See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/361664107

Kambili's Journey to Dignity, and Self-empowerment: A Womanist Approach

to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus

Thesis · June 2022

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.35181.05607

CITATIONS READS

0 1,239

1 author:

Nicky Lindecrantz
Umeå University
13 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Nicky Lindecrantz on 01 July 2022.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Kambili’s Journey to Dignity, and Self-empowerment:

A Womanist Approach to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple

Hibiscus
Nicky Nahida Lindecrantz

Master’s degree Essay – Master’s Programme in English

Main field of study: English
Credits: 30 Credits
Semester/year: Spring 2022
Supervisor: Martin Shaw
Examiner: Charlotta Palmstierna Einarsson
Course code/registration number: Henga
Table of Contents

Table of Contents 1
Abstract 2
Introduction 3
Historical Background 4
Aim and Theoretical Approach 5
Previous Research and Material 12
Analysis 14
Patriarchal Violence to Dominate and Control the Family 15
Surveillance and Punishment 15
Papa Eugene and Mimicry 19
Kambili, Mama Beatrice, and Jaja’s Silence 22
Courage, Dignity, and Self-empowerment 27
Jaja’s Courage and Responsibility 27
Mama Beatrice’s Dignity 30
Aunty Ifeoma’s Home of Freedom 32
Kambili’s Self-Empowerment 36
A Different Silence 40
Silence of Mercy 41
Mama Beatrice’s Choice of Silence 42
Kambili’s Troubleless Silence 43
The Silent Letters 44
Conclusion 47
Works Cited 48

1
Abstract

Using womanist theory as a theoretical framework, this study has analyzed identity formation
and self-empowerment. Adichie is considered a feminist writer, but her ideals and ideas are
very different from Western ideals and aim to survive and challenge patriarchal culture. In her
debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, Adichie argues for a change in society's attitude toward the
oppression of women and children. Adichie articulates a womanist ideology that relates to
universal human suffering. This study considers the postcolonial background of the main
characters, who confront the hybridity that occurs with identities that encounter a postcolonial
culture. The domination of women is the most basic form of female subjugation in postcolonial
Nigerian society. This is largely due to the cultural influences of patriarchal culture inherent
in African society, which promotes prejudice against women and accepts violence against
women and children as normal. Patriarchal violence is analyzed to explain how surveillance
and punishment imprison the characters in the novel and isolate them from others. This
analysis aims to show that liberation from oppression is only possible through unity with
others, courage, and the achievement of dignity.

Keywords: change, Christianity, dignity, identity, Igbo tradition, interaction, liberal-

and radical feminism, mimicry, Nigeria, patriarchal violence, postcolonialism, self-
empowerment, womanism

2
Introduction

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian writer born in 1977. Purple Hibiscus, her first novel,
was published in 2003 and has won numerous awards (Dhivja 70). The novel narrates the life
of the Achike family that lives in Enugu, Nigeria. This Nigerian family is composed of the
narrator and main character Kambili, her brother Jaja, Mama Beatrice, and Papa Eugene.
Kambili is a fifteen-year-old girl, and her brother Jaja is seventeen. Kambili tells what happens
in her life between her fifteenth and eighteenth years. The Achike family also includes Kambili
and Jaja's paternal grandfather, Papa-Nnukwu, Aunty Ifeoma, and her children. The story is
set in Nigeria in the 1990s and describes the family's life in that country in the post-colonial
era and onwards. These years are marked by constant civil and political changes after Nigeria
gained its independence in 1960.
Kambili recounts the difficulties she faces in her family due to her father's patriarchal
violence, which she can only overcome by reaching out to the people by her side, her brother,
her mother, her aunt, and her grandfather. The patriarchal violence that Papa Eugene inflicts
on her reflects the problems in the broader society. As Kambili matures and perceives herself
as a woman, she realizes that she must change. At the end of the novel, she will no longer be
the same shy, muted, and emotionless person she was when she began to tell the story of the
events in the Achike household.
The context of the encounter with European colonialism made it necessary to find a
variant of feminism that expressed the issues of African and Nigerian women. According to
Ordu, Adichie embraces a womanist attitude in Purple Hibiscus, addressing not only the sexist
treatment of women, but also racial issues, national politics, and patriarchal culture. In this
novel, the multi-layered perspective on women's struggles underscores the need for men,
women, and children to work together to survive at the end (Ordu 61). Therefore, this thesis
will apply a womanist reading of the novel to analyze how Kambili finds the courage to
achieve dignity, and in the end, self-empowerment. I will argue that through the support of
family members and friends Kambili finds a way to free herself from Papa Eugene’s
patriarchal violence. Kambili’s father’s abuse shapes her into a silent and submissive teenager
until she understands that there is another way of seeing and being in the world. Furthermore,
I will also argue that when Kambili is able to unite her Christian faith with Igbo tradition and
thereby reclaim parts of her past, she feels empowered to form a new identity.

3
Historical Background

The changes that Kambili goes through in the novel are reflected in the historical and cultural
context of postcolonial Nigeria. Kambili’s transformation is affected by the political situation
in the country, and therefore it is necessary to write a historical background so that the reader
can understand the events in the novel. To Musa W. Dube, Papa Eugene’s patriarchal violence
depends on his striving to be like the colonizer and is connected to mimicry (227). Therefore,
to understand the patriarchal violence that Papa Eugene imposes on Kambili, it is important to
place Purple Hibiscus in a postcolonial context.
Adichie captures the complexity of the relationship between father and daughter, which
can be described as patronage. For Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin in “Post-
Colonial Studies: The Key Concepts,” patronage is linked to society as a whole, and especially
in colonial situations where the vast differences between the colonizing and colonized societies
mean that some types of cultural activities that are important to cultural identity are simply not
recognized by the dominant colonial system or, if at all, severely undervalued (38). Kambili’s
father keeps his family under a strict regime and uses both physical and psychological abuse
to maintain authority over his family. Adichie follows in the tradition of other Nigerian writers,
such as Chinua Achebe, who deals indirectly with the social and political upheavals in the
twentieth century (Dube 227). Furthermore, throughout the novel, Kambili's rebellion is a
product of postcolonialism, as she rebels with others against political dictates and family
violence in search of a better life.
The ethnic tensions between different groups and the political unrest in the country had
made Nigeria a desolate land, and according to Partha Bhattacharjee and Priyanka Tripathy,
the Achike family, Ifeoma's family, and Papa-Nnukwus’ home are the microcosm of the whole
of Nigeria (445). Nigeria became a British colony in 1861 and it gained independence in 1960
(436). The events that take place in Purple Hibiscus are influenced by the Nigeria-Biafra War
(1967-1970). The Achike family belongs to the southeastern Nigerian ethnic group called Igbo,
which was largely influenced by Western culture, therefore most Igbo were converted to
Christianity and had the possibility to study. The Igbo’s supported the British and derived
many benefits from this support, and this led to ethnic tensions with the northern tribes, the
Hausa/Fulani (436). Even after independence in 1967, Britain supported the anti-Nigerian
people to have the authority over oil and provided arms and ammunition which incited the war
between the three main tribes: Igbo, Hausa/Fulani, and Yoruba (445). The British imposition

4
of power helped the economic growth of Britain while the independent nation of Nigeria was
falling apart.
Christianity is the basis of the patriarchal violence of Papa Eugene to which Kambili,
her brother Jaja and Mama Beatrice are subjected. For Bhattacharjee and Tripathy, Christianity
plays an important role in the development of the relationships between the family members
(436). From 1966 to 1967, churches and missionaries proliferated, and British education
systems were applied in schools (437). Ania Loomba in “Colonialism/Postcolonialism (The
New Critical Idiom)” quotes Robert Miles, who claims that in Nigeria, Christianity became
“the prism through which all knowledge of the world was refracted” (92). British colonization
brought Christianity to be the main religion. As Dube asserts in “Purple Hibiscus: A
Postcolonial Feminist Reading,” religion is central to the plot of Purple Hibiscus, highlighting
colonized hybrid minds and decolonizing hybrid minds” (223). In Purple Hibiscus there are
two important religious characters, Father Amadi who attempts to unite Christianity with
contemporary Nigerian society, and Father Benedict who attempts to apply white man politics
to the native Nigerian. Kambili’s encounter with Father Amadi is of great importance to the
plot of the story, as it leads to changes and undermines the patriarchal conduction of Papa
Eugene.

Aim and Theoretical Approach

The main aim of this paper is to analyze how patriarchal violence affects Kambili's life and
how she finds the strength to defeat it. Papa Eugene wants to dominate and control her life to
make sure she follows his rules and ambitions. I will therefore analyze why it is so important
for Papa Eugene that Kambili obeys him. Kambili's transformation is important because it
shows how she manages to change from a silent, isolated, and unhappy girl into one who finds
the strength to free herself from oppression and find dignity with an identity that is more
suitable to her. Mama Beatrice is also silent and submissive to Papa Eugene, but the courage
of Kambili's brother Jaja initiates their liberation from oppression, which is achieved through
the support of Aunty Ifeoma. To analyze the themes of patriarchal violence, namely,
surveillance, punishment, mimicry, and silence, I will draw on several concepts from different
theoretical approaches. The most important concept for this analysis is womanism, which
encompasses both African and Nigerian conceptions of feminism. In this essay, I shall proceed

5
to do a close reading of the novel and secondary sources related to the theories applied and to
the womanist themes of courage, dignity, and self-empowerment.
In Purple Hibiscus, patriarchal violence in the home is represented by Papa Eugene’s
violence against Kambili, her brother Jaja and Mama Beatrice. According to bell hooks:
“Patriarchal violence in the home is based on the belief that it is acceptable for a more powerful
individual to control others through various forms of coercive force” (61). In Purple Hibiscus,
Papa Eugene punishes his children and wife when they do not live up to his own standards of
Christianity. Patriarchal violence promotes prejudice against women and legitimizes the
physical abuse of children and wives by husbands as normal. For Michel Foucault, the
oppressor finds a way to make the punishments seem necessary and to bring them under the
veil of administrative decency (263). To achieve this, Papa Eugene uses the excuse that he
punishes his wife and children for their own good and to become good Christians (Adichie
47). Papa Eugene's strict rules and schedules often result in Kambili and Jaja being punished
because it is impossible to follow them. Papa Eugene controls them and as soon as they do
something wrong, they are discovered.
I will analyze that Papa Eugene uses punishment to prevent Kambili from sinning and
make her behave like what he believes is a good Christian. Cesare Beccaria wrote about
punishment and intent of torture in his literary work “An Essay on Crimes and Punishments
(1872)”. Beccaria's theory illuminates the origins of torture and punishment and is useful for
this analysis to compare Papa Eugene's punishment of his children and his wife. Beccaria
claims that the “end of punishment, therefore, is no other, than to prevent others from
committing the like offense. Such punishments, therefore, and such a mode of inflicting them,
ought to be chosen, as will make strongest and most lasting impressions on the minds of others,
with the least torment to the body of the criminal” (Beccaria 26). Beccaria asserts that the
thought of punishment should be present to the criminal and therefore keep him from the desire
to commit the crime.
Papa Eugene intentionally oppresses Kambili and his family with both physical and
psychological violence. Examples of psychological violence include the rules they must follow
and the prohibition on speaking in their native language, Igbo (Adichie 13). For Bill Ashcroft,
Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin in “Post-Colonial Studies: The Key Concepts,” the native
language is considered taboo as it is primitive to the colonizer (20). Papa Eugene wants to
imitate the colonizer and therefore, to him, Igbo is not an acceptable language. Furthermore,
Ashcroft et al. claim that “language has been a vehicle for subverting patriarchal and imperial

