Points of View

The Poisonwood Bible is written in a first person point of view from five different characters. The characters' narratives rotate from part to part, allowing the reader to see people and events from multiple perspectives. Orleanna's narratives begin each book. They are set in the present as she looks back on what happened. The remaining sections of each book rotate between the four daughters' voices and take place while the family is in Africa and after they leave.

The multiple voices that Kingsolver makes uses of serve two functions. First, using a first person point of view for several characters allows the reader to better understand the thoughts and motives for these characters. Like a singular first person perspective, the character narrating is more open to the reader, sharing thoughts, observations, and fears. The reader is better able to understand the personalities of the characters through...