simple and clean is the way that you're makin' me feel tonight

Post 21 :: Poisonwood Infinity


I


Psychological Critic


Notes for class:

--Nathan Price

I think he would be an interesting character to look at in terms of psyche and motivation. Since the book is narrated by his four daughters and his wife, the only perspective we have on him comes through their eyes. We don't get a chance to see through his point of view, and thus, I think his motivations are definitely harder to get a hold of; however, if I were to make an assumption, I would think that a lot of his motivation comes from religion (obviously), and that he believes he is truly "saving" the Congolese people. I actually disagree, but I'll save that for later.

His motivations could be more complex, however, and because we don't actually hear his thoughts on what goes on and what he does, we will most likely never know exactly what his motivations are.

Q: What do you think his motivations are? What evidence leads you to believe so?

--Leah

She would also be interesting to look at. Although I have not finished Book Two: The Revelation yet, it is evident in the reading that Leah is changing. Whether it be her opinion of her father or the tone of voice used in the writing, there is something different about her. She's beginning to realize more and more, starting to question things she would have formerly taken for solid fact. I'm not sure why this is happening, but it could be because of the isolation; without other things to take up time, you are given more time to think and brood on whatever happens in your rather uneventful life. Also, she could simply be "smelling the coffee," so to speak. The exposure to the Congo and its people is giving her a taste of what the real world is like. Not the idealized and white world they're so used to.

--Adah

It would be quite difficult to figure out Adah's motivations. Most of what we're told throughout the book involves what is going on inside her head. There are very few lines that actually tell us about what she does or how she acts. Also, because she is the way she is, she rarely seems to feel obligated to justify herself or her actions. Her motivation for her actions are much less clear because of the way she narrates.

Q: What /are/ Adah's motivations? Toward what goal?

--Ruth May

I'm not quite sure what to think. I'm sure our group can come up with interesting ideas/speculations as to where Ruth May wants to go with her life and relationships. This may sound like it's getting a little too complicated for little innocent, naive Ruth May, but really, what are the driving forces behind her actions? Why does she act the way she does? Does she really act purely on what she is given/introduced to by her father?