6
power” (93). Papa Eugene's imposed refusal to speak Igbo separates not only himself but also
his children from Igbo culture and conforms to the culture of the colonizers (10). This
psychological violence will be analyzed to gain insight into Kambili's identity crisis.
Papa Eugene controls his children by forcing them to be the best at school, and they
have no social life outside of family life and church. As Foucault claims, the abuser, Papa
Eugene, punishes the abused, Kambili, Jaja, and even Mama Beatrice, to maintain control.
(178). Tiffany Astrick contends that the patriarchal oppression portrayed in the novel is
responsible for the oppression of women through domestic violence (49). Kambili and Jaja
have schedules in their rooms where there are written instructions that state what they have to
do when they are at home (Adichie 23). The surveillance or observation of the subordinate by
the dominator is one of the most powerful strategies for maintaining power and challenges the
colonized subject in a way that establishes their identity in relation to the observer. (Ashcroft
et al. 208). This study will analyze the patriarchal culture in Purple Hibiscus that promotes
prejudice against the female characters in the novel and naturalizes the physical abuse of
children and wives by husbands as natural.
Kambili does change her identity in the novel and this hybridity is a reaction to the
changes that occur in the family and society. To Peter Barry, the double or hybrid identity is
precisely what the postcolonial situation brings into being (178). Therefore, it is helpful to
discuss Kambili’s transformation in light of Barry’s theory of identity, summarized in
transitional stages. These stages offer a way to see the stages of postcolonial criticism in
postcolonial literature. Postcolonial criticism draws attention to issues of cultural differences
in literary texts and is one of several critical approaches we have considered that focus on
specific issues (200). In “Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory”,
Barry discusses this sense of hybridity used by African writers and highlights the three main
phases of this process: Adoption, Adaptation, and becoming Adept (198). These phases relate
to the changes that occur in Kambili along her journey for a better life.
At the beginning of the novel, Kambili accepts the authority of Papa Eugene and
corresponds to the “adopt” phase. In the adopt phase she just accepts her situation and does
not think that there is another way to live. To Barry, the adopt phase begins with an
unquestioning acceptance of the authority (178). When Kambili realizes that the oppression
she faces is wrong, she changes and comes up with new ideas. She enters the phase of
adaptation, which Barry defines as adapting the European form to the African theme and thus
appropriating a partial right to the genre (178). In this phase, Kambili simulates the way of life

7
that Papa Eugene imposes on her. Eventually, Kambili gets the motivation to change and when
the liberation from the patriarchal father is complete, she enters the adept phase. The adept
phase is a declaration of the cultural independence of the subject, who reshapes the form
according to her own ideas without referring to the European norms (178). In this phase,
Kambili constructs her identity with cultural independency and without the obligation to be
someone that she does not want to be. Kambili’s adept phase is fulfilled when she reclaims her
past and attempts to combine it with her present life.
Kambili cannot accept his father's adaptation to Western culture and his rejection of
the Igbo tradition. As Frantz Fanon argues, the colonized must “reclaim their own past” (16)
and find an identity adapted to their culture and history. As Fanon claims in “Black Skin White
Mask”: “It is not the Colonialist Self or the Colonized Other, but the disturbing distance in-
between that constitutes the figure of colonial other - the White man's artifice inscribed on the
black man's body. lt is in relation to this impossible object that emerges the liminal problem
of colonial identity and its vicissitudes” (xvi). Kambili is a cultural hybrid because she is split
between the culture of her ancestors and the Western culture desired by Papa Eugene. Fanon
claims that “The black man wants to be like the white man. For the black man, there is only
one destiny. And it is white. Long ago the black man admitted the unarguable superiority of
the white man, and all his efforts are aimed at achieving a white existence” (228). For Kambili,
Papa Eugene's mimicry is in conflict with her Nigerian ancestry, and she feels torn between
the life Papa Eugene forces on her and the life she really wants to lead.
In most cases, the imitation of the white man that pervades Papa Eugene is ambivalent,
reticent, erratic, and marked by feelings of resistance to imperial power, leading to what Homi
K. Bhabha calls “mimicry,” a “conversion” that is always on the edge of threat (Ashcroft et al.
207-208). Papa Eugene tries to achieve Western status by imitating the white man and
following the Christian Church at the word. Bhabha argues that mimicry is “almost the same,
but not quite” (86), which means that there is always a difference between the colonizer and
the colonized, even if “mimicry” seems to be applicated to perfection. Papa Eugene does his
best to be a perfect white man, but he is not able to apply his strategies properly and the result
is counterproductive. Thus, Bhabha adds that mimicry is “the sign of a double articulation; a
complex strategy of reform, regulation, and discipline which 'appropriates' the Other as it
visualizes power” (Bhabha 86). In contrast, he ventures that mimicry is the sign of the
inappropriate, a difference or unruliness that holds together the dominant strategic function of
colonial power, intensifies surveillance, and poses an immediate threat to both “normalized”

8
knowledge and disciplinary power (Bhabha 86). This concept is used by Papa Eugene who
uses surveillance and punishment to achieve power over his daughter, son, and wife. Papa
Eugene wants to be a man of the West and in his intent, he exaggerates to the point of making
himself ridiculous.
The conclusion of Kambili’s adept phase opens a new space as Kambili is in an in-
between space of Christianity and Igbo tradition and therefore, she enters the 'Third Space'
described in “The Location of Culture” by Bhabha. According to Bhabha, this hybrid Third
Space is an ambivalent site where cultural meaning and representation have no ‘primordial
unity or fixity’ (Bhabha 37). Under Bhabha's concept of hybridity, cultural dimensions such
as space and time can no longer be understood as homogeneous or self-contained. Cultures are
never unitary in themselves, nor are they simply dualistic as in the self-mother relationship
(Bhabha 36), but there is a Third Space that is reducible neither to self nor other, neither to
master nor slave. A new space or meaning, as Bhabha calls it, is produced which is situated
beyond cultural boundaries and is located primarily in Third Space, a kind of “in-between
space” located between existing frames of reference and antagonisms (Bhabha 36). Bhabha
describes this passage by the meaning of language: “The Production of Meaning requires that
these two places (the I and the You) be mobilized in the passage through a Third Space”
(Bhabha 36).
At the end of the novel, Kambili embraces a religion that embraces both Christian and
Igbo traditions. This frees her from her father's postcolonial identity and brings her closer to
her identity in between. I will analyze the complexity of Kambili's hybrid identity as she is
enmeshed in these two identities. To achieve the goal of understanding Kambili's identity, I
will use the theory of Nilima Meher. Meher argues that Kambili must first understand Papa
Eugene’s religious hypocrisy before she can find her true identity and thus gain personal
freedom (206). To Meher, Adichie uses the Bildungsroman/coming-of-age novel to show the
life and circumstances behind a hybrid identity and the struggle of the main character Kambili
to reconcile her female and national identity (207). The novel spans three years of the
protagonist's development from a quiet, frightened fifteen-year-old girl to a confident and open
one. The combination of the past and the present is symbolized by Kambili’s affection both
for her grandfather who practices Igbo and her father who practices Christianity. Identifying
Purple Hibiscus as a Bildungsroman that recounts the growth of Kambili is helpful for this
analysis in the novel and Meher asserts that that “challenge involves a process of
transformation where they grow into a self-independent person with their new identity” (207).

9
Change is not complete, although it embodies the memory of what happened before and is
therefore not forgotten. Therefore, Kambili feels free with an identity that does not exclude
her from either Igbo or Christian tradition.
I have decided to apply womanism in my interpretation of the novel because this form
of feminism is the most appropriate for analyzing the content of the novel in relation to the
changes that the character Kambili undergoes. Womanism was first mentioned by Alice
Walker, a black writer and political activist who found no basis for her feminist ideals in the
feminist movements in the West, where she lived. She became aware of the need for a
movement that was distinct from feminism and allowed women of color to voice their
concerns. Walker defines a womanist as a “black feminist or feminist of color” (Walker xi).
To Walker, a womanist should love themselves solely because of the fact that they are female,
and not be at all hateful towards men as she claims that a womanist is “committed to survival
and wholeness of entire people, male and female” (Walker xi). Further, Walker defines that
womanist’s behave in a certain way, which is described as “outrageous, audacious, courageous
or willful” (Walker xi). Therefore, Walker intends that every woman who has the merits
mentioned above is a womanist. Izgarjan and Markov claim that “the emphasis is clearly on a
behavior which is at the same time responsible and playful, fearless and compassionate”
(Izgarjan and Markov 305). Kambili has qualities that can be defined as a womanist already at
the beginning of the novel like compassion and when she passes through her changes, she
achieves the resting ones and becomes responsible and fearless. Therefore, Kambili’s self-
empowerment has a direct connection to womanism.
As Ordu claims, one aspect of womanism is compassion for human suffering, and
compassion is a quality that Kambili embodies in the novel (66). Kambili wants to help the
black-market trader she sees in the mud all dirty and desperate because soldiers had destroyed
her vegetable stall (Adichie 44). Womanism imitates African feminist ideology by
emphasizing African women's oppression. As Collins Amartey states, this incident that is
repeated in the novel shows Adichie's concern for the reality of the Nigerian postcolonial
situation and the position of the African woman as a “submissive, oppressed, helpless, and
trampled human being” (42-43). Furthermore, womanism functions as a variant of African
feminism that emphasizes the basic idea of both male and female survival and cooperation,
and to complete African feminism (Dube 62). Kambili represents African feminism as an
ideology that advocates liberation from oppression based on patriarchal violence in a
postcolonial sphere, and therefore, the term womanism underlies this study.

