Exile is considered tragic to most people when they first hear the word. However, when you really look into it exile can also be, as Edward Said put it, “potent, even enriching”. In The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver we are confronted with both the positive and the negative affects of exile. Exiled from their home because of their Baptist father, the Price family moved to the Congo and that changed everyone one them. Leah began the story as a “daddy’s girl” and believes in whatever her dad does however the Congo changed her. As the story develops she realizes that life in the Congo was not what she thought it would be. Living in a place like that was difficult and painful. However, the source of Leah’s happiness came from having moved to the Congo. She discovers her inner strength and becomes fully involved in the native people.
Leah had to go through many obstacles to end up where she did. As the story progressed she lost faith in her father and in her country. She realized that people aren’t what she thought they were. Being in the Congo, away from everything she knew, broke her spirit and changed her views on life. She was forced to choose between what she thought was right and her family. Fortunately her family stood beside her when she disowned her father. She constantly was forced to step outside her comfort zones and those of the black society that she was surrounded by.These obstacles made her who she became and changed her for the better.
Leah’s exile was horrible but helped her become open-minded and independent. If the Price family had never moved to the Congo she would have never seen what she saw and never realized that the world was not what she had imagined. She was able to find the strength to overcome her father and his religion, although feeling guilt about it, it later led to her meeting her husband. Although the Congo was a place the her father brought her and her family and basically held them captive, it became her home.
Being confronted with the harsh reality of the Congo, Leah had to overcome many things including the separation between her and her father. She became open-minded and strong.
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