Payton Azhocar

Curmano
Language Arts 6
27 October 2015
The PWB Questions
1. The Price family has accepted that their old life in Bethlehem, Georgia is long
gone and that nothing will ever be the same after the mission in the Congo. Theyre
adapting to their new and more isolated life and discovering how to survive in the
conditions of the Congo as well as dealing with the dramatic events involving the election
and the Independence of the Congo.
2. Nathan Price should have stayed in Georgia because there he at least understood
the language of the people and was surrounded by those with similar religious beliefs and
worldly views. Therefore it would have been much easier to convert people to
Christianity.
3. Without the parrot and more importantly Mama Tataba, Orleanna feels
overwhelmed and confused by the everyday aspects of life in the Congo such as the
struggle to provide passable meals for her family and boil water. The novel also
mentioned Orleanna and the price girls being lost in the rainforest. Orleannas confusion
may be foreshadowing for a more severe form of the word lost.
4. Orleanna - bird, Mother Goose-nurturing yet yearns to be free
Rachel - peacock -dumb, flamboyant, vain
Leah - small fish-feeds off of bigger fish, depends on them for safety
Ada - Crow-intelligent, problem solver, observant
Ruth May - butterfly - oblivious, innocent
Nathan - donkey-stubborn
5. Orleanna - lives in constant fear of how religion poisioned her, sometimes defies
traditional beliefs
Rachel - does not seem to have an interest in religion
Leah - heavily influenced by Nathan and his strict religious views, thinks that her and her
father are righteous because they are Christian and close to God
Ada - develops her own views and opinions through observing life, does not seem very
religious compared to the rest of the family
Ruth May - is young and does not understand religion as well as the others, but seems to
follow the rules and standards
Nathan - forceful, faithful Catholic, who believes he is always righteous and everything
that he does is in gods will
6. Things have changed between Ada and her father because of Adas fortunate
escape from a lion. This miracle is considered the works of Nathans god and gives
him a second chance to show the power and legitness of his god compared to ancestral
Gods in the Congo.
7. Methulsalah symbolizes the trapped Congolese with his inability to fly. His death
is mentioned on Independence Day to symbolize the freedom of the Congo. However,
they are both freed in mysterious and dark ways.

8. Language plays a huge role in the novel as it shows the importance of tone within
communication. Adah is especially skilled when it comes to interpreting tone, which may
explain her ability to quickly learn languages. Tone is a constant motif as the language
spoken in the village depends greatly upon tone. One word said with different tones can
mean two completely different things. Nathan Price is completely ignorant to the
importance of tone, so he is often misunderstood by the villagers.
9. I feel as though Orleanna represents the imperialism in the Congo as Nathan and
her children have taken over her life. The Price family as a whole could also represent the
imperialism in Africa, but they also mention snakes, venom, and poison a ton in the
novel. They could also present the snake in Eden, luring the villagers, or Adam and Eve,
to taste the forbidden fruit of Christianity.
1. Why doesnt Nathan get to tell his side of the story? Theres not one chapter in his
point of view.
2. Will Leah conform to traditional standards pressured by Nathan (to get married,
be a lady) or will she forge her own path (a life full of education, knowledge, and pants)?