10
 In Purple Hibiscus there are characters who represent liberal feminism and characters
who represent radical feminism, and these characters change feminism. Margaret Fafa
Nutsukpo, in “Domestic Violence in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus,” asserts
that the two types of feminism represented by the members of the Achike family are the more
liberal and tolerant African feminism and the radical feminism that encourages rebellion (125).
As Nutsukpo claims in “Feminism in Africa”, womanism was first mentioned in 1983 by
Walker, and it is not represented in all journals that treat African feminism. Moreover, liberal
and radical feminism are included in the term womanism (86-89). To Astrick, Mama Beatrice
depicts the stereotypical image of African women as oppressed, voiceless, and victimized, and
Aunty Ifeoma with the African woman who demonstrates that the oppressed should constantly
rebel against the oppressor (Astrick 49). Also, Chikwenye Okonjo Ogunyemi claims that
Aunty Ifeoma is a symbol of radical feminism: “The ultimate difference between the feminist
and the womanist is thus what each sees of patriarchy and what each thinks can be changed”
(69-70). By this, she means that in overcoming patriarchy the possibility of change plays a
great role, because if there is a conviction that it cannot be defeated, then there will be no
attempt. Therefore, the characters are not fixed in one specific feminist sphere.
Ijeoma Ann Ibeku claims that Aunty Ifeoma stands up for her rights and therefore
represents radical feminism while Mama Beatrice represents liberal feminism at the beginning
of the novel. Mama Beatrice changes by the end of the novel and becomes a radical feminist,
aided by her friendship with Aunty Ifeoma. Ibeku goes on to say that the fact that Mama
Beatrice becomes a radical Feminist is ultimately a deliberate attempt by Adichie to prove that
radical feminism is a reaction to certain circumstances because actions are triggered by
situations that overwhelm a person to do something revolutionary (Ibeku 436). Mama
Beatrice's radical way of ending her husband's life was triggered by his violent actions, which
she put an end to by poisoning his tea (Adichie 290). Ogunyemi distinguishes between radical
feminism and womanism. According to radical feminism, sexism is the only patriarchal system
that oppresses white women and seeks a separatist ideal society without male authority.
Womanism, on the other hand, strives for the unity of blacks, men, and women (71).
Considering the area of research in this analysis, there are limits to the range of results.
Womanism is a theory that is not discussed by all the researchers I have included in my
analysis. Some of the researchers mention feminism instead of womanism as the ideas that
would become integrated into the concept of womanism were invented only in the 1980s and
were not considered in some Western environments. Many theories have been addressed in

11
this chapter, but there are many of them, for example, womanism and related concepts that
would require more detailed treatment.
.

Previous Research and Material

Purple Hibiscus was written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and was first published in the
United States by Algonquin Books in 2003. Thereafter it was published by Fourth Estate in
London for the European market. In this research, I am going to use Fourth Estate’s edition of
Purple Hibiscus from 2017 as my primary literature. Adichie provides a framework for
understanding aspects of women's empowerment and experiences in a patriarchal society.
Many researchers have analyzed Purple Hibiscus to write about feminist perspectives and in
particular the womanist perspective.
In Purple Hibiscus, Kambili’s familial and societal position changes, and these changes
relate closely to many of the aspects of womanism. Therefore, womanism is a relevant concept
to use when analyzing Kambili’s transformation in the novel. The work of the following
researchers is useful in defining the womanistic view in Purple Hibiscus and gives me the
opportunity to base my analysis of Kambili on the womanistic sphere. The term womanist was
first mentioned in Alice Walker’s 1983 publication “In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens:
Womanist Prose.” By womanist, Walker means “a woman who is committed to the survival
and wholeness of the entire people male and female” (Ogunyemi 72). Chikwenye Okonjo
Ogunyemi in “Womanism: The Dynamics of the Contemporary Black Female Novel in
English” has very similar ideas to Walker, describing womanism as a force concerned with the
burden of black women being deprived of their rights by sexist attitudes in the black domestic
sphere and by Euro-American patriarchy in the public sphere. The black woman feels
powerless and besieged, without much appreciation. To Ogunyemi, black writers are
womanists because of their racial and sexual predicament (79). Womanist theory serves to
distract from the feminism, that distinguishes the life of the Nigerian woman from that of the
Western woman. Stanley Ordu claims that “womanism, as a subset of African feminism,
provides a framework for assessing the works of African female authors critically” (61).
For Musa Dube in “Purple Hibiscus: A Postcolonial Feminist Reading”, Aunty Ifeoma
is not only a decolonizing figure but also a depatriarchalizing figure (232). Therefore, Dube
claims that “the decolonizing postcolonial feminist perspective of the book is best embodied
in the character of Aunty Ifeoma and the way she expresses her Christian faith as an African

12
woman” and how she resists patriarchy and colonialism (228). Furthermore, Tiffany Astrick
in “Patriarchal Oppression and Women Empowerment in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple
Hibiscus” asserts that in Purple Hibiscus there are women who come together to empower
themselves in order to achieve freedom and that this unites them (50). This is useful in
analyzing how Kambili can achieve liberation from patriarchal abuse. Gender is an important
aspect of a black woman's identity, and the inner drive is evident in both Kambili, Mama
Beatrice, and the male character Jaja. The definition of difference in Jaja's behavior can be
related to gender difference. I will analyze the effects of patriarchal violence on the different
genders. Nilima Meher in “(Re) Writing Postcolonial Bildungsroman in Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus” claims that Kambili observes the development and growth, of the
change that has taken place in her brother Jaja (206). Jaja's change is crucial to the development
of Kambili's self-empowerment.
Many scholars have pointed out that while Black people as a community certainly face
racism, black women face sexism not only from the outside but also within that community.
bell hooks in “Ain’t I a Woman” asserts that black women need to form a women's
organization that is different from white Western women's organizations. The women's
organization should organize issues for themselves and should not only consider racial
concepts but also include their political and family situations, which are different from Western
women's situations (161-162, 163). As hooks writes in “Feminism is for Everybody,” men
benefit from patriarchy and believe they are superior to women and have the right to rule over
them. They must remember that these benefits come at a price because, to maintain these
benefits, men must maintain patriarchy by oppressing their wives and children through
violence. These men often find it difficult to be patriarchs and are afraid of the hatred they will
face, but they continue to act because they are too afraid of losing their benefits (hooks ix).
hooks explains the importance of using the term womanism in regard to African novels and
this is why the term can be used to analyze Kambili in the novel, as she is an example of a
Nigerian and African woman who is affected by the political and family situation which recalls
her Africanness.
To explain patriarchal violence, Michel Foucault’s ideas portrayed in “Discipline and
Punish: The Birth of the Prison,” are useful to define Papa Eugene’s discipline and punishment
because patriarchal violence is about punishment. Cesare Beccaria in “An Essay on Crimes
and Punishments” describes the intention and origin of this punishment, and I will use his
theories to explain the origin of Papa Eugene’s punishment and the reason that Kambili fears

13
it.
To address the specifics of patriarchal violence, the theories of Bhabha's notion of the
Third Space in “The Location of Culture” were also useful in understanding the processes of
identity formation of participants in the new space. Bhabha also gives a good insight into the
postcolonial impact on Kambili and her identity. Frantz Fanon's theory of the boundary
problem of colonial identity and its vicissitudes in “Black Skin, White Masks” offers further
insight into the hybridity Kambili faces in terms of her cultural and postcolonial identity (xvi).
Peter Barry’s “Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory” is the
source of the three phases adopt, adapt, and adept which explain Kambili’s transformation.
“The Postcolonial Studies - The Key Concepts” by Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen
Tiffin is an important source of information concerning postcolonial concepts that are
important for analyzing why Papa Eugene uses violence and oppression as a basis for the
education of his children and abuse of his wife. Furthermore, the article “Ethnic Tensions and
Political Turmoil: Postcolonial Reading of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus” by
Partha Bhattacharjee and Priyanka Tripathy is an excellent source concerning the historical
background of the novel and most of the information comes from there. These ideas are very
essential to my analysis and for understanding why the characters act in determined ways.
There is a need for understanding the origins of their behavior.

Analysis

Kambili's life is marked by Papa Eugene's patriarchal violence and this essay will analyze the
origins and evolution of Kambili's liberation to dignity and self-empowerment. In the first
subchapter, I will analyze patriarchal violence. The analysis will focus on the patriarchal
characteristics of Papa Eugene in terms of surveillance and punishment. In addition, I will
analyze the postcolonial origins of Papa Eugene's patriarchy that is expressed through mimicry
and how Papa Eugene's physical and psychological violence shapes various forms of silences
in Kambili, Jaja, and Mama Beatrice. In the second subchapter, I will analyze the concepts of
courage, dignity, and self-empowerment, as well as the precipitating event that creates the
changes in Kambili, Jaja, and their mother, Mama Beatrice. Furthermore, in the last
subchapter, I will analyze how the silences of Kambili, Mama Beatrice, Jaja, and those close
to them change at the end of the novel. This essay will provide insight into the courage and
strength that allows Kambili to find her identity by challenging patriarchy and oppression.

14
Patriarchal Violence to Dominate and Control the Family

In this subchapter, I will analyze Papa Eugene’s imposition of discipline through surveillance
and punishment of his family. Then I will analyze the origin of Papa Eugene's patriarchalism
and repressive behavior using the term mimicry. This patriarchal violence results in the
silence of Kambili, her brother, and her mother. Furthermore, this subchapter deals with the
different forms of silence caused by Papa Eugene. The aim of this subchapter is to clarify the
origins of Kambili’s oppression and to explain why it is so difficult for her to oppose the life
imposed on her by Papa Eugene.

Surveillance and Punishment

This section will analyze the methods Papa Eugene uses to control his family members, which
are surveillance and punishment. Surveillance or observation of the dominator over the
subordinate is one of the most powerful strategies for maintaining power and challenges the
colonized subject in a way that establishes his identity in relation to the observer (Ashcroft et
al. 208). Papa Eugene imitates the colonizer by speaking English and imposing the English
language on his children and wife. Papa Eugene follows Father Benedict, the white, British,
conservative, Catholic priest, in everything he does (Adichie 6). This mimicry is also carried
into the home and Papa Eugene pretends to his family members to behave like the white man.
His children and wife must be good Christians and his Christianity is exaggerated and therefore
becomes patriarchy (194). As Bhabha asserts, mimicry is used through strategies of reform
and regulation, and the power that the colonizer uses gives him power (Bhabha 86). Papa
Eugene uses this power to keep his family within the confines of his strict rules. As Foucault
claims, the abuser punishes the abused in order to maintain control (178), and in this case, the
abused are Kambili, Jaja, and Mama Beatrice. Astrick asserts that the patriarchal oppression
portrayed in the novel is responsible for the oppression of women through domestic violence
(49). According to Ordu, the women's novel, as a protest book against patriarchy, portrays
inequalities and injustices done to women through patriarchal traditions (62). Adichie portrays
the surveillance and punishment that Papa Eugene uses to maintain the power of his family
members.
As a result of their father's patriarchy, Kambili and Jaja are expected to succeed in
school and always be first in their class, because he expects them to do their best at everything.

