characters, and only told in a female perspective. The role of a religious wife becomes increasingly conflicting with that of a mother. She has to choose whether she wants to save her kids from the congo and their father, or stay faithful. She seems to be a platonically religious person who involves herself in the mission only because it was her husband's wish. She pays for this dearly in the end as Nathan's zealotry costs the family almost everything. 

She has turned into a heartbreaking character through the progression of the novel. Even when she began her journey in the village, before her perspective is even introduced, readers are given a glimpse of her kindness. She is shown to be slower to judgement than her husband. At the welcome dinner, she unflinchingly told her daughters to eat the food the people of Kilanga provided under threat of punishment, most likely because the Reverend had just criticized the females for not wearing shirts despite the cultural difference. Later, she decides to cook a feast of chicken for the whole village in honor of the fake Easter. While her husband was sour that his ceremony did not turn into a mass baptism, he was missing the festivities around him as his wife made actual progress bonding with the tribesmen. He was limited by his obsessive goal to integrate Christianity into Kilanga and had no actual motivation to improve the lives of the Congolese or foster a relationship with them. Orleanna is a much more open person who feels tremendous guilt over their role in the crimes against the Congo. She also is devastated by the death of her youngest daughter, and her lack of action to stop it. She feels complicit to their crimes, and eventually makes the decision to save her children at the price of her husband. Nathan has sunk deeper into the role of a missionary, and becomes a dangerous fanatic.