Significant Quotes from The Poisionwood Bible (35-68)

Leah (pages 35-42)

"If only I could ever bring forth all that I knew quickly enough to suit Father" (37).

This quote is significant because it shows how much Leah wants to impress and live up to her father's expectations, but she never seems to be able to because her father is so demanding.

“I vowed to work hard for His favor, surpassing all others in my devotion to turning the soil for God’s great glory” (38).

This quote also shows how Leah wants to impress her father. She wants to be his favorite. So, she works so hard helping him with their garden.

Rachel (pages 43-49)

“It is a disturbing sight to see a good-sized girl in a ruffled dress, and not a hair on her head. Consequently they are all envious of mine they frequently walk up boldly and give it a yank” (48).

This quote shows how Rachel is mostly concerned about appearences. Especially her own because she thinks that she is very pretty, and assumes that just because the people yank her hair they are envious of it.

"I was sore at Father all right, for having us to be there in the first place. But it was plain to see he was put out, too, something fierce. When he gets his mind set on something you'd just as well prepare to see it through" (49).

This quote shows what her father, Nathan's, personality is like. He is very hard headed, and he will try anything to get what he wants, which right now is for the people of the Congo to accept christianity, and be saved by the lord.

Ruth May (pages 50-54)

“She has shoes too. They used to be white but now they’re dirt-color. Anything that ever was white is not white here. That is not a color you see. Even a white flower opening up on a bush just looks doomed for this world” (50).

This quote shows us Ruth May's innocence and age. This could be a metaphor for what is going to happen to the Price family because they are some of the only white people in Kikongo, and they are not ment to be there.

"They won't talk about the bad things in front of my sisters, but me I can listen all the livelong day while I'm getting me a banana in the kitchen house and peeling it" (51).

This quote shows that even though Ruth May is only five years old, she is a lot smarter than she seems. She takes advantage of the fact that she is young and innocent to listen into conversations, and find out things she otherwise wouldn't be able to know about.

Adah (pages 55-63)

“This is our permanent order: Leah, Ruth May, Rachel, Adah. Neither chronological nor alphabetical but it rarely varies, unless Ruth May gets distracted and falls out of line” (62).

This quote is very significant because it shows how Adah thinks that her and her sisters relate to eachother. It also shows another way that Leah and Adah although they are twins, are exact opposites. Leah is always at the head of the pack trying to do as much as she can, expecially to impress her father. Adah just walks at her own pace, and she doesnt really care about what her father thinks or really belive in god.

“Last of all came Adah the monster, Quasimodo, dragging her right side behind her left in her body’s permanent step song sing: left…behind, left…behind” (62).

This quote shows how Adah thinks of herself. I thought it was interesting for someone to think of themselves as a monster, like quasimodo, because of her condition.

Leah (pages 64-68)

"My father wears his faith like the bonze breastplate of God's foot soldiers, while our mother's is more like a good cloth coat with a secondhand fit" (68).

This quote shows how Leah thinks of her parents. She admires her father for his strong faith and beliefs, but she thinks that her mother is weak, and doesn't really look up to her very much at all.

“But none of us could let him in on that awful secret. Not even me-and I know I’m the one to turn my back on her the most. Once in a great while we just have to protect her” (68).

This quote was very significant because it shows that even though Leah doesnt like her mother all that much, and she is the one who turns her back on her mother the most, she still wouldn't betray her and tell Nathan that she was the one who Methuselah learned the word "damn" from.