In The Poisonwood Bible Kingsolver focuses on a missionary family's experiences in the Belgian Congo (now known as Zaire), just as that nation was claiming its independence from colonial rule, and how those experiences shaped their lives.

1. Compare the character of Anatole Ngemba with Loyd Peregrina in Animal Dreams and Estevan in The Bean Trees. How does each man function in the narrative of the novel in which they appear? Is Anatole an idealized character? Why or why not?

2. What does Methuselah, the parrot, symbolize? What is the significance, if any, of his biblical name?

3. Compare the missionary styles of Nathan Price, the Underdowns, and Brother Fowles. What are their attitudes toward the Africans? How does this affect their success as missionaries?

4. Discuss the difficulties Nathan has in growing a garden in Kilanga. How does this parallel the Prices' experiences in Africa?

5. Explain the cultural significance...