In The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver the character of Adah Price is one of very few words. It is not that she is unable to speak; but rather chooses not to. She is able to say more with her silence than others do in speaking audibly. It is said that "Silence has many advantages. When you do not speak, other people presume you to be deaf or feeble-minded and promptly make a show of their own limitations." Throughout the novel this quote holds quite true, verified through the text narrated by Adah.
Adah's sister Leah Price thinks she is the perfect daughter. Leah is constantly determined to stay in her father's good graces and maintain her status as star pupil and favorite daughter. She regards herself as being better than her sisters; she is not as shallow as Rachel or as naive as Ruth May, she is the one of good faith and behavior. She is strong-willed and self-confident. Adah is not fooled by the perfect presentation Leah attempts to maintain. To amuse herself Adah passes a note to Leah asking her what book of the bible a quote she has written down is from. Leah knowingly responds with "the book of Luke, I'm not sure which verse." Adah, while not revealing it on the outside, is humored by Leah and her false confidence as the quote appears not in the bible, but The Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a book that Adah had read before coming to the Congo. Adah's silence has given her the power of observation. She is able to step away from a scene and take it all in, rather than partake in it, giving her the chance to understand a person's character and see a person for what they really are, instead of being fooled by the facade one often puts up.
Rather than partaking in conversation Adah Price observes those around her. She is able to come to conclusions about others after witnessing their actions and hearing their judgements. When the Price family first arrives in the Congo a whole new world is being taken in. Everything is new to the family, from the terrain to the locals, and the Prices are quick to share their thoughts on the situation. Leah says that the Congo is a "place right out of a storybook" while Ruth May observes that "nobody here's go very many teeth." Rachel is portrayed as being the most dramatic with her addition to the conversation of "jeez oh man, wake me up when it's over." This scene reveals that Rachel is the the dramatic diva of the family. This conversation also reveals how honest Rachel is. She is not hiding the fact that she would rather be back home sporting a glamorous outfit than out in the Congo without her comfortable luxuries. She is not attempting to create a person image for someone else but rather sticking to her true character, no matter how flawed others may think it to be. Others are not able to grasp who Rachel really is, but Adah's silence gives her the ability to objectively view Rachel as well as her other sisters, and understand her for who she really is.
Adah Price's silence gives her character the unique ability to objectively see the other characters in the novel for who they really are. Her not being a part of the conversations leads others to reveal their true selves to her because they are not worried about her judgements as many view her silence as a disability. It is true that others therefore do show their limitations to the silent ones, who are often louder than those audibly speaking.
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