In Barbara Kingsolver's novel A Poisonwood Bible, Kingsolver takes the reader through the adventures of a family who moved from Bethlehem, Georgia to Kilanga, Congo. In essence, the whole book focuses on the family interactions between each other and the people around them. Consequently, numerous family dynamics are brought to life and examined from different perspectives. Each of the women in the Price family, present their thoughts and feelings around the present events, and most of their comments regard others in their family. The reader, therefore, sees the overlap between the familial events and the societal events; each event is separate but interlocked. As the reader observes the relationships in the family changing, they also see a change in the relationships between the Price family and the rest of the community.
One strong example of this overlap is Leah's attitude change toward her father. As she loses trust in her father's judgement she also pushes the boundaries of the societal norms by wanting to hunt with the men. Although unaccepted by the elderly in the community, Leah fights for her right to hunt as she fights against her father's control over her. Leah's reactions are separate but parallel. As a result, the reader observes various affects that the family unit has on society, which corresponds to the big question, "What influences do the family unit have on society?"
One interesting aspect of your big question is "what defines family"? In other words, what is "the family unit"? Could it change over time/through culture or circumstance?
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