Purple Hibiscus Essay

The novel “Purple Hibiscus” by Chimamanda Adichie focuses on the political struggles Nigeria faces as a post-colonial country, alongside the personal struggles of a family who are seeking to find their freedom and independence. Both the family and the nation are seeking sovereignty because they are lacking their own identity. In order to establish this, the nation and the family must find a way to take initiative and fight for their ideals as well as free themselves from the oppression they are facing. These stories run in parallel to one another so while we see the rebels revolting against the government, the people fighting for democracy and the challenge the Nigerian government faces to determine their identity, we can also see Kambili,

Her first role model is Aunty Ifeoma, a liberal and genuine character who is a devout Catholic, but unlike Kambili’s father she is accepting of her father’s traditions. Aunty Ifeoma constantly encourages Kambili to defend herself, and for the first time she gives Kambili freedom that would have been a major privilege for her back home. Aunty Ifeoma also urges Kambili to reconsider her judgment, built from her father, on Papa-Nnukwu. Her father constantly states that Papa-Nnukwu is a heathen however after witnessing his innocent ritual where he prayed for all his family members, Kambili starts to question the absolute authority of her father and realizes that what he says is not always right: “I was surprised that he prayed for Papa with the same earnestness that he prayed for himself and Aunty Ifeoma” (168). Her children Amaka and Obiora are allowed to question authority and have the liberty to choose their own paths. Amaka is the opposite of Kambili as she is confident, questioning and extremely straightforward: “I wished she had said ‘Uncle Eugene’ instead of ‘your father.’ She did not even look at me as she spoke. I felt, looking at her, that I was helplessly watching precious flaxen sand slip away between my fingers” (93). She wishes to be able to laugh and talk freely like Amaka, although it takes a while for her to fully comprehend her ways. Father Amadi is also an important figure as

Jaja is constantly comparing himself to Auntie Ifeoma’s son Obiora, who is outspoken and mature. Although Obiora father is dead, he has a much deeper connection with his father’s ancestors unlike Jaja who is prohibited to visit his grandfather after a certain number of times per year. Jaja’s regrets not participating in ima mmuo: “I looked at Jaja and wondered if the dimness in his eyes was shame. I suddenly wished, for him, that he had done the ima mmuo, the initiation into the spirit world” (87). This makes him question his father’s authority because the only time Eugene mentioned ima mmuo was, “…to say that the Christians who let their sons do it were confused, that they would end up in hellfire” (87). These acts of defiance are equivalent to the rebels towards the government. The rebels question the authority of the government and are concerned with the validity of their command just how Jaja is towards