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Congolese Nationalist Movement

$1.25

Vol XCIII, No. 311

October 24, 2015

Patrice Lumumba represents:

Hope, Revolution, and Governmental Corruption

Patrice Lumumba

Who was Patrice Lumumba?

  • Patrice Lumumba was the first prime minister of the Republic of the Congo

Lumumba and The Poisonwood Bible

HOW DID KINGSOLVER SHOW LUMUMBA?

  • He was the lead figure in the Congo gaining its independence from Belgium, who had owned the congo since the nineteenth century.

RUTH MAY

LEAH

Ruth May’s account of the Belgian Soldiers around Kilanga show Belgian’s overwhelming control of the Congo.

  • In the May 1960 general elections, Lumumba and his allies won leadership of the largest single party in the Congolese National Assembly

Throughout the story, Leah becomes very aware of the situation that the Congo is facing. She seems to realize the most after the CIA conspiracy that led to the assassination of Lumumba soon after his election to Prime Minister. It helped in creating her doubts against her father and made her want to find out more about the impending threats against the Congo. As we know, she would later adopt the Congolese culture and continuing fighting for their freedom.

  • On January 17, 1961, Lumumba and his political allies: Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito, were driven to a remote village in Katanga, a province that had seceded only weeks after Lumumba’s inauguration. This promptied Belgium to send peacekeeping troops to protect their interests. In the village an African firing squad awaited the men where two Belgian police officials had shot Lumumba and his allies.

“Between you and me, Reverend, I do not think the people here are looking for your kind of salvation. I think they are looking for Patrice Lumumba, the new soul of Africa… I expect he will have a larger following than Jesus” (p. 122)

Reliving the Moment Continued:

Congolese Nationalist Movement

Reliving the movement:

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Congo who have fought for the independence won today, I salute you."(Kingsolver 182) –Mrs. Underwood

Actual Speech- "Men and women of the Congo, Victorious fighters for independence, today victorious, I greet you in the name of the Congoleze government."

  • December 1960 : Capture of Lumumba after a dramatic escape from Léopoldville
  • August 2, 1961: Following the convening of the parliament in Léopoldville, a new civilian government headed by Cyrille Adoula came to power on.
  • Mid- 1963: Return of some Lumumbists and the sharply declining purchasing power of ordinary Congolese sparked the Congo revolution.
  • January 1959: A riot in Leopoldville: the leaders of ABAKO (the ethnically-based political party of the Bakongo people) were blamed and jailed. Resultingin in a fast, successful mobilization of the Bakongo and a complete boycott of government services and the call for independence.
  • January 1960: Fearing a violent struggle Belgium called a Belgo-Congolese conference where they agreed to full independence
  • May 1960- National elections, with Patrice Lumumba at their head.

Congolese Nationalist Movement and Poisonwood

Another secession challenge emerged on Sept. 7, 1964, when the pro-Lumumba government in Stanleyville (Kisangani) declared much of eastern Congo to be the People’s Republic of the Congo; this secession was brought to heel the next year.

The Political Allegory

  • Mesthuselah’s death on the Republic of Congo’s Independence Day, foreshadows the fall of the nation
  • In Judges, when Rachel shares her first kiss with Eben Axelroot, he reveals to her that Lumumba, “is as good as dead”.

Bibliography:

  • When Adah eavesdrops on Eben Axelroot talking on the radio in Judges, she hears him use the code, W.I Rouge, and comes to understand that President Eisenhower is behind the coup that destroys the Republic of Congo.

"Patrice Lumumba Biography." - Death, School, Young, Information, Born, House, Time, Year. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.

  • Character guilt

SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Poisonwood Bible.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. n.d.. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

  • In Bel and the Serpent, the Republic of Congo is losing its freedom to forces from the West

"Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) | History - Geography - Capital at Kinshasa." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.

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