Heather Novak

December 8, 2015
Period 6
Literary Commentary of Passage from Purple Hibiscus

In this passage from Purple Hibiscus, the author uses imagery, metaphors,
and symbolism to show Kambilis realization that not everyone in Nigeria is as
privileged as she is. These literary devices help the reader to better understand
Kambilis experience.
The reader begins to experience the transition from Kambilis neighborhood
to other less privileged neighborhoods when the author describes how the street
they were driving on lost its tarred smoothness and cultivated hedges and the
houses became low and narrow. The reader can feel the crowdedness of the homes
through the imagery created by the authors description of the doors on the houses
being so close together you could stand at one door and touch the other.
Metaphor is also used in this passage to describe how Kambilis privileged life
is more organized but the lives of the less-privileged are freer and possibly more
beautiful because of their freedom. Aunty Ifeoma points out Odim hill as they drive
along and describes how the view from the hill looks like God laid out the hills and
valleys. Kambili imagines that Gods wide white hands with crescent moon
shadows beneath his nails created such a beautiful scene.
Symbolism is another literary device that is used by the author to show the
contrast between the different lifestyles in Nigeria. The homes of the engineering
faculty are described as having sturdy trees meaning they have a good life with

money. The female hostels are described as being in mango-filled fields which
shows a freer and more fruitful lifestyle. The seasoned professors live in duplexes
hemmed in by gravelly driveways which shows that they live less wealthy lives
than the engineering professors.
The authors use of imagery, metaphor, and symbolism helps the reader
experience the transition from Kambilis privileged life to lives that are very different
from her own. These literary devices not only show how some of these other lives
are less privileged than hers, but also shows that some of these lives are much freer
than hers.