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Colonization of the Congo
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Price Marraige
Orleanna's choice to marry Nathan wasn't really even her choice. This sets a sense of foreshadowing as to how their relationship will work out. -
Nathan is Drafted
It is during WW2 that nathan is forever changed into the cruel and overbearing man that he is throughout the book. -
Adah's Sunday School Revelation
One day in Sunday school Adah pointed out to her teacher that admission to heaven is "gained by the luck of the draw" (171). For this "blasphemous" idea, the teacher made Ahah kneel in the corner and pray atop grains of rice; when Adah stood up, she realized that she no longer believed in God. -
Arrival in the Congo
This is practically the most influential moment in the book, as it is when the Price family's lives changed forever. -
First Dinner in Congo
Rachel- She has faced the facts that she is in the Congo, a place very different from what she's used to. This is where we witness her perpetual bad attitude for the first time. -
Demonstration Garden Fiasco
When the Prices arrive in the Congo, Nathan attempts to cultivate an American garden. He calls it a "demonstration garden", meaning that the Congolese will learn how to harvest and grow food from Nathan. This notion is quite flawed as the Congolese have been gardening for practically their entire existence. Also, this is the first example of Nathan's foolhardy pride, as he refuses to take the advice of the seasoned natives. -
Cake Batter Incedent
The Prices decided to bring lots of Betty Crocker cake mixes to keep a sense of normalancy o birthdays spent in Africa. However, once the first birthday spent there rolls around, Orleanna realizes that the mixes have gone bad and that there would've been no way to bake the cake anyway. It brought the reality of their situation crashing down on orleanna; this was the first breakdown of the book. -
Market Day
Orleanna- This first market day is when it really sinks in for Orleanna that they're not in Georgia anymore; Leah causes a disturbance in the marketplace which triggers anger from the Congolese. The things in the markets are bascally gold to the natives, and Orleanna realizes that her family has not been making any attempts to understand the culture around them. -
Adah is Eaten by a Lion
When Adah is left behind in the jungle (because of her dragging leg), a lion stalks her. Unbeknownst to her, the lion kills a creature right after she gets out of the trees. The Congolese mistakenly think that it was Adah that had been eaten by the lion, and tell her family as such. It allowed Adah to see the family's reaction to her death; her pater simply prays, her mother is distraught, and her sisnters don't even understand what has happened. -
"Mother May I"
Ruth May- this game is the first real communication that happens between the Congolese and the Price girls. Ruth May and a group of Congolese children are playing the game "Mother May I" and frolicking around. -
Leah Expands her Horizons
While/ after the game of "Mother May I" one of the only children that stayed was Pascal, a Congolese boy. They became fast friends (her 'nkundi' - first African friend). -
Independence Day in the Congo
Leah/ Congo: This is the day that the Congo officially becomes independent from their colonizers, Belgium. Leah and her father attend the festivities and listen to the new Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, give a speech adressed to the people of Congo. Leah is spellbound by the man's words and finds herself agreeing with them. -
Staying After Independence
Orleanna: once again, this event is a pivotal one. Nathanhas decided on behalf of the whole family that they shall stay behind in the Congo, even after independence. Orleanna protests vehemently, as it is a risk to their saftey, but Nathan does not listen. So they stay with no money, and no contact with the western world. -
Ruth May Breaks Her Arm
Ruth May breaks her arm while climbing a tree, forcing Nathan and her to so to Stanleyville to see a Belgian doctor. They were taken by Axelroot. On the plane ride over, Ruth May accidentally sees Axelroot's smuggled diamonds; when he notices, he threatens both her life and the lives of her family. This moment gives insight into the illegal diamomd market in the Congo. -
Nathan vs. Educated Individual
During Ruth May's doctor's visit, the doctor confronts Nathan about his religious practices. This is the first challenge to Nathan's authority from someone outside his family. Plus, the fact that this defiance was witnessed by Ruth May is important to the eventual rebellion of Nathan's daughters. -
