Purple Hibiscus

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Background to Adichie

Adichie was born in Nigeria on September 15, 1977. She was born in the
town of Enugu but grew up and went to university in Nsukka. She is from
an upper middle class Nigerian family.

Adichie has won multiple awards for her novels. Her work focuses on
Nigerian identity politics, and gives a voice to African
perspectives not commonly found in literature.

Adichie has a powerful online presence, featuring at

numerous TEDTalks conferences and in music videos.
Socio-political context

The novel is set in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.

Over 90% of Nigeria’s modern export revenue is from

petroleum. In addition to petroleum, it is rich in natural
resources such as gas, zinc and niobium (niobium is used in
jet engines and brain scanners).

The country has many cultural and economic divisions.

Geographically, the country is divided into a
predominantly Christian south and an Islamic north. The
two main ethnic groups are the Igbo and the Yoruba.
Characters

Major characters:

Kambili Achike Father Amadi

Chukwuka Achike (Jaja) Papa-Nnukwu

Eugene Achike (Papa) Aunt Ifeoma

Beatrice Achike (Mama) Amaka

 Novel structure

The novel is divided into four sections. Each section presents an important stage in
Kambili’s story. The narrative is not linear and chronological, and makes use of
flashback narrative.

It begins recounting a significant moment in “Breaking Gods - Palm Sunday”, before

moving further into the past to chart how this situation develops in “Speaking with Our
Spirits - Before Palm Sunday.” The aftermath is considered in “The Pieces of Gods -
After Palm Sunday” before returning to the reader in “A Different Silence - “The
Present”.

Breaking Gods Speaking with our Spirits The Pieces of Gods A different silence

Events leading up to Palm Sunday Events after Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday The present
Novel type

The novel could be termed a Bildungsroman.

A Bildungsroman is a novel that deals with the development and maturation processes
of a young protagonist (main character).

As Kambili develops and matures, her observations seem less naive. At the start she
seems to parrot ideas propounded by her father, the priest or school. Her voice is
mostly silent.

As she matures, she evaluates her own views and reflects upon her own
preconceptions. Later, Kambili will rely on her own personal reflections. By the end, she
has found her own voice.
Socio-political context

Nigeria’s history can be separated into three main sections:

1) Precolonial history

Present-day Nigeria has been inhabited since 11000BC. The

earliest identified culture in Nigeria was the Nok empire, a
highly advanced society that rode horses and developed
ceramic pottery from 1500BC to 500AD.

Over 250 different ethnicities have developed in the area,

with unique customs and beliefs. Islam also influenced
Nigeria, with various caliphates being established.
Socio-political context

Nigeria’s history can be separated into three main sections:

2) Slavery and colonisation

For over 300 years, the trans-Atlantic slave trade took 12

million West Africans to work on plantations in the
Americas.

After the slave trade was abolished, Nigeria became part of

the British Empire in 1900. For over 60 years, the country
was ruled as a colony, with British religion (Christianity),
law and culture imposed on locals.
Socio-political context

Nigeria’s history can be separated into three main sections:

3) Postcolonial Independence

Nigeria achieved independence from the British Empire in

1960. It has been plagued by military coups and civil wars.
The corrupt oil industry has led to continuous violence
between rebel militias and the government.