15
In addition, they must always behave well and follow their father's instructions. The
consequences of bad behavior are devastating because Papa Eugene gets angry and uses
corporal punishment when he feels it is necessary. He claims he is doing this for their own
good to keep them from sinning (Adichie 196). Foucault claims that the abuser punishes the
abused in order to maintain control (Foucault 101), and in the case of Papa Eugene, he punishes
Kambili, Jaja, and even Mama Beatrice (Adichie 178). This control is evident in Papa Eugene's
strict schedules and harsh punishments. For Foucault, the timetable or schedule is an ancient
legacy, and he states that this strict model was undoubtedly inspired by monastic communities
(149). The rule of the schedule served to avoid idleness, for “it was forbidden to waste time
counted by God and paid for by men; the timetable was intended to eliminate the danger of
wasting time, considered a moral offense and economic dishonesty” (154). Papa Eugene places
great importance on his children keeping their schedules and doing their best in school because
they are supposed to be good Christians and follow the rules. Kambili knows that Papa Eugene
expects her to be first on her test at school. She wants to please him and wants Papa Eugene to
be proud of her (Adichie 39). When Kambili does not place first in her class, she is humiliated
by Papa Eugene: “‘Kambili,’ Papa said, breathing deeply. ‘You didn't put in your best this
term. You came second because you chose to.’ His eyes were sad. Deep and sad. I wanted to
touch his face, to run my hand over his rubbery cheeks. There were stories in his eyes that I
would never know” (41-42). Kambili is sorry that she did not please her father, she wants to
caress him, but she does not (39). Kambili wants Papa Eugene's approval to avoid punishment,
but mostly to win his love and attention.
Even though Kambili is abused by Papa Eugene, she loves him, and this causes an
inner conflict in her self-empowerment. Her affection for her father makes it difficult for her
to break free from his patriarchy. Kambili is thrilled by the few moments of love with her
father when they have tea together:

Have a love sip, he would say, and Jaja would go first. Then I would hold the cup with
both hands and raise it to my lips. One sip. The tea was always too hot, always burned
my tongue, and if lunch was something peppery, my raw tongue suffered. But it didn’t
matter, because I knew that when the tea burned my tongue, it burned Papa’s love into
me. But Papa didn’t say, ‘Have a love sip’; he didn’t say anything as I watched him
raise the cup to his lips. (Adichie 8)

This 'love sip' is a routine that Papa Eugene omits when he begins to have problems with Jaja.

16
Kambili often shows moments of affection for her father, she wants to hug him, and she wants
him to be proud of her. Kambili is afraid of her father's rejection, and she appreciates it very
much when he shows his affection for her.
Kambili needs her father's contribution to grow up confident and sure of her femininity.
She wants Papa Eugene to be proud of her and thinks that if she does everything, he desires he
will be less evil to her. Another example of the affection that Kambili has towards her father
is when she did not get first in her exam at school and Papa Eugene gets disappointed in her:

I wanted to make Papa proud, to do as well as he had done. I needed him to touch the
back of my neck and tell me that I was fulfilling God’s purpose. I needed him to hug
me close and say that to whom much is given, much is also expected. I needed him to
smile at me, in that way that lit up his face, that warmed something inside me. But I
had come second. I was stained by failure. (Adichie 39)

This affection that Kambili feels for her father is understandable as Nutsukpo claims, children
normally look up to their parents, especially their fathers. Nutsukpo goes on to say that Papa
Eugene's behavior is like a betrayal of his children's love and trust (Nutsukpo, Domestic 124-
125). Papa Eugene not only confines them, but he also endangers their lives. From a
postcolonial perspective, Papa Eugene does not give his children and his wife the same titles
that he pretends to by the government on behalf of the suffering masses. This causes an
imbalance in the character of Papa Eugene and shows his hybridity.
Papa Eugene claims that to be a good Christian, Kambili should pay attention in school
and be first in class. Kambili should be grateful to Papa Eugene for making it possible for her
to get a good education and live a good life. To compensate Papa Eugene for his generosity,
he pretends that Kambili should follow his example: “Why do you think I work so hard to give
you and Jaja the best? You have to do something with all these privileges. Because God has
given you much, he expects much from you … I didn’t have a father who sent me to the best
schools. My father spent his time worshiping gods of wood and stone” (Adichie 47). Papa
Eugene despises the life that Papa Nnukwu has chosen and blames him for not adapting to a
more Western lifestyle. Papa Eugene takes on the role of the colonizer', and Papa-Nnukwu
takes on the role of the colonized (Bhabha 86). The difference between the 'Other' who
colonizes and the 'other' who is colonized is represented by the son and the father. The son,
Papa Eugene, imitates the colonizer and Papa-Nnukwu is the one being colonized. For Papa
Eugene, Papa-Nnukwu has failed to live a dignified life.

17
 For Papa Eugene, only those who succeed academically and follow God's rules are
blessed. Papa Eugene criticizes Papa-Nnukwu for being a heathen. To Papa Eugene who
mimics the white man and practices Christianity like the white man, it is not acceptable that
his father practices old Igbo tradition and venerates Igbo idols. Therefore, Papa Eugene does
not accept that his father is a pagan, a non-Christian, and punishes his children if they do not
keep their distance from Papa-Nnukwu. Kambili and Jaja are not allowed to establish a
relationship with Papa-Nnukwu and to share much time with him (61). In fact, he does not
allow his children to meet his grandfather for more than fifteen minutes and they are not
allowed to drink or eat in his house because they can be sacrificed to Igbo idols (61,106).
Kambili and Jaja feel close to Papa-Nnukwu, and they meet him at Aunty Ifeoma’s home.
When Papa Eugene learns that Papa-Nnukwu visited them at Aunty Ifeoma's home and they
were together for more than fifteen minutes, he pours hot water on Kambili's feet as
punishment. This supposed effect of this punishment is echoed in Foucault's theory, which
asserts that the appropriate punishment for a crime is to find the disadvantage in doing it so as
it avoids repetition and promotes the idea of a crime without any appeal (104). This punishment
is cruel and Kambili has to go to the hospital to cure her feet. The normal reaction after a
punishment like this is fear and obedience.
Kambili is the one who holds most fear of Papa Eugene’s punishments. Beccaria, states
that “the seducing picture of the advantage arising from the crime, should instantly awake the
attendant idea of punishment “(Beccaria 39). This means that the thought of imminent
punishment should keep Kambili from misbehaving and sinning. Papa Eugene explains this to
his daughter:

“Everything I do for you, I do for your own good,” Papa said. “You know that?” “Yes,
Papa.” I still was not sure if he knew about the painting. He sat on my bed and held my
hand. ‘I committed a sin against my own body once,’ he said. ‘And the good father,
the one I lived with while I went to St. Gregory’s, came in and saw me. He asked me
to boil water for tea. He poured the water in a bowl and soaked my hands in it.’ Papa
was looking right into my eyes. I did not know he had committed any sins, that he
could commit any sins. ‘I never sinned against my own body again. The good father
did that for my own good.’ he said.” (Adichie 196-197)

Papa Eugene is convinced that Kambili understands why he is punishing her and that, thanks
to his punishments, she will never sin again as he did. Punishment for Papa Eugene is the only

18
way to prevent his children from sinning. Beccaria claims that punishment has the intention
“to terrify and to be an example to others” (33). The punishments that Papa Eugene inflicts on
Kambili and Jaja cause fear, isolation, and silence as they try not to anger their father in order
to remain safe.
Another example of Papa Eugene’s patriarchal violence is portrayed in the event when
Kambili feels sick because she has her period and her stomach hurts. Jaja gives her some flakes
with milk to drink, even though they are going to Mass, and a good Christian should not eat or
drink anything at least an hour before. When Papa Eugene finds out about it, he gets angry:

He unbuckled his belt slowly. It was a heavy belt made of layers of brown leather with
a sedate leather-covered buckle. It landed on Jaja first, across his shoulder. Then Mama
raised her hands as it landed on her upper arm, which was covered by the puffy
sequined sleeve of her church blouse. I put the bowl down just as the belt landed on my
back... as he swung his belt at Mama, Jaja, and me, muttering that the devil would not
win. (Adichie 102)

The words, the devil will not win, are a clear sign of Papa Eugene’s conviction that his mission
is to prevent Kambili from sinning whatever it costs. After the punishment, Papa Eugene hugs
Kambili and Jaja and asks them if the belt hurt them (Adichie 102). Papa Eugene often
punishes his children and wife and hugs them afterward or wants to continue as if nothing
happened. hooks claims that the father uses his power to oppress his wife and children (hooks
xi). Papa Eugene believes he is superior to his wife and children and continues to oppress them
with his patriarchal violence. Papa Eugene is aware that his wife and children may hate him
for his mistreatment (ix). Therefore, he shows affection after the punishment. Kambili accepts
Papa Eugene's psychological and physical violence and believes that he has the right to punish
them.

Papa Eugene and Mimicry

In this sub-section, I will focus on mimicry which is part of Papa Eugene's identity and one of
the reasons for his patriarchal violence. Father Benedict is a white priest and has been at St.
Agnes for seven years and Papa Eugene is subservient to him. Father Benedict praises Papa
Eugene during his homily on Palm Sunday:

19
 When we let our light shine before men, we are reflecting Christ's Triumphant Entry...
Look at Brother Eugene. He could have chosen to be like other Big Men in this country,
he could have decided to sit at home and do nothing after the coup, to make sure the
government did not threaten his businesses... Brother Eugene spoke out for freedom.
How many of us have stood up for the truth? How many of us have reflected the
Triumphant Entry? (Adichie 4-5)

Father Benedict's words push Papa Eugene to continue his mission of charity on behalf of the
people of Enugu and to challenge the government in the search for freedom. Papa Eugene feels
honored and feels that he is accepted and praised by the white man. For Papa Eugene, Father
Benedict represents the white man, and Papa Eugene venerates him and wants to be like him
to gain his blessing. This behavior is reflected in his family life, as he feels that he is superior
to the common people and part of the white man’s world. This manifests itself in Papa Eugene
attempting to civilize his family by cutting them off from the uncivilized.
Papa Eugene mimics the white man and Father Benedict, who greatly influences Papa
Eugene. For Papa Eugene, the Igbo tradition is pagan and unchristian. In addition, Father
Benedict prefers English, he recites the Creed and Kyrie only in Latin, and he does not accept
Igbo. Father Benedict only allows the team to sing the offertory in Igbo, which he calls native
songs (Adichie 4). Papa Eugene, in turn, forces his family members to speak English:

Papa was staring pointedly at Jaja. “Jaja, have you not shared a drink with us, gbo?
Have you no words in your mouth?” he asked, entirely in Igbo. A bad sign. He hardly
spoke Igbo, and although Jaja and I spoke it with Mama at home, he did not like us to
speak it in public. We had to sound civilized in public, he told us; we had to speak
English. Papa's sister, Aunty Ifeoma, once said that Papa was too much of a colonial
product. She had said this about Papa in a mild, forgiving way, as if it were not Papa's
fault, as one would talk about a person who was shouting gibberish from a severe case
of malaria. (Adichie 13)

Kambili is forced to grow up in a world where speaking Igbo is not desired and where speaking
English is the only way to be accepted in society. Papa Eugene uses different forms of
surveillance and punishment to maintain his power (Foucault 178) and to keep his family on
track to fulfill his own ideals, which are the product of colonial mimicry. Papa Eugene imposes
surveillance on his family members Surveillance and punishment when his family members

20
disobey him and the rules of the white man, to make them understand the offense they
committed in case of disobedience.
A further strategy that Papa Eugene uses is to morally disapprove of his wife and
children when they fail to meet his expectations or ostracize him. One example of this is when
Mama Beatrice asks Papa Eugene to stay in the car because she feels sick because she is
pregnant. Papa Eugene sees this event as a threat to his authority (Astrick 48) They are
supposed to visit Father Benedict and Papa Eugene insists on going there:

We always dropped in to visit Father Benedict after Mass.’Let me stay in the car and
wait, biko,’ Mama said, leaning against the Mercedes. ‘I feel vomit in my throat.’ Papa
turned to stare at her. I held my breath. It seemed a long moment, but it might have
been only seconds. ‘Are you sure you want to stay in the car?’ Papa asked. Mama was
looking down; her hands were placed on her belly, to hold the wrapper from untying
itself or to keep her bread and tea breakfast down. ‘My body does not feel right,’ she
mumbled. ‘I asked if you were sure you wanted to stay in the car.’ Mama looked up.
‘I’ll come with you. It’s really not that bad. (Adichie 29)

Asking Mama Beatrice if she is sure that she will not join him is not really a question, but a
hidden command. He makes Mama Beatrice understand that he disapproves of the idea of her
not joining him. For papa Eugene, it is more important to please Father Benedict than to take
care of his wife. Women and children are often dominated by patriarchal power: “Women have
been marginalized by a patriarchal society, and consequently, the history and concerns of
feminist theory have paralleled developments in post-colonial theory, which foregrounds the
marginalization of the colonial subject” (Ashcroft et al. 66). Therefore, Mama Beatrice is a
victim of Papa Eugene’s mimicry and is dominated by him on every occasion.

