Purple Hibiscus Father Abuse Quotes

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In the novel Purple Hibiscus, Kambili’s father, Eugene, is portrayed as a complex and compelling character rather than a simple villain. He violently abuses his family, unselfishly supports his community and thinks that what he does is justified in the eyes of religion and God. Eugene loves and cares for his family. He always wants what is best for his family but he requires them to live up to impossibly high standards which if not met will result in violent consequences. While Mama is pregnant she starts to feel sick after church and decides to stay in the car while the others go see Father Benedict. This results in Mama getting beaten by Eugene so badly that she loses her baby. Kambili states that she would count when she heard the thudding sounds from her parent’s room and that “Sometimes it was over before I even go to twenty.” When Kambili hears sounds that could be abuse she follows certain steps to make the time more bearable for her, indicating that abuse is a common occurrence. The abuse that Eugene inflicts upon his family ranges from minor things such as embarrassing Kambili in front of her peers to beating Mama …show more content…

Eugene runs the Standard which has been described as “the only paper that dares to tell the truth”. Through the Standard, Eugene influences hundreds of peoples opinions on political issues by ensuring that the public knows the truth about events occurring in Nigeria. Eugene donates copious amounts of money to both charity and individuals. Throughout his life, Eugene donates money to children’s hospital, motherless babies' homes and to disabled veterans.It is stated that “Eugene pays the school fees for up to a hundred of our people?”.Even after death, Eugene gives half of his estate to St Agnes. This proves that Eugene cares about his community and that he has a side that is not just violent and abusive, but why does Eugene care so much about the community yet abuse his

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