Today, 60% of Nigerians live in absolute poverty, with

inadequate access to water, food, sanitation and
healthcare. Yet, it is Africa’s biggest economy.
Plot overview - Chapter 1 - 9
Purple Hibiscus takes place in Enugu, a city in post-colonial Nigeria, and is
narrated by the main character, Kambili Achike. Kambili lives with her
older brother Jaja (Chukwuku Achike), a teenager who, like his sister,
excels at school but is withdrawn and sullen. Kambili’s father, Papa
(Eugene Achike) is a strict authoritarian whose strict adherence to
Catholicism overshadows his paternal love. He punishes his wife, Mama
(Beatrice Achike), and his children when they fail to live up to his
impossibly high standards.
Plot overview - Chapter 1 - 9
The novel begins on Palm Sunday. Jaja has refused to go to church and
receive communion. Because Jaja has no reasonable excuse for missing
church, Papa throws his missal at his son. The book hits a shelf containing
his wife’s beloved figurines. This defiant act and resulting violence marks
the beginning of the end of the Achike family. Kambili then explains the
events leading up to Palm Sunday, detailing the seeds of rebellion that
are planted in the children’s minds by their liberal Aunty Ifeoma, Papa’s
sister
Plot overview - Chapter 1 - 9
Papa is a prominent figure in Enugu. He owns several factories and
publishes the pro-democracy newspaper the Standard. He is praised by
his priest, Father Benedict, and his editor, Ade Coker, for his many good
works. Papa generously donates to his parish and his children’s schools.
His newspaper publishes articles critical of the rampant government
corruption. Since the Standard tells the truth, the staff is under constant
pressure from the Head of State, the military leader who assumes the
presidency following a coup. When Ade Coker is arrested, Papa’s bravery
and position in the community help to free him.
Plot overview - Chapter 1 - 9
Kambili is a quiet child. When she tries to speak, she often stutters or
has a coughing fit. The rigid life that is shaped by her father
renders her mute. Each day, she follows a schedule that allots only
time to study, eat, sleep, pray and sit with her family. Kambili is a
good student, rising to the top of her class. The girls at school
assume she is a snob because she doesn’t socialize and always runs
straight to her father’s car after class. When Kambili places second
on term, Papa tells her she must excel because God expects more
from her. Kambili is not a snob; she is motivated by fear, unable to
create her own identity.
Plot overview - Chapter 1 - 9
At Christmas, the family returns to the Papa’s ancestral town, Abba. The
family supervises a feast that feeds the entire umunna – extended family.
Papa is celebrated for his generosity in Abba as well. However, he does
not allow his children to visit with his own father, Papa-Nnukwu, for more
than fifteen minutes each Christmas. Papa calls his father a “heathen”
because he still follows the religious traditions of his people, the Igbo.
When Aunty Ifeoma comes to visit from her University town of Nsukka, she
argues with Papa about his mistreatment of their father. But Papa is firm.
He will only acknowledge and support his father if he converts. Aunty
Ifeoma invites Kambili and Jaja to visit so they can go on a pilgrimage to
Aokpe, site of a miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary. Papa
begrudgingly agrees.
Plot overview - Chapter 1 - 9
Nsukka is a different world. The University is beset by fuel shortages, pay
stoppages, strikes at medical clinics, blackouts, and rising food prices.
The widowed Aunty Ifeoma successfully raises her three children, Amaka,
Obiora and Chima, with what little she has. But her family is a happy one.
Unlike Papa, Aunty Ifeoma encourages her children to question authority,
raising them with faith but also intellectual curiosity. Amaka and Kambili
are very different girls. Amaka, like Kambili’s classmates, assumes her
cousin is a privileged snob since she does not know how to contribute to
household chores. Kambili retreats into silence even in Nsukka. Jaja, on
the other hand, blossoms.
 Plot overview - Chapter 1 - 9
Jaja follows the example of his younger cousin Obiora, concocting his
own rite of initiation out of helping his family, tending a garden and
killing a chicken. Kambili begins to open up when she meets Father
Amadi. A Nigerian-born priest, Father Amadi is gentle and supportive.
He encourages Kambili to speak her mind. Through Father Amadi,
Kambili learns that it is possible to think for oneself and yet still be
devout. She even begins speaking above a whisper to Amaka, and
they become closer.

