Connect the Biblical quotation from Bel and the Serpent that introduces Book Four to the narrative in Book Four. 1. Explain the Biblical quotation itself and 2. Make the connections. Due: March 23
"Do you not think that Bel is a living God? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?"
The connection between book four and the Bible passage included in it is an obvious one. First of all, the Bible story is explained in the novel's chapters: "The Babylonians had an idol they called Bel... Every day they bestowed upon the statue of Bel twelve bushels of flour, forty sheep, and fifty gallons of wine... but Daniel worshiped the Lord.. Daniel laughed at them" (Kingsolver 329). Spilling ashes on the floor as an ingenious trap, Daniel exposes the priests and their false god as their footprints give evidence of their dishonesty. The truth comes out, and God is supreme once more. The Price girls use a similar mechanism in order to expose the truth in The Poisonwood Bible. Following Daniel's example, they cover their floor with ash in order to catch any unsuspecting intruder in their chicken house, and, sure enough, they discover the culprit the next morning. However, something goes terribly wrong. It is interesting that Kingsolver chose the bible verse translation that is titled "Bel and the Serpent". In my research, I encountered many versions titled "Bel and the Dragon" containing a similar story. The reason behind Kinsolver's word choice is evident to anyone who has read the book. Near the end of book four, Ruth May is bitten by a very poisonous snake and dies. In a regrettable turn of events, the Price family's reality is shattered by the death of their youngest member. Like the Babylonians when they learned of their God's true nature, the Price women stand helpless as their illusion of safety and consistency is shattered. "The whole world would change then," Rachel says, "and nothing would be all right again" (Kingsolver 366). It took the striking of a serpent to make them realize that they are not welcome in the Congo, that they are not safe, that they must leave. It took the death of her youngest child to stir Orleanna Price into action. The false idol has fallen, and the culprits have been exposed. All there is left to do is to pick up the pieces and move on.
I am a teacher of AP English Literature and Composition, American Literature, Journalism and Creative Writing at Escuela Americana in San Salvador. This blog was developed for my AP English Literature class. Its original purpose was to allow two literary units to run simultaneously: Frankenstein would be an independent study via this blog, while the class time was devoted to Informal essays. Since then it has been a way to add depth to several literary units.
1 comment:
"Do you not think that Bel is a living God? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?"
The connection between book four and the Bible passage included in it is an obvious one. First of all, the Bible story is explained in the novel's chapters: "The Babylonians had an idol they called Bel... Every day they bestowed upon the statue of Bel twelve bushels of flour, forty sheep, and fifty gallons of wine... but Daniel worshiped the Lord.. Daniel laughed at them" (Kingsolver 329). Spilling ashes on the floor as an ingenious trap, Daniel exposes the priests and their false god as their footprints give evidence of their dishonesty. The truth comes out, and God is supreme once more.
The Price girls use a similar mechanism in order to expose the truth in The Poisonwood Bible. Following Daniel's example, they cover their floor with ash in order to catch any unsuspecting intruder in their chicken house, and, sure enough, they discover the culprit the next morning. However, something goes terribly wrong.
It is interesting that Kingsolver chose the bible verse translation that is titled "Bel and the Serpent". In my research, I encountered many versions titled "Bel and the Dragon" containing a similar story. The reason behind Kinsolver's word choice is evident to anyone who has read the book. Near the end of book four, Ruth May is bitten by a very poisonous snake and dies. In a regrettable turn of events, the Price family's reality is shattered by the death of their youngest member. Like the Babylonians when they learned of their God's true nature, the Price women stand helpless as their illusion of safety and consistency is shattered. "The whole world would change then," Rachel says, "and nothing would be all right again" (Kingsolver 366). It took the striking of a serpent to make them realize that they are not welcome in the Congo, that they are not safe, that they must leave. It took the death of her youngest child to stir Orleanna Price into action. The false idol has fallen, and the culprits have been exposed. All there is left to do is to pick up the pieces and move on.
Post a Comment