Papa Eugene is so concerned with mimicking the white man and being well regarded
by the people of Enugu that he does not consider the needs of his wife. In contrast to his
goodness towards the citizens of Enugu, he seems to have no mercy for the members of his
family. When Mama Beatrice accompanies Papa Beatrice to the priest’s house, Kambili feels
sorry for her and realizes how fragile she is:

I watched Mama as we walked. Till then I had not noticed how drawn she looked. Her
skin, usually the smooth brown of groundnut paste, looked like the liquid had been
sucked out of it, ashen, like the color of cracked harmattan soil. Jaja spoke to me with

21
 his eyes: What if she vomits? I would hold up my dress hems so Mama could throw up
into it, so we wouldn’t make a big mess in Father Benedict’s house. (Adichie 30)

Papa Eugene is so anxious to please Father Benedict that he is more concerned with making a
good impression on him than with the fact that his pregnant wife is feeling ill. His intention to
mimic the white man results in pleasing the white man so that he is accepted as his equal. Even
if Papa Eugene adopts the cultural habits, assumptions, institutions, and values of the
colonizer, he will never be equal (Nutsukpo, Domestic 121). In the excerpt above, the two
facets of Papa Eugene's life, the devout Christian and the violent molester are summarized,
depicting a vivid picture of Papa Eugene's hybridity. This hybrid identity makes it difficult for
Kambili to categorize her father as an evil father. She knows that he does many good things
for the masses and is held in high esteem in society.

Kambili, Mama Beatrice, and Jaja’s Silence

The silence that Papa Eugene imposes on Kambili affects her in many ways. The silence haunts
her at school, in her life with her brother Jaja, with Mama Beatrice, and initially with her aunt
Ifeoma and cousins Amaka, Obiora, and Chima. Kambili describes the silence she perceives
and the silence in the Achike family home as a shadow that follows her everywhere and
darkens her life (Adichie 125). She only speaks to her father when it is expected of her. She
keeps her thoughts and opinions to herself. Mama Beatrice and Jaja are also dominated by
Papa Eugene at the beginning of the novel, and silence is the result of this abuse. However,
Kambili suffers the most, as she is unable to speak more than rehearsed platitudes without
stuttering or coughing. Her silence is a product of the abuse she suffers at the hands of her
father. Kambili is also silent outside of her home, at Mass, and at school. I will analyze that
the silence of Kambili, Jaja, and Mama Beatrice is a clear sign of oppression because they have
been educated to be quiet and accommodating to Papa Eugene.
Kambili's fear of Papa Eugene's punishment is the reason why she cannot raise her
voice and therefore she speaks with her eyes instead of her voice. This is especially the case
when it comes to her brother Jaja. Kambili and Jaja are very close and always look to each
other for courage and comfort. The fear of mentioning their desires and feelings silences them
and their only option is to look at each other to share their thoughts. When Jaja and Kambili
start having lunch separately because Jaja is tutoring, they suffer from this separation: “I wish
we still had lunch together, Jaja said with his eyes” (22). The separation between Kambili and
Jaja makes them suffer, but they are not able to mention it. However, every day when Jaja

22
comes home from tutoring, he asks Kambili what she had for lunch. Kambili reflects on his
question: “Jaja knew what I ate for lunch every day. We had a menu on the kitchen wall that
Mama changed twice a month. But he always asked me, anyway. We did that often, asking
each other questions whose answers we already knew. Perhaps it was so that we would not ask
the other questions, the ones whose answers we did not want to know” (23). Jaja knows exactly
what Kambili eats for lunch because it is written on the menu on the kitchen wall what is
served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mama Beatrice also follows her husband's rules by
making schedules. This may be related to her fear of breaking the organization that Papa
Eugene has installed in his home. Papa Eugene has hung schedules in Kambili and Jaja's rooms
for their chores in order to organize family life.
This silence of Kambili and Jaja is due to the fact that they do not want to say anything
that can incite their father's violence. Therefore, it is easier for Kambili and Jaja to talk about
things that they already have an answer to because they do not have to worry about hearing
bad news. This kind of strategy helps them to survive in the household. Another aspect of the
silence is that no one mentions Papa Eugene, and this is portrayed in the event when Kambili
tells Jaja that Mama Beatrice is pregnant:

“Mama is pregnant,” I said. Jaja came back and sat down at the edge of my bed. “She
told you?” “Yes. She’s due in October.” Jaja closed his eyes for a while and then
opened them. ‘We will take care of the baby; we will protect him.” I knew that Jaja
meant from Papa, but I did not say anything. Instead, I asked, “How do you know it
will be a he?” “I feel it. What do you think?” “I don’t know.” (Adichie 23)

Jaja shows a protective attitude towards their future brother. They talk about Mama
Beatrice's pregnancy and how they will protect the baby from Papa Eugene when he is born.
However, no one mentions Papa Eugene and Kambili quickly steers the discourse to another
argument. Moreover, this behavior encourages the two siblings by leaving out the thing that
really bothers them.
The silence of Kambili, as well as of Jaja and Mama Beatrice, consists in omitting the
things they really want to say. This is due to the fear of being punished by Papa Eugene and
is evident in the example where Papa Eugene brings home products from his factory.
Usually, they praise the products Papa Eugene brings home for them to enjoy, but Jaja is
silent: “Say something, please, I wanted to say to Jaja. He was supposed to say something
now, to contribute, to compliment Papa's new product” (13). Kambili is afraid that Jaja's

23
silence will make her father angry, so she and Mama Beatrice begin to praise the juice
offered. The silence of Jaja makes Papa Eugene react strangely. It seems that he is afraid of it
because it shows that Papa Eugene is losing his power over Jaja. Something has gone wrong
and Papa Eugene's son no longer obeys him. Kambili believes that it is not possible to
disobey Papa Eugene and that Jaja will be punished terribly. Her fear makes it impossible for
her to express her opinion.
Kambili also has difficulty speaking to Mama Beatrice and uses the same kind of
silence she uses when she leaves out things, she wants to say to Jaja. When Papa Eugene
breaks Mama Beatrice's figurines, she wants to tell her mother that she is sorry because she
knows exactly how much Mama Beatrice loves those figurines, but the words that Kambili
wants to say do not come out of her mouth: “‘I meant to say I am sorry Papa broke your
figurines, but the words that came out were, ‘I'm sorry your figurines broke, Mama’” (109).
Kambili omits the name of the person who broke the figurines and almost makes it look as if
the figurines broke by themselves. It is too difficult for Kambili to mention Papa Eugene
because she and Jaja are used to not mention the person who is hurting them. The fact that
she leaves out parts of the words she wants to say is a consequence of the silence that Papa
Eugene imposes on Kambili.
Kambili is also fearful, shy, and silent at school and finds it difficult to join her
classmates, leading to a different kind of silence. Papa Eugene does not allow Kambili to
have friends and social life. Her classmates tease her because they think she is a snob, and
Kambili does not tell her classmates the truth about her situation at home. This is why
Kambili “(she) remained a backyard snob to most of my class, girls until the end of term. But
(she) did not worry too much about that, because (she) carried a bigger load -the worry of
making sure (she) came first this term” (52). Papa Eugene wants Kambili to be first in class
and Kambili understands that she is so lonely because she is afraid of Papa Eugene's
disapproval of her results. Therefore, she does not have time to meet with her classmates,
which isolates her. As a result, she has a problem making herself heard at school. For
example, when she is asked to recite the pledge she knows, nothing happens: “I opened my
mouth, but the words would not come out” (48). Kambili knows the words she needs to say
very well, but her social anxiety prevents her from speaking. She lacks the ability to
communicate confidently and openly with those around her. Therefore, Kambili whispers
instead of speaking. This is a result of Papa Eugene's psychological violence. Kambili is
severely disabled in her interaction with others.

24
 Mama Beatrice’s silence is different than Kambili and Jaja’s as it is a consequence of
her submission to Papa Eugene. It seems that Mama Beatrice accepts Papa Eugene’s
patriarchy. Kambili notes that Mama Beatrice chooses not to speak about the violence Papa
Eugene inflicts on her and her children. It seems that she is afraid that if she talks about the
violence, she will have to answer questions that she cannot answer. Therefore, she survives
her situation by silence and avoidance, and when she feels oppressed and sad, she cleans the
figures on the étagère. When Mama Beatrice is beaten so badly that she miscarries, she comes
home from the hospital without saying anything, and her children say nothing (33-34).
Fwangyil states that Mama Beatrice feels invisible because of the male-dominated society in
which she lives. She grew up in a society where women were not allowed to be heard, and
Mama Beatrice accepts being silent (268). She stays with Papa Eugene because she cannot
imagine life as a divorced wife and is glad that he has not found another wife to have more
children with. Therefore, Mama Beatrice is silent, which means that she accepts being abused
by Papa Eugene.
Religion causes another form of silence in Kambili as she silently must support her
father and everything that Father Benedict wanted to say in the homily. Kambili must follow
the strict rules that Father Benedict imposes on his people. Therefore, religion also silences
Kambili's life because it is always present in her life. This shows how the submission to Papa
Eugene is related to the silence they endure. Kambili explains the silence on her Sundays:

Our steps on the stairs were as measured and as silent as our Sundays: the silence of
waiting until Papa was done with his siesta so we could have lunch; the silence of
reflection time when Papa gave us a scripture passage or a book from one of the early
church fathers to read and meditate on; the silence of the evening rosary; the silence of
driving to church to receive the blessing afterward. Even our family time on Sundays
was quiet, without chess games or newspaper discussions, more in tune with the day
of rest. (Adichie 31)

The surveillance and control that Papa Eugene exercises over his family members results in a
constant silence that alienates Kambili, Jaja, and Mama Beatrice from the rest of the world.
For Papa Eugene, Christianity takes precedence over everything else, and he is the
embodiment of the colonial legacy and its violence (Dube 234). Everything must be perfect,
and Papa Eugene wants his family members to follow the rules of Christianity perfectly.