Kambili and Jaja learn to be more accepting in Nsukka. When he falls

ill, Aunty Ifeoma brings Papa-Nnukwu to her flat.
History of Nigeria in Purple Hibiscus

Kambili and her family are members of one of the largest

ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo. After a coup in 1966,
army leaders suspended the national and regional
constitutions causing even more turmoil. Later that year,
another coup established a new leader, Lt. Col. Yakubu
Gowon. The turmoil in the country eventually resulted in
the politically-motivated massacre of Igbo people in the
North. The leader of the Igbo, Chukwuemeka O. Ojukwu,
declared the Igbo region the independent Republic of
Biafra, resulting in a bloody civil war between Biafra and
Nigeria. The secession effort eventually failed, and Biafra
was reintegrated into Nigeria in 1970.
History of Nigeria in Purple Hibiscus
The chaos and violence under the leader Big Oga in Purple
Hibiscus echoes the atmosphere during the reign of
General Sani Abacha who took over Nigeria in 1993. During
this time, a well-known writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was
executed along with other human rights activists and
Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth of
Nations. Abacha died in 1998 and was succeeded by
General Abdul salam Abubakar who attempted to restore
order. He released political prisoners and held elections. A
former leader who was imprisoned during the rule of
Abacha, General Olusegun Obasanjo, was inaugurated as
president of Nigeria in 1999.
Activity: Redraw/copy the following table, and fill in the
middle column

Relationship

Eugene Papa-Nnukwu

Beatrice Jaja

Father Ifeoma
Amadi

Kambili Amaka
 Later in the novel, Aunty Ifeoma asks her brother
Eugene: Has your head turned upside down?

Impact of colonialism
and religion
Things Fall Apart is a novel by Chinua Achebe, one of the most highly
regarded Nigerian writers. The novel is about the tragic fall of the
protagonist, Okonkwo, and the Igbo culture.

The novel explores how early colonialism and the spread of Western
values led to the disintegration of local African cultures and societies.

The opening words of Purple Hibiscus:

“Things started to fall apart at home…”
Topics/Themes
Coming of Age - Kambili’s development towards her own identity and
independence

Silence - the power of having a voice or the powerlessness of silence.

Patriarchy - the effects of a male-dominated society and household

Religion - the tension between Christianity and traditional beliefs

Colonialism - the supremacy of British culture influencing Nigerians

Love - Part of Kambili’s development process

Language and Identity - the role that languages plays in establishing identity
Themes

All the topics and themes are connected in that they all form
part of Kambili’s developmental process. Her identity is
shaped by various interactions with authority figures and
peers.

The impact that different belief systems

and attitudes have on Kambili is a central
focus of our study of the novel this quarter.
Groupwork!
Coming of Age - Research! - Group 1 (Eden)
How do the following settings influence Kambili in Purple Hibiscus?
Enugu (her home town)
- More passive - all of her opinions are
ones that her father would approve and
be proud of
- Structured - not much freedom to do
what she wants
- Fearful - lives in fear of disappointing her
father as he has high expectations of her
Nsukka (Aunts home town)
- Able to express herself (found their
voice)
- Has more freedom and became more
willing to fight for it (more laughter and
talking)
- Perspective widened (see’s how
different their family is)
- Able to mature (they’re not
micromanaged)
- Able to formulate their own opinions
(have a choice about who they want to be)
Coming of Age - Research! - Group 2 - (Jace)
How does the following figure/institution influence Kambili in Purple Hibiscus?

Family
(Focus on Eugene, Ifeoma and Amaka)
Coming of Age - Research! - Group 3 - (Nicole)
How does the following figure/institution influence Kambili in Purple Hibiscus?

Religion
(Focus on Father Benedict and Father Amadi)
 CHAPTER 1
This chapter takes place after the event of the 2nd part of the book as we see that the characters are much more developed in this
chapter; it is also stated that this happens on ‘Pal d ’ and the following chapters ‘Bef Pa m y’.

