Man and the Natural World Quotes in The Poisonwood Bible

How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

Childhood was nothing guaranteed. It seemed to me, in fact, like something more or less invented by white people and stuck onto the front end of grown-up life like a frill on a dress. (2.1.41)

Childhood is a man-made concept. In the Congo, everyone has to pull his or her own weight once they can walk on their own. It's like being a Boy Scout without the merit badges or the adult supervision.

Quote #5

"Everything has to eat something." Even lions, I suppose. (3.5.12)

Adah shrugs off almost getting devoured by a lion. To her, it's all part of the natural way of life. Who is she to deny a lion a good meal?

Quote #6

"When I want to take God at his word exactly, I take a peep out the window at Creation. Because that, darling, He makes fresh for us every day without a lot of dubious middle managers." (3.8.24)

Brother Fowles, a preacher himself, doesn't really believe in preachers as evidence of God. He believes in the everyday miracles of nature.