i am not a hero

Post 19 :: Poisonwood Infinity Reflection


I


We had literature figure eights about two days ago (?), and I just thought I'd write some of these down.

On Nathan Price:

We began to talk about his intentions/motivations for going to Africa -- they were good intentions, right? I'm not sure I can agree with his intentions even if they were good; it seems to me like his little excursion is kind of like self-gratification hidden behind a veil of good intent and "salvation." Unfortunately, I'm extremely biased, as well as extremely cynical, so these thoughts probably either oversimplify or seem very... "all or nothing."

I just feel like his going to Africa to bring those people "salvation" is, in its very essence, thinking of them as inferior. That you want to save someone implies that you think they need saving. What if they don't want saving? Do they need it? Is Nathan Price "saving" these people out of the kindness of his heart? Why should they need saving? Does he have a right to change these people?

I also agreed with the idea of his having to adapt to the Congo way of life versus his old way of life. Instead of trying to recreate his own home and familiar, religious surroundings in the Congo, he needs to learn that maybe these people don't need "saving." Maybe they don't need anything at all (although this is probably not true) from him and his religion -- and his God.

Another thing that was brought up is the lack of Nathan's point of view (POV). This was interesting, because the class said that all the girls thought rather the same thing of their father, with the exception of, possibly, Adah. I agree and disagree at the same time, if you know what I mean. I think their ideas of their father are very different. It's the way we perceive these accounts and how... I don't quite know how to explain it. They have different opinions of him, but those are all linked to one image that produces such opinions. Ah -- it was interesting that we all, as a class, seemed to paint the same picture of Nathan through the girls' separate accounts.

I'm not making much sense, am I?

On Ruth May:

In class, we thought maybe her opinion was the least biased. (Or, some people thought, the most biased.) I agree with those who said she is the most biased; if you think about it, her naivety may very well screw up everything she hears. If one is not aware of the complexities of certain issues, that may lead to oversimplification. Plus, as Eddie brought up, she's young. She doesn't know any better, and she's not old enough to begin questioning what she is taught. All she does is spit out what she's heard. It's not her voice we're hearing, in a way.

And it's extremely late. Or should I say early? Good night. Morning. Whatever.