Jaja refuses to go to communion and Eugene is infuriated by this action. Jaja tries to justify this by saying that the ‘wafer’ makes his
breath smell bad. Kamibili mentally corrects him; Eugene insists on them calling it the host as it ‘came closer to capturing the
essence of the christ’

At lunch Eugene says grace for 20 minutes then intones the ‘Blessed Virgin’ in several different titles while the family responding
appropriately. Kambili tells us that his favourite title is ‘Our L , Shi f e N g i P op ’; which he made up himself.

Father Benedict changes the way mass is down :

● Reciting Credo and kyrie in Latin

● Hand clapping was meant to be kept to a minimal
● He allowed for hymns of offertory to be sung in Igbo
 CHAPTER 2
Little to nothing about religion in this chapter.

This chapter focuses on the family and how Kambili and Jaja have strict schedules that their made for them. They seem to be
diligent when following these schedules. Kambili and Jaja talk about how they miss seeing each other after school everyday as Jaja
now goes to extra lessons after school.

The coup begins.

Kambili resorts to speaking words of God to earn her father's love after Jaja says something about the coup that their father likes.
 CHAPTER 3
➢ Near beginning of chapter, Kambili and the rest of her family went to Mass. During the ceremony, Father Benedict was doing a prayer,
when he suddenly broke into a Igbo song. While Father Benedict and the rest of the people at Mass were singing, Eugene checked to
make sure that his children were not singing along.

➢ After Mass, it is custom for the family to then head to Father Benedicts house after Mass. Beatrice was not feeling to well, and Eugene
asked if she was coming with or not, and she told him how she was feeling, but he asked the same question again to Beatrice, and she
decided to go with the family into the Father Benedicts house.

➢ Later that day, Eugene was in the bedroom with Beatrice and Kambili could hear pounding sounds coming from there. She imagined
that the door was stuck and Eugene was trying to open it.

➢ Beatrice then had a miscarriage and had to be rush to hospital. She came home the next day and cleaned the figurines.

➢ The next day they went to Mass and said the 16 novemas. Beatrice had to be forgiven for what she had done, but Kambili didn't
understand why.
 CHAPTER 4
➢ Little to do about religion in this chapter.

➢ Chapter about how Kamibili coming 2nd in Class and not first which her father expects her too. He says how his father never paid for
his education. How he had work as a houseboy for a parish priest and then became a gardener so he could attend Secondary School.

➢ He attends school with her after holidays and asked who the girl that beat her was. He made her look in the mirror and ask how many
heads each of then had. Once Kambili stated that she only had 1 not 2, he said that God expected her to come first.

➢ Eugene leaves and the school then has assembly. To end of the assembly, Mother Lucy points out one girl to start the pledge. She
picks Kambili. Kambili struggles to start off the pledge, but she finally remembers the words and everyone else joins in with her.

➢ One of the girls in her class, starts asking questions about Kambili’s holiday. She then says how that the other girls would like Kambili
more if she walked with them to the gate after school, but Kambili always runs. Kambili says how she just likes to run which is a lie. If
she is late, then her driver, Kevin is late running his errands. Last time Kambili was late her dad slapped her on both cheeks.
Chapter 5
-At the beginning of the chapter Kambili speaks about the stress of tests in school and how she is seen as the backyard snob to the other girls in her
school. This because of her fathers religious beliefs she has strict rules, she has to come straight home everyday , therefore count build good
relationships with peers.

-At the start of the holiday on a Sunday, the family drove up to their hometown, Abba, to spend Christmas. Along the way Mama, Jaja and Kambili had to
say a set of Hail Marys each.

-Ade Coker and his wife, Yewande, greeter them in a friendly open manner and joked about Kambili and Jaja’s quiet behaviour. Pape Eugene replied
saying, “they are not like those children people are raising these days, with no home training and no fear of god.” This shows the excessive power and
control that the father makes their religion have over their daily life.

