We are first introduced to Father Price's opinion about his daughter's education in the first book of the novel, in a chapter that Adah narrates. "'Sending a girl to college is like pouring water in your shoes,' he still loves to say, as often as possible. 'It's hard to say which is worse, seeing it run out and waste the water, or seeing it hold in and wreck the shoes.' And so I shall never have the opportunity to have my leather wrecked by college" (57). This passage makes Father Price's point of view exceptionally and tragically clear--if women go to college, their education will either be wasted or ruin them. This is a revelation to the reader of Nathan as a sexist character, which will appear later in the novel. The double standard women face is a theme throughout as well.
Nathan's views are starkly contrasted by his wife's, Orleanna. She makes them study out of workbooks every day, even though she hardly went to school as a child. Although we hardly ever hear the story through Orleanna's eyes, we can assume that she sees education as the keys to a better life and marriage for her daughters, as she is stuck in an abusive marriage herself. However, she still teaches them how to cook and be good wives in addition.
Leah, Adah's twin, gives a monologue that reveals one of the profound double standard truths that women faced, and, to an extent, still continue to face:
"But where is the place for girls in that Kingdom? The rules don't quite apply to us, nor protect us either. What do a girl's bravery and righteousness count for, unless she is also pretty? Just try being the smartest and most Christian seventh-grade girl in Bethlehem, Georgia. Your classmates will smirk and call you a square. Call you worse, if you're Adah" (244).
A cumulation of the three above characters' responses to women's education reveal how Kingsolver feels about modern women's education; that it's important, undervalued, and surrounded by horrible double standards.
There is so much in this novel, isn't there? It has been calling me from the shelf for a reread for a couple of years now. Maybe you will inspire me to crack it open again after about 15 years!
ReplyDeleteThis novel sounds really interesting. I like all of the different types of characters that this book has, or really just the ones you mentioned. The most interesting part of this post it when you mentioned the wife. The reason why I think it is so interesting that the wife is kind of teaching the girls on how to not be like her. She's teaching them that they can be really good wives and also have a very good marriage and life if they get an education. The mother is already in an abusive relationship with her husband. And the husband sounds like a wild character, you know with being sexist and stuff. I feel from what I read or what you posted that throughout the book the father won't love his kids because he believes that they shouldn't get an education because it'll ruin them and their lives.
ReplyDeleteWow. This sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeleteNo, seriously, after reading both of your posts I've become very interested in reading the book for myself- we should talk sometime about it. It sounds as though the education motif is written in really cleverly, and the author clearly has an intention to prove something that I'd be excited to hear more about.
The characters all seem complex and multifaceted, which is a huge plus in my book. It's an interesting literary challenge to write interaction between two cultures, if Kingslover does it well then I'd love to try this book.
Let's talk sometime! I'll talk about books for like seventeen hours