Yannick Ibanez
Mr. Young
AP Lit
12 March 2015
Depth view of the Flawed Hero: Nathan Price
When people brought upon to this world, they are given a natural trait as humans. The natural trait is the tendency to have a control over something or someone that triggers a satisfying emotion. It shows in many people and a big example is King Claudius as he destroyed the relationships of people by manipulating them for no reason. In the novel The Poisonwood Bible, Nathan Price demonstrates his desires to take power just like King Claudius and Hamlet. Nathan’s reasonings are not appropriate in the situations he put his family and others in. They may not be the most acceptable but in this case he takes matter in his own hands a whole different level and pushes others to get what he wants whether they like it or not, ranging from forcing religions on others to raging towards his innocent family. All while Nathan is taking away people’s ambitions and freedom of choices.
Nathan was a solider during World War two and when he was released from the terrifying experience he started to view himself as a “coward”. The image of being one made him realize that he never wants to maintain the title again. As an attempt to never be viewed as one, Nathan goes out and puts all of his time in his missionary work. He was positive god despised him. Since he refuses to go back to the way they were he has been dedicated to always be seen as the brave one in god’s eyes. In most cases that’s an aspiring situation but in Nathan’s mind he will put himself before everyone else. Even his family. As Orleanna hinted his stubbornness and pride are blinding him to the tide of events, “preparing to roll over us like a river” (98) she objects. This leads him to not listen even a word from the family and in the process weakening the relationships.
The first of many actions Nathan portrays is his uncontrollable rage and how he expresses to be a bully. Nathan snaps and destroys Orleanna special bone-china platter. The reasoning behind his actions was Nathan accused her of trying to attract a different man’s attention when Nathan asked him to leave. Instead of attacking the other man Nathan takes it upon himself to go after the thing he can control. His loving restricted wife. Instead of showing his care for her and explaining himself he puts his words in his actions. Nathan knew how much the plate meant to Orleanna and shattering it was a big impact Nathan knew it would make to her. This plate can be viewed as Orleanna’s dream life for her family but as Nathan destroyed it, he also destroyed her hopes and dreams with it showing what he causes around him. Orleanna’s response to the event was “I was too fond of that plate” (134) as opposed she wasn’t being fond for her destructive husband. She knew things would much worse if she were to continue. As the story goes on Nathan is taking it upon himself to continue mocking the villagers. He specifically tells his family that “they are living in darkness”. (53) Explaining how he views them as individuals, and as you continue on he is set and stone of the idea as he backs it up with “Broken in body and soul, and don’t even see how they could be healed.” Implying that they have all sorts of flaws. These flaws are what makes Nathan view himself as a sort of leader for the tribe. They aren’t how Nathan wants them to be and that is a big part why he is putting his family in Africa. He wants to change them for god’s eyes to see so Nathan is continuing on the path of not being a coward but judging away thinking he is safe as long as he is on god’s side. Once he is done mocking the villagers and their beliefs, he is back at the little home with the family full of girls. This is also what makes Nathan the head price and he sees himself with more power. He controls what the girls act, think, and believe in. As the head price he is thinks that “sending a girl to college is like pouring water in your shoes.” (56) In other words a