25
 The silence Kambili experiences in Nsukka at Aunty Ifeoma’s home is a different kind
of silence, a dialectical silence. Kambili is not used to socializing with girls of her age and she
does not know how to approach them. When she stays with Amaka, she does not really know
how to act, and when Amaka talks to Kambili, she does not know how to respond. Kambili
has no idea of what teenagers at her age do in their spare time. They have never experienced
what it is like to go to concerts and parties. Kambili and Jaja do not have electrical devices like
VCRs and cassette players; Kambili and Jaja do not even know what kind of music is popular
(Adichie 118). When Amaka talks to her about music and claims she is culturally aware
because she listens to traditional Igbo music, Kambili feels uncomfortable because Amaka said
“culturally conscious in the proud way that people say a word they never knew they would
learn until they do. I sat still on the edge of the bed, hands clasped, wanting to tell Amaka that
I did not own a cassette player, that I could hardly tell any kinds of pop music apart” (118).
Kambili does not want Amaka to understand that she is ignorant of culture and music. It is
very difficult for Kambili and Jaja to communicate with their cousins because of their lack in
modern culture.
Kambili is surrounded by silence as it is imposed on her, Jaja, and Mama Beatrice by
Papa Eugene while silence is also imposed on the People of Nigeria by the government. Papa
Eugene's newspaper, “The Standard,” is also silenced by the government. Papa Eugene, for
example, is not happy that most Nigerian politicians are corrupt. He wants a new Nigeria, a
better Nigeria. Papa Eugene and the editor of his newspaper, Ade Coker, publish an article
“about cabinet ministers moving money into foreign bank accounts” (Adichie 24,
Bhattacharjee and Tripathy 441). Ade Coker is arrested for this article, and this worries Papa
Eugene because it underscores the beginning of political unrest in the city (Adichie 38). Ade
Coker is arrested because he published an article against the politics of the head of state (206).
However, Papa Eugene manages to get him out of jail, and he decides to run his newspaper
underground to avoid further trouble (Bhattacharjee and Tripathy 442). Working underground
also means silence. Aunty Ifeoma is also silenced by the government and harassed by soldiers
who try to intimidate and silence her because she protests against the government's
organization of the university where she works (Adichie 222). Papa Eugene's patronage
silences his house, while Nigerian society imposes it on the other characters.
This subchapter has dealt with patriarchal violence and its origins. I have analyzed that
the origins of Papa Eugene's patriarchal behavior are related to post-colonialism and therefore,
the surveillance and punishment of Kambili, her brother, and her mother. The reason for Papa

26
Eugene's patriarchal behavior is his temptation to imitate the white man. Papa Eugene's
surveillance and punishment cause Kambili, her brother, and her mother to remain silent for
various reasons, and only by breaking this silence can they free themselves from Papa Eugene's
clutches.

Courage, Dignity, and Self-empowerment

In this subchapter, I will analyze how Jaja's courage and rebellion against Papa Eugene make
Kambili realize that Papa Eugene can be defeated. Mama Beatrice's dignity plays an
important role in Kambili and Jaja’s self-empowerment and will therefore be analyzed. In the
end, Aunty Ifeoma’s family is the main point of Kambili’s improvement, and I will analyze
how she with the help of others begins her journey towards freedom and independence.

Jaja’s Courage and Responsibility

At the beginning of the novel, Kambili claims that the changes in her life began with Jaja's
rebellion against his father on Palm Sunday. Not going to the altar and receiving communion,
Jaja deliberately disregards his father's strict rules, and his father accuses him of disobedience
(Adichie 3). Kambili and Mama Beatrice are the most oppressed in the family but when Jaja
rebels against Papa Eugene on Palm Sunday Kambili understands that she wants to be free
from Papa Eugene’s abuse. Palm Sunday is an important event and the main point of the
beginning of changes in the Achike family. Amartey asserts that Palm Sunday becomes the
day when the march to freedom and independence from their father's abusive attitude begins
for Kambili, Jaja, and Beatrice (35). Palm Sunday is an event of freedom from oppression and
is the first sign for Kambili, Jaja, and Mama Beatrice of their rejection of Papa Eugene’s
oppression. Dube notes that “Purple Hibiscus thus indicates various forms of resistance to
patriarchy by women” (Dube 233). In this case, the novel is about a Nigerian family and
includes both male and female characters.
The first sentence of the novel run like a thread through Kambili's life. It refers to the
event that occurs on Palm Sunday when Papa Eugene punishes Jaja for not going to
communion and Papa Eugene breaks Mama Beatrice’s figurines on the étagère. (Adichie 3).
Palm Sunday was the day when it all began. Kambili starts narrating on Palm Sunday and the
first lines in the novel are a recurrent theme and follow the changes that occur in Kambili's
life: “Things started to fall apart at home when my brother Jaja did not go to communion and
Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the étagère” (3). This

27
incident marks the beginning of Jaja's rebellion against Papa Eugene and his devotion to
Christianity. When Jaja refuses to go to communion on Palm Sunday, Papa Eugene becomes
angry and points out to him: “It is the body of our Lord... you cannot stop receiving the body
of our Lord. It is death, you know that” (6). Kambili is sure that Jaja fears these words, but he
replies, “Then I will die, Papa” (7). Jaja believes death is better for him than the brutality and
hypocrisy of Papa Eugene.
Jaja is determined to stand up to his father. He feels responsible for their welfare and
sees it as his duty to protect his sister and mother. Jaja challenges his father and protects his
mother and sister Kambili from the patriarchal violence of Papa Eugene. When Papa Eugene
punishes Jaja and breaks Mama Beatrice's figurines Jaja takes care of his mother and instructs
her to be careful not to cut her fingers while picking up the broken pieces (8). The figurines
are of no importance to Jaja, but he knows that his mother is very fond of these figurines
dancing on the étagère. Kambili “used to wonder why she polished them each time I heard
sounds from their bedroom, like something being banged against the door. She spent at least a
quarter of an hour on each ballet-dancing figurine. There were never tears on her face” (10).
Mama Beatrice polishes them after every violent outburst from Papa Eugene and this
represents that she wants to clean up the violence they suffer, and she uses the figurines to
calm herself. The breaking of the figurines can be seen as a sign that the breaking the figurines
has removed the protective shield that Mama Beatrice has erected around herself and her
feelings. Afterward, she can see the humiliation and violence of Papa Eugene with new eyes.
When Kambili asks Mama Beatrice if she will replace the characters, she clarifies that she will
not and that something has changed: “Kpa... I will not replace them” (15). These words that
Mama Beatrice utters show that something has happened within her and are a sign that the
journey out of submission has begun. Kambili watches what is happening stunned and with
fear. She had never realized before that someone could challenge Papa Eugene.
The evidence of Jaja’s liberation can be identified in his continuous opposition and
disobedience toward his father. For example, when Papa Eugene accuses him of rejecting the
Lord's body and slams his leather-bound missal THEORY on the dining table so that it shakes
(6). Jaja even refuses to eat dinner with his family the day after the event, though his father
calls him back, “Jaja, Jaja... You must eat with us this evening; do you hear me?” (258). Papa
Eugene tries to impose his power on Jaja to convince him to join them, but he fails. Jaja no
longer listens to his father. He is no longer afraid and therefore Papa Eugene loses his
dominance over Jaja. When Jaja was a young child, he was abused by Papa Eugene, for

28
example, he was beaten for not placing first in his First Communion class: “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” (145). Jaja's finger was deformed by this accident
and never healed. When Jaja understands that the moment had come to resist the submission
to Papa Eugene, he revolts against him. Jaja also understands that it is his duty to protect his
mother and little sister. Jaja rebels against Papa Eugene who is violent and strict with his
children due to his mimicry of the colonizer. The colonizer's imitation, as Ashcroft et al. argue,
exaggerates the pursuit of the perfect because Papa Eugene feels “more English than the
English” and pushes all the rules to the extreme (Ashcroft et al. 208). Jaja wants to be free
from his father's obsession with being perfect and he wants to stop Papa Eugen’s patriarchy.
Jaja becomes more and more self-sufficient and is no longer afraid of his father, Papa
Eugene. He defends his mother and sister against Papa Eugene. For example, when Jaja leaves
the table before Papa Eugene has said the prayer after the meal (Adichie 14). No one has ever
left the table before Papa Eugene has said his prayer. This is a mockery of Jaja to his father.
This is because mimicry is never far from mockery, as it can appear to parody what it is
imitating, and it is very easy for imitation to become mockery (Ashcroft et al. 10). Papa Eugene
fails when his daughter and son begin to question him and disobey his rules, and his wife goes
from obedient and submissive to overconfident when she poisons him to death (Adichie 290).
Mimicry, then, reveals a crack in the certainty of colonial dominance and the uncertainty of
control over the behavior of the colonized (Ashcroft et al. 125). This is exactly what happens
to Papa Eugene when Jaja challenges him.
When Aunty Ifeoma gets fired from the university due to what they call ‘illegal duty’,
Jaja wants to go and visit Aunty Ifeoma with Kambili (Adichie 260). Jaja does not ask his
father if they can go there, but he informs his father, “We are going to Nsukka today, not
tomorrow. If Kevin will not take us, we will still go. We will walk if we have to” (261). Jaja
does not believe he needs his father's permission to go to Aunty Ifeoma. Jaja has grown up and
now no longer asks his father for permission but imposes his will on him and makes his
decision all by himself. In the end, Jaja is the hero of the family when he decides that Mama
Beatrice will not survive the harsh conditions in prison and goes to prison in her place
(Fwangyil 70). Kambili is very grateful to him and believes that Jaja is protecting her and her
mother: “He will never think that he did enough, and he will never understand that I do not
think he should have done more” (Adichie 305). Jaja's decision to sit in prison for years without
being formally charged is just another form of loyalty to his mother. Jaja symbolizes the father

29
figure in the novel by protecting his sister and mother and Papa Eugene is the one causing the
turmoil in the family.

