Universal Argument #2: The Role of Relationships in Self-Development
The Poisonwood Bible attempts to discover how a stable structure with quality interpersonal connections can be an important factor in self-development. The novel opens with the Price family’s tumultuous voyage to the Congo and their struggles for survival, which overlap with the relationships and networks they develop among one another and the natives. In the face of so many challenges, support among the members turns a weakness into strength and shows how relationships play an essential role in overcoming difficulties. The first passage, ”You think you know more about their kind than they do about yours which only goes to prove you_,” ( 253), indicates the problems with relationships so that presumptions and misconceptions regarding cultures different from your own are viewed. “In Congo, it is as if the people belong to the land. This awareness is more than mere bodily survival, for it brings attention to the concern of culture and soul that bond people to the earth. The value of cultural details is also emphasized in the novel through “batiza,” which connects people with their communities. Such cultural intricacies reveal the importance of mutual understanding and respect in creating a relationship that truly matters. On discovering the Congo, one can observe that the appreciation of such noted subtleties becomes a crucial inspection into self-discovery for the Price family. The novel implies that the objective of self-development does not have an independent course but is associated with people a person faces in life. The Price family appreciates how important the bonds are with land and its people when visiting Congo. The relationships based on the family and those that are established in relation to the Congolese society work as catalysts for personal growth, ability to adapt, and development, which means more than individual growth but also good relationships with others. Through an analysis of relationships, this story recognizes the phenomenon of self-development to be multi-faceted and makes sure that connections one acquires on the interpersonal level are crucial in a path to understanding oneself and others within the world.
Instead, in The Color Purple, Celie’s personal transformation through women connected with her progresses into catalysts of change. The connection between Celie and Shug symbolizes a radical transformation in her life, which enables her to acknowledge love and establish sensual desires while untying the shackles that have imprisoned her. Shug becomes the personification of Celie’s liberation and, therefore, leads her to a new world that lies beyond domestic abuse and social constraints. The complexity of their relationship is underscored by Celie’s assertion of newfound happiness: I am contented, and this contentment translates into love, work, and income that surrounds me alongside friends and time (218). All these combined make a person happy, with the end result being boosting his or her self-value. This development is further underlined through her relationship with Mister, where she confronts and opposes the repressed self in her life. Her statements to Mister can be viewed as an expression of a newly acquired or reinforced determination: “Nothing positive you’re going to achieve while I am not satisfied with what you have done. So, he got it straight just as it was given to him directly from the tree” (209). This bold raid symbolizes Celie’s change from a silenced and oppressed individual to an actor who demands justice. Her zenith of development is reflected in strong incantation by which she says, “I cursed you! What does that mean? He says. That is what I told you, and until you make me right, everything in your hands will crumble. This is the point where Celie triumphs over her first victimhood, and now she assumes control of determining her destiny. Through these relationships, the novel shows how meaningful connections can change a person’s journey toward self-understanding and development amidst challenges.
Comparison
Although there are significant differences in the relationships portrayed in The Poisonwood Bible and The Color Purple, both texts depict how crucial these personal associations are for their characters. The Price family’s travel to the Congo in The Poisonwood Bible crashes against their self-centered connection with each other. Throughout the process of adapting to a foreign environment and overcoming cultural discrepancy, the Price family becomes dependent on links established within their group and with other members of its new habitat. The above statement demonstrates that there is ignorance in the family in the above quotation: “ You always believe you know more about their species than they do about yours, and this proves how little ones know each other” (253). T