Purple Hibiscus
Abuse can manifest in many different ways. For some, it comes in the form of physical violence. For others, it comes daily in the form of verbal abuse, where a person is degraded and cursed consistently. A third group experiences abuse as a removal of freedom, where the individual is oppressed to the point where he or she is obliged to "obey" the will of the abuser without being allowed to do anything beyond what the abuser wants. This is the case for Kambili and Jaja, two children in Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The children grow up in Nigeria, under the oppressive and restrictive hand of their father, Eugene, who was a businessman and very wealthy. However, once they come of age and are exposed to an unfamiliar lifestyle, this provides the catalyst they need to fulfill the purpose of the novel, which is to suggest that each person must fulfill his or her own mission in life. For that, one must break the bonds of restriction and abuse.
In the novel, Eugene represents the oppressive, restrictive, and abusive force, although only those closest to him -- his family -- experience this side of him. As such, he is the proverbial "wolf in sheep's clothing." In the community, he is regularly praised and awarded for the "good" things he does. He gives a large amount of money to charity and helps both the religious and political communities, helping prominent members to build their houses and run their campaigns, or helping religiously run charities to maintain their buildings or obtain tools to conduct their work. While his family admires these things, they also live in fear and awe of him. At home, they are subject to his violent temper, where he becomes abusive and violent the moment somebody steps "out of line," regardless of whether it is his wife or the children.
The growing children and wife are symbolic of the underdeveloped or not yet...
The harshness that this paradigm creates for the family becomes evident in the descriptions of punishment. At one point, Jaja is punished for missing two questions on his catechism test, resulting in his not being named the best in his First Holy Communion Class. Earlier, Eugene (or Papa, as the children know him) is characterized as religiously fanatic. His
religion is extremely important to him; practically overriding everything else in importance. He strictly adheres to the forms of his
worship, even if others no longer do, such as kneeling at the cross and so on. He becomes extremely angry when his wife or children will not do the same. So, for not being best in his religious class, little Jaja receives the punishment narrated by Kambili:
"Papa took him upstairs and locked the door. Jaja, in tears, came out supporting his left hand with his right, and Papa drove him to St. Agnes hospital. Papa was crying, too, as he carried Jaja in his arms like a baby all the way to the
car. Later, Jaja told me that Papa had avoided his right hand because it is the hand he writes with" (145). I
In addition to physical punishment, the children received harsh emotional
treatment. Eugene kept them in a loop of fear, admiration, and seeking approval from him. It was the only life they knew.
The turning point in the novel comes when Kambili and Jaja visit their Aunt Ifeoma and cousins in Nsukka. They represent true family
love and
caring, regardless of how much
wealth they have. This is an utterly foreign concept to the children, and they are shocked to see how the family treats each other, even without wealth and without servants. Each family member loves and respects the others, with the children being allowed to question the decisions and
claims of the elders. Aunt Ifeoma does not demand agreement with all she says. The children are allowed to choose their own paths in life, without being forced into a direction by the aunt. As such, this family symbolizes the polar opposite of the restrictive environment created by Eugene. At…
