In class Essay

    Throughout the novel The Poisonwood Bible, the main character Mr. Price experiences a huge cultural change.  After being born and raised in a wealthy American suburbs, him and his family's move to Africa in order to spread their beliefs and end up learning more about themselves along the way.  These effects that the change in surroundings play on Mr Price and his family help to portray the author's theme of figuring out your beliefs through experiences over tradition. 

    Mr. Price experiences an awakening in Africa when he discovers many harsh aspects of the world he had been unaware of in his life in America.  These discoveries helped to develop his role in uncovering the theme throughout the novel.  Mr. Price being a devout christian father was always family oriented and loving.  The experiences he encounters in Africa affect him and his family much differently.  Mr. Price remains strict on his morals and ideas and excepting of anything else.  Mr. price begins to push away from not only those villagers but his family.  Mr. Price also begins to develop more anger and this makes him less and less appealing to his own family.  Ironically, Mr. Price's mission to spread Christianity in Africa ended up with his own family leaving him. 

   The change in culture experienced by the family in The Poisonwood Bible played a large impact in helping to reveal a theme of the novel.  Experiencing new ways of life and beliefs can change a person's own if they are accepting to question their own.  The beliefs of some change due to these experiences while others sometimes stay constant in the things they believe and choices to be accepting of anything else distant them from many others with opposing views.