Revised: Leah in the Quad

Frankly, I have no idea how I ended up here. I think I might have fallen asleep again somehow, which I so often do these days in my old age, and I'm actually dreaming. Indeed, maybe I'll wake up in a moment from my nap and realize this has all been just a figment of my imagination.

But still, in this vision, I can't help but admit my surroundings amaze me. The buildings are solidly-built with strong stones and bricks. There are trees and bushes everywhere, in addition to their countless leaves on the ground below. And I wonder, What would it have been like for one of Anatole’s students to learn in one of these impressive buildings? To look out the window each day and see the sun shining brightly on perfectly green grass next to smooth concrete walkways? To hear the laughter of the students already here and listen to their music?

But alas, it was not meant to be in the Congo. Suddenly, I remember everything, and a pang of regret pierces my heart. A second later, I reproach myself for once again lamenting about what might have been. I have told myself again and again that I must put the past behind me and focus on the here and now. And yet, no matter what time of day it is or where I am, my thoughts always turn back to the Congo. Will my time there always haunt me? Once more, I silently and bitterly ask God (if the rumors are true that he exists), For what purpose were we sent there? Tell me, why did we need to suffer such pain and heartache each day?

He doesn’t answer. Of course not. He never does, it seems to me.

But today, as I stand surrounded by this school that is unknown to me, practically shaking with anger, something gives way. Something cracks inside my soul, and I know the reason that has always been enticingly out of reach before. Anatole is the reason. Yes, him, along with Pascal, Patrice, Martin-Lothaire, and Nataliel. I lost my sister, but I gained much more back. Why? Well, how could I know?

Faintly irritated, I gaze at the buildings once more as if they could in some way give me the answer to my newest question, but I may never know or even acknowledge what that answer is. Inside, I feel as if I had escaped from my cage, only to find myself captured in another. But surprisingly, my new confinement feels more…pleasing to me…like a place I can endure. I watch as a couple birds alight into a tree, and finally I begin to smile.

Leah In the Quad

I have no idea how I came to be here. The only logical conclusion I can come up with is that I somehow fell asleep again (which I so often do these days in my old age) and am dreaming, or maybe this is a vision I was meant to see. I’ll know soon, I guess.

Anyway, that is neither here nor there. But I must confess I was awed by my surroundings when I first set eyes on this place. The buildings were solidly-built with strong stones and bricks, and each structure was several dozens of feet tall. I have never been here before, but I went along with it since I believe this is all just a dream. I thought to myself, What would it have been like for one of Anatole’s students to learn in one of those impressive buildings? To look out the window each day and see the sun shining brightly on perfectly green grass next to smooth concrete walkways? To hear the laughter of the students already here and listen to their music?

But alas, it was not meant to be in the Congo. A pang of regret pierced my heart. Will my time there always haunt me? Again, I ask God (if it is true he even exists), For what purpose were we sent there? Why did we need to suffer such pain and heartache each day? Tell me because I want to know!

But as I stand surrounded by this school that is unknown to me, practically shaking with anger, I know somehow. Anatole is the reason. Pascal, Patrice, Martin-Lothaire, and Nataliel. I lost my sister, but I gained much more back. Why, you may ask? I still don’t know.

I glance at the buildings once more as if they could in some way give me the answer, but I may never know or even acknowledge what it is. I watch some birds alight into a tree, but for once I close my eyes and turn away.

Husband and Wife

It seems there are two husband-wife relationships that are mentioned in The Poisonwood Bible. The first is obviously between Nathan and Orleanna, and the other is between the Belgians and the Congo. Actually Orleanna herself established the latter relationship as one of spouses. She did so at the end of “The Judges” when she pitied the “poor Congo, barefoot bride of men who took her jewels and promised the kingdom” (201). Here, I think Orleanna was relating herself to the Congo, and both relationships look like they have some similarities.

For example, both “couples” have been struggling through some arising changes in terms of their relationships. First of all, the Congo became an independent nation, changing its name from the Belgian Congo to the Republic of Congo. It was at this time that it seemed the Congo had escaped from the Belgians’ oppressive colonial power. However, a few months later, Lumumba was murdered under the orders of President Eisenhower. It was as if the Congo had been rebelling, appeared to succeed, and then was harshly admonished for its rebellion.

In a similar way, Orleanna has been standing up for her beliefs, even if that means talking back to Nathan. An instance of this is when Nathan suggests the Congo is helpless, and Orleanna defends the Congo (53). Yet another example is when Anatole ate dinner one night and argued with Nathan. After Anatole left, Orleanna spoke up and reproached Nathan for not handling Anatole very well (133). Between the two examples, Nathan became very angry and hurt Orleanna verbally and emotionally. He insulted her and broke her prized china platter. These instances demonstrate the bad treatment she receives after attempting to “rebel” against Nathan’s power as head of the family and as her husband.

Also, the Congo is exploited for the purposes of the Belgians just as Orleanna is used by Nathan for his own intentions. When Leah accompanied Nathan to the independence ceremony in which Patrice Lumumba spoke, she heard Lumumba talk passionately about how the Belgians “despoiled their land and used the Negroes for slaves, just as long as [they] could get away with it” (183). In addition, Orleanna sadly observes how she “was [Nathan’s] instrument, his animal. Nothing more” (89). I think she and the Congo—each as a spouse that is powerless in a marital relationship—are unable to prevent their “husbands” from using them in whatever way they wish. They try at times to loosen the chains of their bondage, but unfortunately their attempts do not seem to bring about any successful results.

Wife, Bird, and Country

It has already been established that Methuselah (the parrot) is connected to the Congo in some way ("Methuselah was a sly representative of Africa itself." p.60). However on closer inspection of the text, it seems Orleanna is somehow also connected to the Congo and Methuselah. It is true for all three that someone else entered their world and demanded a certain way of life. For Orleanna, she met Nathan, who brought her to the Congo after they married. He expected her to adapt to living in the Congo and be a humble, submissive wife. For Methuselah, he had been brought out of the wild and was expected to survive and live in the civilized world. For the Congo itself, the Europeans arrived and brought with them new ideas in terms of ways of life: the Christian religion and what could be considered the "civil" lifestyle.

In a way, Orleanna, Methuselah, and the people of the Congo all no longer have their freedom. They are no longer in charge of their own life, so to speak, and have lost their sense of self or identity. This is because other people have entered their lives and taken control of their way of living. As a result, they now are only a mere shell of their previous identity and could be thought of as puppets who now have no free will or the choice to make their own decisions. For example, Orleanna says that she "was lodged in the heart of darkness, so thoroughly bent to the shape of marrriage [she] could hardly see any other way to stand. Like Methuselah [she] cowered beside [her] cage, and though [her] soul hankered after the mountain, [Orleanna] found, like Methuselah, [she] had no wings (201)". Orleanna had changed after her marriage and found herself without the ability to do anything about it.

Also, it was suggested in class that it is as if the voice they speak with now is not their real voice. Methuselah only imitates other people's voices, such as Brother Fowles' or Orleanna's; he really doesn't have his own voice. For Orleanna, she must accept and go with all of Nathan's decisions. Furthermore, she can't speak her own mind around Nathan because he won't let or listen to her. Finally, with the people of the Congo, they were not able to voice their opinions on the arrival of the Europeans. The Europeans had simply come and immediately attempted to change the way of life of the Congolese people. All in all, Orleanna, Methuselah, and the Congo were perhaps all unjustly forced to do things they might not have originally been comfortable with. Therefore, the connection between the three of them must be significant.