Literature Companion: Purple Hibiscus

By History World

The novel explores the corruption and religious fundamentalism that gripped the author’s native country. The story is told from the point of view of a child. Through the lives of several characters, the author describes the wave of bloody coups and corrupt military rule that is the part of the Nigerian politics.

The novel “Purple Hibiscus” is set in post-colonial Nigeria. There was political instability and economic difficulties in the country.

Kambili Achike, the central character of the novel, is fifteen years old. She is the daughter of Eugene who is a highly devoted Catholic.

Literature Companion: Purple Hibiscus
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Jul 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311947062

Book preview

Literature Companion: Purple Hibiscus

History World

Copyright

Literature Companion: Purple Hibiscus

History World

Copyright@2014 History World

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved

Chapter One: Introduction

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was first published in 2003. It was the first published novel of the author. The book was widely acclaimed at the time of its first release.

The book won several prestigious literary awards. It is a kind of semi-biographical novel, for the author uses her own childhood experiences to tell her readers about the lives of the characters in the novel.

Adichie, the author, was born in Kambili’s home town of Enugu. He was raised in Aunty Ifeoma’s university environment in Nsukka. She is of Igbo Descent, and is Catholic.

The novel explores the corruption and religious fundamentalism that gripped the author’s native country. The story is told from the point of view of a child. Through the lives of several characters, the author describes the wave of bloody coups and corrupt military rule that is the part of the Nigerian politics.

Papa can be understood as a metaphor for the dangers of fundamentalism, but he uses his power to good use. He tries to raise social consciousness.

The character of Ade Coker is based on the real life journalist and critic of the Nigerian government, Dele Giwa. In the year 1986, Giwa was killed by a mail bomb in his home. The echo of the real political events and political activism can be heard in the book Purple Hibiscus.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

The novel Purple Hibiscus is set in postcolonial Nigeria. There was political instability and economic difficulties in the country.

Kambili Achike, the central character of the novel, is fifteen years old. She is the daughter of Eugene who is a highly devoted Catholic.

Her father Eugene is both a religious enthusiast and a violent personality in the family. Betrice is his wife. Kambili and Jaja are their daughter and son respectively. Eugene often beats all three of them psychological tortures them.

The entire story is presented through Kambili’s point of view. Most of the story describes how her family disintegrated and how she struggled to grow to maturity.

Kambili and Jaja spend some time in the house of their father’s sister, Ifeoma. She has three children. The environment in that house is quite different from the environment which they are used to.

Although their aunt and her children are also Catholic, but they practice a very different form of Catholicism. Their house is a liberal place. Everyone in the house is allowed to speak his or her mind.

Living in that house, Kambili and Jaja become more open. They become more able to give voice to their opinions.

While living in the house of Aunty Ifeoma, Kambili falls in love with a young priest, Father Amadi. She becomes aware of her own sexuality after that experience.

On the other hand, the conditions in their own house do not change. Their mother, Beatrice, can’t tolerate continual violence. She, eventually, poisons Eugene.

Jaja comes forward to protect his mother and takes the blame for the crime. He is arrested and sent to prison.

On the other hand, Aunty Ifeoma and her family move on to America. She goes to America because she had been unfairly dismissed from her job as lecturer at the University of Nigeria.

After three years of these incidents, the story comes to end on an optimistic note. Now Kambili is a beautiful young woman of eighteen. She is more confident than before. Her brother Jaja is soon going to be released from the prison. He is not broken; rather he is quite hardened by his prison experiences.

Beatrice, their mother, is psychologically deteriorated, and there are no signs of any improvement.

There is entire future before them and it can be a better future but what they are going to do next is still unknown.

Chapter Three: Characters

Kambili

Kambili is the protagonist and the narrator of the novel. Her full name is Kambili Achike. She happens to be an intelligent and observant young girl. She is fifteen years old for much of the story, but she is highly religious.

She spends a lot of time away from her family. She has lived for a long time in her Aunty Ifeoma’s house. Kambili is shy by nature.

Eugene and Beatrice are her father and mother respectively. She is the younger of the two children. Jaja is her brother.

She does not like to live in her own home because her father is very cruel to her mother and children. He often beats them. Having