여성의 목소리로 노래하기 : 바바라 킹솔버의 『포이즌우드 바이블』 연구

The purpose of this study is to analyze Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible from the perspective of subalterns’ voices. The five females, Orleanna, Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May, tell their own stories with the Congolese history. An abusive father and self-righteous husband, Nathan Price risks his whole family in pursuit of missionary obligation in Congo, Africa. The Congolese can’t understand his speech, “Tata Jesus is Bangala!” which means the poisonwood tree by his mispronunciation. His domination of his family and Kilanga people ended with Ruth May’s unexpected death. Initially, as a dutiful wife, Orleanna follows Nathan’s decision, but she initiatively takes a role of guiding her remaining daughters. Rachel, who wants to go back her materialistic world, stays in Africa with her own‘The Equatorial’ hotel after several marriages. After Adah returns to her American home, she becomes a doctor and embraces her hemiplegia. Leah, who was an advocate of her father, remains in Africa with Anatole and their four sons. As the youngest, Ruth May’s naive and energetic character doesn’t care about Nathan’s religious mission, race, language, or politics. Her death makes her mother and sisters recover their own voices.