Rachel's Diamond "Epiphany"
While Anatole is over at the Price's hut for dinner, he mentions his time working in the diamond mines. She realizes at this point that diamonds don't materialize already cut and shined, but are in fact gotten through hard labor on the part of African workers. However, once she comes to this conclusion, she decides that she doesn't care for this explination and decides to ignore her epiphany. This is a glimpse at Rachel's shallow personality and her unwillingness to see the world as it exists. -
Hope Chests
Rachel: As Christmas gifts, Orleanna gives her daughters hope chests; a compilation of crafts to be made by the Price girls before they are married. Such activities almost act as resumé for each daughter's wifely capabilities. -
Leah and Anatole
Leh and Anatole have a conversation discussing how the United States and Belgium should be aiding the Congo as it is settling in. Anatole reveals that he thinks the the US should distribute its wealth to less fortunate places, like the Congo. This conversation changes the way that Leah thinnks about her country and she eventually agrees that the US shouldn't keep all of the wealth to itself. -
Muntu, Kintu, Hantu, Kuntu
Adah: These are all Congolese words that describe people. Adah feels very close to these words, as there is no distinction between people who are beautiful, hideous, or lame. With these words, she feels free from her disability and the weight it adds to her life. -
Adah's Changing Opinion of American Gov.
When Adah is spying on Axelroot, she hears someone saying that Eisenhower had ordered the death of Patrice Lumumba. She wonders how someone who seems as compassionate as Eisenhower could throw away the prospects of this new country just to benefit his own. -
Assasination of Lumumba
The American CIA took it upon themselves assasinate the brand new Prime Minister of the Congo. In the book, Axelroot alludes to the possiblity of this when courting Rachel; he claims that he's an undercover agent who's been given orders. -
Leah's Bow
Leah is given a bow by Anatole which she becomes quite handy with. She is described by Adah as, "My hunt-godess twin" (278). The bow represents Leah's yielding to Congolese culture and the loss of her own American culture. -
Nathan's Congolese Confusion
Nathan frequently attemps to speak bits and peices of Congolese during his sermons as a way to get his words to sink in. However, as he has not bothered to actually learn the language that he attempts to wield, he often says the wrong thing; "If you spit it [the word] out too quickly, a the Reverend does, it means to pinch back a plant or deflower a virgin" (214). It shows his lack of respect for Congolese culture. -
Ruth May Gets Sick
Ruth May has come down with a fever that will eventually turn into Malaria; she has not been taking her quanine pills. -
Rachel's "Marraige"
To avoid marrying Tata Ndu, the Prices came up with the idea to pretend that Rachel was already engaged to Eeben Axelroot. Rachel finds the whole thing preposterous, but agrees to it nonetheless. When they are forced to spend time together, he influences her. -
Night of the Ants (nsongonya)
On this night, ants swarmed the village of Kilanga. It was a moment where each character grabbed what was most important to them. Leah ran away to find Anatole and proceed to tell him that she loves him, only later realizing that she abandoned Adah, who couldn't even run. Orleanna took Ruth May, and tried to grab Adah. Nathan saved himself, while Rachel took her only material possession. Adah was left behind, only to realize that she wanted to live. -
Drought
For the Congo, this drought is devestating, as it destroyed the livelyhoods of many, many people. It dried all of the crops, most of the reliable freshwater sources, and the cover from sunlight. -
Nelson Gifts Ruth May the Nkisi
When Ruth May is sick, Nelson gives her a gift that is supposed to store her soul so that it won't be stolen. If she is about to die, or anything happens to her, then she is to hold it tight and say "bambula", then she will be somewhere safe. This is major foreshadowing for Ruth May's future. -
Brother Fowles Visits
This is an important visit for the Prices. Orleanna becomes desperate and asks them if they know a way to get them out of the Congo, or even if they could take Ruth May to a doctor. He is basically salvation to her, and she sees in him what she wished she could see in Nathan. And Nathan is simply angered by Fowles. He believes in the dichotomy of science and religion; Brother Fowles does not. This is another challenge to Nathan's staunch views that is very progressive to the story.