-Kambili speaks about the different atmosphere of Abba to Enugu. “The very air we breathed moved slowly.” Jaja and Kamila also had no schedules in
Abba and had time to spend with their family there. By comparing the differences between, Abba and Enugu, Kambili shows the strict hold that her
religion has in every aspect of their life back in Enugu.

-Jaja and Kambili went to visit Grandfather, Papa-Nnukwu, they were not allowed to touch any food/drinks and were only allowed to stay for 15 minutes.
Their grandfather is traditionalist and is seen as a heathen, therefore they are restricted from seeing him often as a result of Papa Eugene's strict
religious beliefs.

-Kamilia and Jaja stayed 25 minutes at their grandfathers house and after they ate Papa Eugegine sent them up to their rooms and they had to pray for
forgiveness. (were only allowed to stay 15 minutes)

-At the end of the chapter an old man, Anikwenwas, comes into compund and Papa Eugene immediately kicks him out because of his “pagan” religion.
“What is a worshiper of idols doing in my house? Leave my house!”
Chapter 6
-At the beginning of the chapter Kamilia greets Aunty Ifeoma. Kambili was used to behaving in a formal and quiet manner as her religion
required so she was unsure of how to act around Aunty Ifeoma's affectionate, and open behaviour. “I did not know how to handle that kind of
playfulness”

-Aunty Ifeoma suggests taking Jaja and Kambili to Abagana for the Afro festival, mama replied saying that Papa Eugene would not allow them
to go to a “heathen” festival. This shows the differences between the roles that religion plays and impacts their families lives

-Aunty Ifeoma and Kambili's mother speak about Aunty Ifeoma not having husband but having children. Mama says that her doing is sinful.
They speak about the differences of a woman’s role in context to their different religions. Aunty Ifeoma is feminist and doesn't want a husband
whereas Kamili’s mother is dependent on her father.

-Difference in Aunty Ifeoma's and Papa Eugene's beliefs and attitudes can be seen in this chapter. Aunty Ifeoma allows her children to spend
christmas with Papa-Nnukwu. (Jaja and Kambili can only see him for 15 minutes)

-There is a distinct different shown in the behaviour of Jaja and Kambili as opposed to their cousins. Their strict religion restricts them from
many things, whereas their cousins are relaxed and have a lot of freedom.

-Kambili and Jaja goes with Aunty Ifeoma to pick up Papa-Nnukwu and they go to “Ezi Icheke” festival. Kambili reveals that Papa Eugene told
them that the people at that festival were “ignorant” participating in the “ritual of pagan masquades.” He also said that the stories they told
were devlish folklore. Kambili thought it was sinful being there and witnessing the festival rituals.

-
CHAPTER 7
- The chapter begin with the family going to Mass. Mass/Eucharistic Celebration is the ritual where the Eucharist
(communion) is consecrated ( In Christian belief it is to declare to be/ represent the body and blood of Christ.)
- A common tradition when greeting is for women to bow low and offer another their back so that it may be pat with a fan
however within Kambili's household her father considered this tradition as sinful because as quotes, ‘ you do not bow to
another human being.’ Therefore when Kambili sees the Bishop and Awka she does not kneel hoping her father will be
proud.
- Aunty Ifeoma makes a comment to Beatrice saying, ‘ Eugene has to stop doing God’s job.’ connecting this to Eugene's sense
of judgment over all
- During the next day Kambili gets her period and her mother and brother urge her to eat before Mass. - When she is found out
by her father he repeats many things about the ‘devil’ having possessed his whole family. The family are beaten up with a
belt and say nothing since Kambili has been influenced to think that it is religiously correct for her father to do such a thing.

