“A wife is the earth itself”: Women and nature as parallel victims in Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible

This study offers a postcolonial ecofeminist critique of Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible , chosen for its insightful exploration of the intertwined exploitation of women and nature within the colonial and patriarchal structures of the Congo. Through a close reading of the novel's representation of both the Congolese landscape and its female characters, the paper analyzes how Kingsolver critiques colonialism by drawing a parallel between the subjugation of the land and the oppression of the Price women. Through deconstructing the colonial gaze and utilizing symbolic imagery, the study demonstrates how Kingsolver's narrative critiques the violence inherent in Western imperialism and patriarchal control, illustrating their reciprocal roles in perpetuating environmental and gendered exploitation. The paper further explores the novel's depiction of nature as an active, victimized agent, subject to environmental racism and epistemic violence. Ultimately, Kingsolver's novel advocates resistance to these forms of domination, emphasizing the importance of indigenous knowledge and ecological wisdom in forging more equitable relationships between humans and nature. This study contributes to ecofeminist scholarship by foregrounding the novel's call for the reclamation and integration of indigenous ecological practices to resist both colonial and gendered oppression.