NATHAN

  1. What has caused Nathan to become such a heartless man? Do these events justify his behavior? Do they garnish any sympathy or less harsh judgment from you? Why or Why not?
  2. Do you think Nathan ever feels guilty? Why or Why not?
  3. How do you think Nathan perceived Black people back in Georgia? How do you think this perspective influences the way he perceives the Congolese?
  4. How would Nathan Rank people (gender, race, profession, education, nationality, etc)? How is this ironic given his mission to save souls? Does he discriminate in the baptismal pool?
  5. Do you think Nathan was raised a Baptist, forced to convert, or something else? Why? Try to connect your imaginings with who Nathan Price becomes religiously.
  6. What do you think Nathan's religious rigidity is symbolic of?
  7. Do you think Nathan loves his children? Why or Why not?
  8. How is irony shown through Nathan's behavior towards his family and the people of the Congo?
  9. What is a father’s role in a family? Does Nathan set an example of how a father should act? Why or why not?
  10. What would you do if Nathan Price was your father? If he was your husband?
  11. If you could kill off the character of Nathan Price how and why would you go about it?

*** This was an interesting student question. I’m not promoting violence or murder!***

ORLEANNA

1.Is Orleanna Price a good mother? Defend your answer with specifics and rationale.

2.Describe Orleanna's writing style and how it reflects her character.

3.Why do you think That Orleanna talks from present day, looking back, instead of talking from the time when she was in the Congo like everyone else? What effect does this have on the story?

4.How has Nathan's attitude toward Orleanna affected the way the girls treat her? Give textual evidence.

RACHEL

  1. How are Rachel and the Belgians similar on their view of Africa?
  2. How do you feel about Rachel? Do you think she deserves to be judged as a terrible person, or is she simply young and more westernized?
  3. Do you think Rachel ever feels guilty? Why or Why not?
  4. How is Rachel's point of view helpful in understanding how Nathan treats his family?
  5. Do you think Rachel feels inferior to her sisters? Why or why not?

LEAH

1.Why do you think of all the characters Leah has the most cultural guilt? How do you think this will continue to affect her for the rest of her life?

2.Should Leah have more compassion or love for Adah because of what happened while they were in the womb?

3.Does Leah use religion as an excuse for Nathans abusive behavior? Explain.

4.Why do you think Leah adores her father so much when in reality he does not care about her?

5.How has Leah's relationship with the Congolese changed her views on right and wrong? Do you think her initial perspective was easier or better? Why or why not?

ADAH

1.How do you feel about Adah in this story and why did you feel that way about her?

2.Is Adah’s bitterness and cynicism warranted?

3.In chapter 21, the passage beginning "according to my…" how does Adah reflect her feelings of cultural guilt? Provide textual evidence.

4.How does Adah's view of Nathan contrast her sister Leah's view of him?

5.In what ways do Adah and Leah serve as foils? In what ways are each extreme characters?

RELIGION

1.What is the main effect of Christianity on the Prices? The Congolese? How has it shaped their lives?

2.How sure is each member of the Price family that God is with them and is willing to help them?

3.Adah reveals she stops believing in God after asking a question about those people who are raised in another country and never hear about God. She wants to know if they will go to hell because of where they are born. What is your perspective on Adah’s question?

4.What do you think has been the most interesting biblical allusion so far? Why?

5.Why is religion so important to the congolese? The Prices?

CHARATER/ PRICE FAMILY ANALYSIS

1.How has each character changed through their interactions with the Congolese? Who has changed the least/ most? Defend your answers with specifics.

2.How does the use of multiple narrators affect the whole book? Who is your favorite &/ or least favorite narrator? Why? Who is your favorite &/ or least favorite character? Why?

3.Which Price is the most relatable to the Congolese up to this point? Defend and justify your answer with TEXTUAL EVIDENCE.

4.Look at how different the Prices are as individuals. Do you think it is realistic to have such different characters with such different beliefs and personalities from the same family? Why or Why not?

5.How could the same parents have raised such different daughters? How do Nathan and Orleanna treat the girls differently? Is it their fault they are so different?

6.Are parents responsible for the people their children become?

7.How would you feel if your parents gave you "the verse" as a punishment? How do you think it affects the girls?

8.Do you think the Price women would have distanced themselves from Nathan if not for the Congo experience? Why or why not?

9.Who is the most religious member of the Price family? Who is the most spiritual? What is the difference? What is the significance?

10.How does questioning authority affect each Prices' views on religion, politics, and society?

LIFE IN CONGO

  1. How do you think the Congo’s new independence affect the Prices as they continue to live there?
  2. In the story the Prices have to drastically alter their outlook on life and the way they live to survive in the Congo, but how are the Congalese affected by the Prices? Explain your answer.
  3. Is the effect of the Prices in the Congo helped or hindered by colonialism? Use textual evidence to support your answer.
  4. How does the idea of survival develop as more characters of the Congo are introduced?
  5. How does Mama Mwanza symbolize Congo?
  6. How does the idea of survival develop as more characters of the Congo are introduced?
  7. How is the Congolese view of death similar or different from the Western view?

OTHER… BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS

1.Think about how each character reacts to this experience in the Congo. Which character would you prefer to be in this situation? Why?

2.What is the significance of the Civil Rights Movement to the Congolese people? How are the treated and viewed differently than the African Americans in Western society at this time? Kingsolver could have brought us a liberal activist from the NYC, why do you think she chose to parallel the Congo and America’s deep South?

3.Orleanna is disturbed that the US is not taking responsibility in Africa; do you think the US is justified for not helping out? What do you think is the responsibility of the US to other countries today?
How does formal education or the lack thereof affect the daily lives of the people on the Congo?

4.Do you believe the Price girls have learned more from their time in the Congo or from their "formal educations"? Defend your answer with specifics.

5.Based on what you’ve read so far, how do you think a childhood in this situation/ Africa would affect you? Think about specific incidences that would be especially influencing and be ready to justify your answers.

6.How does Nathan's treatment of his female family reflect what was taking place in America at the time this story takes place? It was only about 50 years ago, but a lot has changed. What part of this male- dominated society is the hardest for you to comprehend/ relate to? Why?