+ Kambili and her family also visi Father Benedicts and she has a confession with him. Here she confesses that she had eaten
before Mass and that she lost concentration during rosary three times.
+ She also confesses to Benedict that she went to her grandfather's house, her grandfather is considered to be pagan within
the book and therefore Kambili has been influenced to label him as a pagan.
Chapter 8
- Within this chapter Amaka gets undressed in front of Kambili, who turns away, and
quotes that is is ‘sinful’ to look upon another person’s nakedness. Therefore
religion also has had an effect on her mannerisms within households.
- Music is also something Kambili may not listen to, some people believe that if
songs are played backwards on records they send out messages from the devil
therefore it is been banned from her house.
- During dinner within Aunty Ifeoma’s house they finish earlier than Jaja and Kambili
because they do not say Mass in the name of grace.
- Amaka breaks into song during the rosary and Kambili is shocked.
- Aunty Ifeoma makes a comment about the beautifully way that god laid out the
hills - this shows that Aunty Ifeoma mostly sees that natural good things God had
provided to earth.
- Father Amadi, he is also a priest's like Father Benedict, however he arrives clad in
casual clothing whereas Father Benedict usually arrives in religious robes.
- Father Amadi is very free and outspoken, whereas Father Benedict is more to
follow religious rules.
Coming of Age - Research! - Group 4 (Ebube)
How does the following figure/institution influence Kambili in Purple Hibiscus?
Traditionalism
(Focus on Papa-Nnukwu)
Eugene and Ifeoma are brother and sister they both follow the same religion (Catholic)
But Eugene and Ifeoma are polar opposites in personality
Ifeoma is a independent woman who evokes the ancestor
Ifeoma wants her children to experience traditional beliefs and rituals such as mmuo(Spiritual dancers meaning spirits) Eugene wants
his children to avoid that
Ifeoma is a Catholic but still values her traditional beliefs and cultures
Page 81( grandfather not a pagan he is a traditionalist)
Papa Eugene does not allow the children to stay at Papa-Nnukwu for more than 15 minutes, eat or drink any of the food at his house
because he is traditionalist.
Coming of Age - Research! - Group 5 (Language &
identity
How does Language & identity influence Kambili in Purple Hibiscus?
Language & identity
(Focus on Eugene & Ifeoma

1) Identity ‘The characteristics determining who or what that

person is.’
Language & Identity
Eugene sets out schedules for Kambili, so that
she does not have time for self development.
Her life is planned, therefore it is difficult to build
Kambili’s own characteristics as she is
preoccupied with the tasks set by her. This
makes her submissive to her father and she
does not have the voice either. She speaks
English in her house in Nsukka, and therefore
there is a loss in personal identity, because
Eugene is trying to put his identity on top of her.
Ifeoma does not try to impose any identity to
Kambili, but she does ask Kambili to help out her
family. Kambili slowly develops her own identity
during her stay over the holidays. Encouraged by
Ifeoma, Kambili realises that the personality that
was developed when she was with Eugene is not
suitable in every situation. Therefore she tries to
adapt to the new environment to build on her
lacking characteristics, slowly but surely. Language
is the gateway to the rest of the culture, she starts
to learn more about the Igbo culture with Ifeoma,
whereas she was told to stay away from the Igbo
culture with Eugene.
Issues to consider when reading
Primary
The role of family, religion and colonisation in shaping Kambili’s development

Secondary
Different roles and status given to genders
Clashes between value systems
The impact of colonialism on Nigerian society
Personal sacrifice and its various manifestations
The difficulties of everyday life in a country that is politically unstable
Youthful love, in particular Kambili’s feelings for Father Amadi
The consequences of silence and the impact of domestic violence
Questions to ponder (prep for essays)
1. Is Eugene a victim as much as an oppressor?
2. Aunty Ifeoma and her family are extreme opposites of Eugene and his family. Discuss.
3. Purple Hibiscus is a novel about religious intolerance. Discuss.
4. To what extent is Eugene a hypocrite?
5. How does Kambili respond to her life and family in Enugu?
6. Compare Father Benedict and Father Amadi. How are they similar/different?
7. What is Papa-Nnukwu’s relationship with the rest of his family?

Try them out by yourself!