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Book 4, Chapter 59
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Poisonwood Bible, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Freedom, Growth, and Coming-of-age
Religion and Faith
Women and Sexism
Race, Racism, and Culture
Imperialism
Summary
Analysis
Rachel has just learned from Leah and Adah that Ruth May is dead. Rachel, as the eldest child, decides that she will tell her parents of the accident. It’s extremely early in the morning, and she’s scared of what she’s about to say to Orleanna and Nathan.
Interestingly, it’s Rachel who steps up to tell Orleanna about Ruth May’s death—for all her superficiality and immaturity, she has certain duties as the eldest child, and she knows it.
Themes
Rachel has spent the last year pretending that her life in the Congo isn’t real. But now that Ruth May is gone, she can’t pretend anymore—her sister’s death brings home the shocking reality of her life in Africa.