Mama Beatrice’s Dignity

Beatrice submits to Papa Eugene's abuse and endures it silently, for the shame associated with
domestic violence persists because she is afraid of the consequences and the disgrace. Mama
Beatrice endures physical abuse at the hands of Papa Eugene, but she does not tell anyone
about it (Fwangyil 264). Domestic violence is the most common form of gender-based abuse
in Purple Hibiscus. The only evidence of this is the “jagged scar on her forehead” (Adichie
15), the swollen eye, and the fact that she polishes the figurines on the étagère after each
beating. Kambili “used to wonder why she polished them each time I heard sounds from their
bedroom, like something being banged against the door” (10). Mama Beatrice seems to adhere
to the idea that “the woman is meant to be seen and not heard; she remains culturally invisible
in a male-dominated society” (Fwangyil 268). Mama Beatrice's submission is an example of
cultural invisibility. She espouses Fwangyil's idea that “the woman is meant to be seen and not
heard; she remains culturally invisible in a male-dominated society” (268). She hides her
feelings behind her silence and uses the polishing of the étagère to comfort herself. She does
not react to Papa Eugene’s violence to avoid being harassed and humiliated.
Mama Beatrice lacks self-confidence and to maintain some dignity she invents
strategies to survive in the oppressed life that Papa Eugene offers her. As Astrick claims, Mama
Beatrice is the oppressed, voiceless, and victimized wife, and she thinks her situation is her
fault (Astrick 49). Beatrice is abused by her husband and endures this silently. According to
Nigerian tradition, a woman should have many children, and Mama Beatrice appreciates that
he does not want to impregnate another woman, even though she has only given him two (49).
She feels that she is not a fantastic wife, since she has only managed to give birth to two
children. Mama Beatrice is very happy when she gets pregnant again, and she tells Kambili:

“God is faithful. You know after you came and I had the miscarriages, the villagers
started to whisper. The members of our umunna even sent people to your father to urge
him to have children with someone else. So many people had willing daughters, and
many of them were university graduates, too. They might have borne many sons and
taken over our home and driven us out, like Mr. Ezendu’s second wife did. But your
father stayed with me, with us.” She did not usually say so much at one time. She spoke
the way a bird eats, in small amounts. “Yes,” I said. Papa deserved praise for not

30
 choosing to have more sons with another woman, of course, for not choosing to take a
second wife.” (Adichie 20)

She is convinced that she must be grateful to Papa Eugene because he keeps her as his wife.
Mama Beatrice embodies the stereotypical image of the African woman who is oppressed,
voiceless, and victimized. Papa Eugene's behavior turns him away from Nigerian customs and
social surveillance and closer to the West. Mama Beatrice chooses to live with the violence
and suffering, and it seems that she has internalized the idea that she is being punished because
she deserves it.
Mama Beatrice can only speak freely when she arrives at Aunty Ifeoma’s home and
Papa Eugene is not with her. For example, when she takes the cab to go to Aunt Ifeoma's house
after having another miscarriage due to Papa Eugene's violence, she seems different and
Kambili reflects that she “...had never seen Mama like that, never seen that look in her eyes,
never heard her say so much in such a short time” (Adichie 251). Mama Beatrice contradicts
Aunty Ifeoma and responds animatedly in her discussion. Mama Beatrice is the one who waits
until the last moment to change and face her husband. After she is severely beaten up by Papa
Eugene and has a miscarriage, she tells Aunty Ifeoma:

“Do you know that Eugene pays the school fees of up to a hundred of our people? Do
you know how many people are alive because of your brother?” “That is not the point
and you know it.” “Where would I go if I leave Eugene’s house? Tell me, where would
I go?” She did not wait for Aunty Ifeoma to respond. “Do you know how many mothers
pushed their daughters at him? Do you know how many asked him to impregnate them,
even, and not to bother paying a bride price?” (Adichie 250)

Mama Beatrice defends Papa Eugene against Aunty Ifeoma and in doing this she is able to
speak out and not be silent. Her voice is not lowered, and she looks into the eyes of Aunty
Ifeoma. Kambili is surprised, she had never seen Mama Beatrice talk like that (Adichie 250).
Kambili was used to seeing Mama Beatrice silent and submissive.
Kambili, Jaja, and Mama Beatrice by working together and needing to survive, portray
the basic idea of womanism. Mama Beatrice finally decides to change her behavior when
Kambili is beaten up so badly by Papa Eugene that she has to go to the hospital (211). This
event serves as a catalyst that leads Beatrice to stand up for her children or risk losing them.
Perhaps on this occasion, she begins to doubt that the patriarchal violence she and her children
have been subjected to is her fault, and Mama Beatrice begins to change. Mama Beatrice shows

31
her change when she no longer fears Papa Eugene and doesn’t lower her voice to please him
(257). Together, they find the strength to defeat the oppressor by caring for and defending each
other and by beginning to disobey Papa Eugene.
After Palm Sunday, Mama Beatrice no longer feels like being silent in her home (Ordu
62). This is clearly expressed by Mama Beatrice when she helps Sisi, the maid, to clean up
after Papa Eugene breaks her figurines:

Even the silence that descended on the house was sudden, as though the old silence had
broken and left us with the sharp pieces. When Mama asked Sisi to wipe the floor of
the living room, to make sure no dangerous pieces of figurines were left lying
somewhere, she did not lower her voice to a whisper. She did not hide the tiny smile
that drew lines at the edge of her mouth. She did not sneak Jaja’s food to his room,
wrapped in cloth so it would appear that she had simply brought his laundry in. She
took him his food on a white tray, with a matching plate. (Adichie 257-258)

The broken figurines symbolize the new era that has begun in the Achike family. This event
describes Mama Beatrice's journey as she transforms from liberal to radical feminism. As
Ibeku asserts, this change is a reaction to the circumstances that happen to Mama Beatrice
(436). Mama Beatrice finally acts like a mother and treats Papa Eugene with the dignity of a
wife who does not submit to his commands. Now Mama Beatrice is not afraid of Papa Eugene
anymore and there is no need for being silent.
Mama Beatrice makes a radical decision when she realizes that the lives of her children
are in danger and poisons Papa Eugene in order to free them from his grip. With Papa Eugene's
death, her dignity, freedom, and safety are restored, as are those of her children (Nutsukpo,
Domestic 123). For Mama Beatrice, murder becomes what Fanon calls an “absolute line of
action” (67); it is a decision that secures her financial future and, more importantly, that of her
children; the only decision by which she can accept the honor of widowhood rather than endure
the indignities of divorce. Mama Beatrice is the one who pays the highest price to free herself
and her children (Nutsukpo, Domestic 123). Killing her husband gives her freedom, but in
exchange, she must see her beloved son be imprisoned in her place.

Aunty Ifeoma’s Home of Freedom

The purple hibiscus in Aunt Ifeoma's home symbolizes something new that Kambili and Jaja
have never experienced before. In Enugu, Kambili had only seen the red hibiscus and this

32
different color of the flower seems to open a path for Kambili and Jaja to discover something
different and the possibility that things can change (Adichie 128). They begin to hope that
change can affect them too and if they just show that they are committed to change, there will
be freedom for them:

Nsukka started it all; Aunty Ifeoma’s little garden next to the verandah of her flat in
Nsukka began to lift the silence. Jaja’s defiance seemed to me now like Aunty Ifeoma’s
experimental purple hibiscus: rare, fragrant with the undertones of freedom, a different
kind of freedom from the one the crowds waving green leaves chanted at Government
Square after the coup. A freedom to be, to do. (Adichie 16)

The flower of the hibiscus usually has red flowers and Aunty Ifeoma’s hibiscus wears purple
flowers. The idea of a different kind of freedom is placed within the hibiscus, and this is the
title of the novel. Kambili compares Jaja to the purple hibiscus because he is different from
what they were used to seeing in their home in Enugu just as different as purple was for the
hibiscus.
Aunty Ifeoma is a single mother and sole breadwinner, which means that she takes on
the roles of mother and father as head of the household. She is the symbol of freedom and
prefers self-empowerment to tradition. When Grandpa Nnukwu claims that he prays for her to
find a new husband, she replies that he should rather pray for her to get her job as a lecturer
(Dube 233). Aunty Ifeoma prefers to rely on herself and be independent. She does not listen
to her family members who try to pressure her, and, as Astrick states, “she refuses to succumb
to male intimidation and threats from the in-laws” (49). Aunty Ifeoma is an example of
womanism portraying women helping women. Aunt Ifeoma supports Mama Beatrice and tells
her not to give in to her husband's violence (Adichie 250). The support of Aunty Ifeoma is
crucial for Mama Beatrice because she can understand that a woman can survive without
depending on her husband.
Kambili is not used to protesting anything in Papa Eugene's home and when she enters
Aunt Ifeoma's home she continues to behave that way. Kambili is silent and does not respond
when she is scolded by Amaka. Aunty Ifeoma insists that Kambili fights back when her
daughter Amaka teases her for not doing the housework: “Aunty Ifeoma's eyes hardened - she
was not looking at Amaka, she was looking at me (Kambili). 'O ginidi, Kambili, have you no
mouth? Talk back to her” (170). Aunty Ifeoma's encouragement causes Kambili to raise her
voice and defend herself. Aunty Ifeoma believes that everyone should speak up and tell the

33
truth no matter what. To Kambili, it is something new, something unusual, that somebody asks
her to respond to somebody and it takes her some time to do so.
Aunty Ifeoma is the opposite of her brother, Papa Eugene, who raises his children
without giving them the opportunity to have personal opinions and thoughts. Aunty Ifeoma is
a woman who cares about the future of Nigeria, in line with the womanist movement, which
states that both men and women should strive for a common life of happiness (226). Therefore,
she refuses to bow to the government's rules and states: “I am not paid to be loyal. When I
speak the truth, it becomes disloyalty... When do we speak out, eh? When soldiers are
appointed lecturers and students attend lectures with guns to their heads? When do we speak
out?” (222-223). Aunty Ifeoma advocates for a free Nigeria and a free university where she
can give her lectures without fear of being silenced. Kambili admires her aunt's courage and
determination. She admires her and the way she encourages her children to be free and happy
people.
Kambili is used to listening to her father's monologue at home and is not used to seeing
other people that are confident and speak with loud voices. When Amaka takes part at dinner
and speaks out loudly, Kambili gets embarrassed: “I nodded, keeping my eyes on my jollof
rice. I wished Amaka would keep her voice low. I was not used to this kind of conversation at
table” (97). Kambili fears that Papa Eugene could react to Amaka’s behavior at dinner.
However, Papa Eugene does not react at all and just holds the conversation with Amaka (99).
Kambili wonders how Amaka can be able to speak like this, the words just flow out of her
mouth (98). Kambili experiences a peer that does not fear to talk and exchange her thoughts
with other people and the most important thing is that Amaka does not fear Papa Eugene at all.
From a womanistic perspective, Aunty Ifeoma and her children are the help Kambili
needs to understand that life can be beautiful without having to submit to anyone. The coming
together of Kambili, her aunt, and her cousins creates unity and encourages Kambili to live a
better life. As Izgarjan and Markov claim that “it can therefore be asserted that womanism
evolved from a policy to a philosophy of life. Walker voices this philosophy in her call to all
women to create a platform based on the communality of female experience which would
allow them to communicate better with one other” (Izgarjan and Markov 314). The opportunity
to experience the life of another family gives Kambili the realization that she is oppressed and
dominated by her father. In light of this, she understands that there is a way to free herself from
her father's clutches. This symbolizes womanism and shows that it is only possible to
overcome oppression and unhappiness by joining forces.

