Essay #1

   There is a quote, spoken by man known as Richard von Weizsaecker, and it reads, "Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance." It was the guilt of living that drove Nathan Price deeper into God's tight embrace.  He saw himself as a coward,  being lucky enough to escape that retched death march while his comrades died around him. As a result, Reverend Price sought  to rescue as many souls as he could, but little did he know that his beloved "Poisonwood Bible " would eventually come between him and everyone around him.
    In the beginning, it was a noble goal and Nathan Price had good intentions. Although, it was soon very evident that he was intolerant of ideas he was not familiar with. His refusal to learn and/or accept any of the native customs drove a wedge between him and many of the villagers, including Mama Bekwa Tataba and Chef Tata Ndu. Without the support and respect of the village chef, very few townsfolk actually took his preachings seriously.
   Frustrated with the lack of progress, Reverend Price began to focus more and more on his refining his teachings and sermons, resulting in the withdrawal of his family. God had clouded his vision to the events that were unfolding around him. His constant refusal to leave the area caused his wife and daughter, Orelanna and Rachel,  to become spiteful towards him. Meanwhile, his attempts to impose gender roles onto Leah caused her to lose respect for him.
   His devotion to God turned into an obsession with redeeming himself . He was not able to save the lives of his comrades, and in his mind, he believed God saw him as a failure. Frighten by the idea of Hell, Nathan chose to forget his initial reason for redemption and instead of avenging his fallen comrades, he chose his own salvation. The safety and well-being of his family meant nothing to him, his only worry was the condition of his soul.
    Unknowingly to him, it was Nathan's own selfishness that led to his exile. Barbara Kingsolver does not give much insight into the years of isolation Nathan faced after the departure of his family, but it seems that he was not affected much as his daughters were. Reverend Nathan Price was indeed a servant of God, and in his insane delusion he lost his family and eventually his life.