Essay #1

"Exile i strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home; it's essential sadness can never be surmounted ." Edward Said has also stated that exile can become a "potent, even enriching" experience.  Barbra Kingsolvers' Poisonwood Bible is a great example of exile. Choosing to leave the comfort of their hometown in Georgia and take a risk and venture into Congo, Africa strips the Price family of their traditional and familiar customs. This abrupt change has an obvious affect on the eldest daughter Rachel Price.

At the age of fifteen, Rachel is taken away from her hometown at the very peak of her development. Disconnected from friends and family, Rachel has been remove from her familiar surroundings to pursue her fathers crazy idea to go spread the word of God to the people of Congo. New languages, surroundings, people, cultures and experiences are put on Rachel's plate as she is forced to adapt to a new habitat.

The move doesn't seem to benefit Rachel at first, the food is different and the people disgust her. Ms. Price's outlook widely differs from the rest of the people in the new country she now lives in. Rachel Price has a personality that values nothing more than material items and appearance. Due to these complications, Ms. Price seems to have a problem adjusting to her new surroundings. After thoroughly patronizing the women for their bearing of bare breasts, she continues to rave about how she dislikes her surroundings. Overall, she seems to have negative thoughts about being exiled from Georgia. The journey to Congo appears to have nothing but negative outcomes for Rachel and her family, not only are they in a foreign place but they also lose their youngest daughters life while staying there. The "compelling thought" of trying something new comes into the horrid reality of what it's really like to be stripped of your comfort. It appears to be almost apparent to the readers at this point, that when the chance arises, Rachel will be the first of her family to leave back to her homeland.

To much surprise there is an ironic twist to Rachel's unfortunate experience in exile. Though her character has ceased to render or change at all from the experience in Congo, Rachel remains in Africa with the same arrogant mindset as she came. This change in mindset was mainly influenced by her Husband(s) in which she decides to stay in Congo as the wife of a luxury hotel owner. Thus making Edward Said's final quote about exile being "potent, and enriching", a valid point.