34
 Kambili admires her aunt and the way she raises her children and fills them with self-
confidence. She thinks about her own self-confidence, which is non-existent because Papa
Eugene controls her and her thoughts and persuades her that she is unworthy.:

It was what Aunty Ifeoma did to my cousins, I realized then, setting higher and higher
jumps for them in the way she talked to them, in what she expected of them. She did it
all the time believing they would scale the rod. And they did. It was different for Jaja
and me. We did not scale the rod because we believed we could, we scaled it because
we were terrified that we couldn't. (Adichie 226)

Kambili watches Aunty Ifeoma encourage her children and understands that this is how a
family looks like when the family members are free to express themselves. This union and
love that Kambili experiences at Aunty Ifeoma’s home represent Kambili’s awakening, and
she learns that it is possible to fulfill her dreams and be herself and self-confident. When
Kambili is with Aunty Ifeoma, she can act like a teenager. Amaka is very outspoken and when
she notices that Kambili speaks in a low voice, she asks, “'Why do you lower your voice?'
'What?' 'You lower your voice when you speak. You talk in whispers.' 'Oh.' I said, my eyes
focused on the desk, which was full of things-books, a cracked mirror, felt-tipped pens”
(Adichie 117). Kambili learns from Amaka that it is not normal to lower your voice. It is not
natural and Kambili should not lower her voice when she is with her cousins and aunt.
In Aunty Ifeoma’s home, Kambili learns to strive for her goals and to never give up
whatever happens. Aunty Ifeoma is a lecturer at the college of Nsukka, but the political turmoil
has made her life difficult, and the teachers have not been paid for almost two months (76).
Many lecturers have decided to emigrate to America to have a better life, and so does Aunty
Ifeoma. In America, she has friends who want to help her escape the socio-political unrest and
economic crisis. Aunty Ifeoma's son Obiora thinks it is a good idea for them to emigrate
because “Mom will have her work recognized in America, without any nonsense politics”
(224). He and his sister were raised with a belief in freedom and felt oppressed by the Nigerian
regime. This encourages Kambili to learn that freedom should be strived for at any cost.
Aunty Ifeoma teaches Kambili that it is not a disaster if she fails and claims that failure
encourages people to keep fighting to succeed. Kambili and Jaja had never been encouraged
by Papa Eugene and the idea that they could fail and continue their path was new to them. The
most important example of this is in the letter from Aunty Ifeoma to Kambili, which Kambili
receives when Aunty Ifeoma leaves for the United States:

35
 There are people, she once wrote, who think that we cannot rule ourselves because the
few times we tried, we failed, as if all the others who rule themselves today got it right
the first time. It is like telling a crawling baby who tries to walk, and then falls back on
his buttocks, to stay there. As if the adults walking past him did not all crawl, once.
Although I was interested in what she wrote, so much that I memorized most of it, I
still do not know why she wrote it to me. (Adichie 301)

Aunty Ifeoma's support, even though she is on the other side of the world, gives strength to
Kambili. Aunt Ifeoma also writes to Mama Beatrice, but she does not write letters to Jaja in
prison. She sends him recordings with their voices again (Adichie 310). Kambili believes that
she is doing this to keep more human contact with him because he is in prison and voices from
the people, he loves are surely encouraging him to never give up and to believe that he will
soon be free. From a womanistic point of view, cooperation and unity make them stay strong
and continue their life, changing them from oppressed to dignified and self-empowered.

Kambili’s Self-Empowerment
The awakening of Kambili helps her in her journey against freedom and independence but can
only succeed with the help of unity between herself and other women, men, and children. Ordu
mentions Ogaga Okuyade in “Womanism and Patriarchy in Adichie's Purple Hibiscus,” who
asserts that “as the novel meanders towards its conclusion, she (Kambili) rediscovers her voice
and role in the household after her awakening” (1). This awakening happens because Kambili
endures to free herself from the oppression of Papa Eugene (Ordu 63). This recalls the
womanism of Walker and Ogunyemi to whom:

Black womanism is a philosophy that celebrates black roots, the ideals of black life
while giving a balanced presentation of black womandom. It concerns itself as much
with the black sexual power tussle as with the world power structure that subjugates
blacks. Its ideal is for black unity where every black person has a modicum of power
and so can be a ‘brother’ or a ’sister’ or a ’father’ or a ’mother’ to the other. This
philosophe has a mandalic core: its aim is the dynamism of wholeness and self-healing
that one sees in the positive, integrative endings of womanist novels. (Ognuyemi 72)

Kambili starts to heal when she understands that her life is not what it should be like and to
achieve the wholeness of her life she must struggle for her liberation. Her black womandom

36
has put her in a situation of patriarchalism by her father who in vain tries to assimilate the
white man. But Kambili challenges him and searches for her own black identity without being
subjugated by the white man or her father with the white mask.
Kambili goes through several phases in her awakening and her quest for self-
empowerment. From addicted to confused to convinced. These phases are in line with Peter
Barry's “adopt, adapt, and adept theory” and highlight Kambili's hybridity as she changes her
identity: “‘Thanks be to God.’ It was what Jaja, and I said, what Papa expected us to say when
good things happened” (Adichie 20). In the “adopt” phase at the beginning of the novel,
Kambili accepts Papa Eugene's authority without questioning whether it is acceptable, and her
identity remains unspoken. She simply accepts her situation and does not consider that there
is another way to live. When Jaja does not go to communion on Palm Sunday, she is left
surprised by Jaja and Mama Beatrice, and Papa Eugene, who act as if nothing strange has
happened. They are not afraid of Papa Eugene, and that seems unusual to Kambili. Papa
Eugene had broken Mama Beatrice's beloved figurines, and everything was strange: “Why
were they acting so normal, Jaja and Mama as if they did not know what had just happened?
And why was Papa drinking his tea quietly, as if Jaja had not just talked back to him? Slowly,
I turned and headed upstairs to change out of my red Sunday dress” (8). When, thanks to Jaja's
rebellion, Kambili realizes that the oppression she is subjected to is wrong, she enters the phase
of 'adapt'. Now not only Jaja is challenging Papa Eugene but also Kambili does challenge him.
Kambili becomes more courageous when she begins to challenge her father. When
Kambili takes home the painting of her grandfather, she does not even try to hide it in her
room. Kambili knows that her father will get furious if he discovers that she brought it home
and that there will be a punishment. Both Kambili and Jaja know that Papa Eugene will enter
the room to say goodnight, but they do not react. It is as if she makes it happen on purpose:
“And that was what happened. Perhaps it was what we wanted to happen, Jaja and I, without
being aware of it. Perhaps we all changed after Nsukka—even Papa—and things were destined
to not be the same, to not be in their original order” (209). Kambili does not hide the painting
of Papa-Nnukwu on purpose and exaggerates in challenging Papa Eugene This shows her
devotion to her grandfather's painting. Kambili’s defiance is a clear sign of change in her
journey and points out her courage.
Papa Eugene is no longer feared by Kambili, and she accepts punishment for her
disobedient behavior. The above-mentioned event leads to punishment by her father, Papa

37
Eugene. Kambili’s journey to a different life has begun and she begins to disobey her father,
just like Jaja. Kambili knows that this disobedience will have terrible consequences for her:

“No!” I shrieked. I dashed to the pieces on the floor as if to save them, as if saving
them would mean saving Papa-Nnukwu. I sank to the floor, lay on the pieces of paper.
“What has gotten into you?” Papa asked. “What is wrong with you?” I lay on the floor,
curled tight like the picture of a child in the uterus in my Integrated Science for Junior
Secondary Schools. “Get up! Get away from that painting!” I lay there, did nothing.”
(Adichie 210)

Kambili does not listen to her father, she challenges him. Lying curled like a child in the uterus
of its mother symbolizes that she tries to give protection, just as a mother protects her child in
her uterus. Challenging Papa Eugene is something new for Kambili and she has never shown
this behavior before. She has been punished several times, but she has never intentionally
challenged Papa Eugene. The maturity that comes with her growth is evident in the way she
views the situation in her family after Jaja refuses to go to communion. (Adichie 1).
Mama Beatrice's indifference to the figurines is also indicative of Kambili's adaptation
phase. She realizes that something has changed and that things will never be the same: “Maybe
Mama had realized that she would not need the figurines anymore; that when Papa threw the
missal at Jaja, it was not just the figurines that came tumbling down, it was everything. I was
only now realizing it, only just letting myself think it” (15). This change symbolizes the growth
of Kambili and her desire for a new life, another life. Kambili recognizes the difference
between the silence in her father's house in Enugu and the laughter that resounds in Aunt
Ifeoma's house in Nsukka. “I laughed. It seemed so easy now, laughter. So many things seemed
easy now. Jaja was laughing, too…” (284). When Mama Beatrice changes her attitude against
Papa Eugene, she opens a door to Kambili’s journey against freedom and self-empowerment.
Kambili is now aware of life outside of her family rooms and stands up for her own
ideas. Kambili rejects the way of life that Papa Eugene imposes on her, and in the end, when
the liberation from her patriarchal father is complete, she enters the adept phase:

“We will take Jaja to Nsukka first, and then we’ll go to America to visit Aunty Ifeoma,”
I say. “We’ll plant new orange trees in Abba when we come back, and Jaja will plant
purple hibiscus, too, and I’ll plant Ixora so we can suck the juices of the flowers.” I am
laughing. I reach out and place my arm around Mama’s shoulder and she leans toward
me and smiles. Above, clouds like dyed cotton wool hang low, so low I feel I can reach

38
 out and squeeze the moisture from them. The new rains will come down soon. (Adichie
306-307)

In this phase, Kambili has constructed her new self and is making plans for the future. Kambili
finds her identity with cultural independency and without the obligation to be someone that
she does not want to be. She shows her compassion for other people and her womanist self is
growing inside of her: “I thought about that woman lying in the dirt as we drove home. I had
not seen her face, but I felt that I knew her, that I had always known her. I wished I could have
gone over and helped her up, cleaned the red mud from her wrapper...I thought about her, too,
on Monday, as Papa drove me to school...He reminded me of the market woman in the dirt…”
(Adichie 45-46). Kambili is aware of the political unrest in her country and cannot look away
when she sees injustice happening around her. In Kambili, responsibility for justice grows and
empathy and compassion for others are a sign of her self-empowerment.
There is a need for Kambili to associate with other people to understand how different
her life is to find self-esteem. In Nsukka she gets encouraged by Aunty Ifeoma, her cousins,
and Father Amadi to be an authentic teenager and taste the freedom that she never had the
opportunity to try at Papa Eugene’s home. Therefore, the trip to visit Aunty Ifeoma opens the
heart of Kambili. Kambili learns that girls her age play sports, wear pants, and use lipstick.
When she tries on Amaka's lipstick, her hands tremble. Kambili knows she is doing something
Papa Eugene would punish her for, and she wipes the lipstick away (175). Religion is also a
different task than what she was used to in Enugu. Father Amadi treats her very differently
than Father Benedict. In Nsukka, Father Amadi not only wants Kambili to participate in
religion, but he also lets her play volleyball and do athletics. Father Amadi makes her run,
claiming, “You have good legs for running. You should practice more” (176). Kambili feels
embarrassed and looks away; she had never heard anything like this before and it felt very
intimate. Kambili was not used to this situation and when Father Amadi asks her to smile, she
cannot (177). This emotional turmoil was the point that drew her to Father Amadi. As in other
places, he was the authority in their church, but he had a measure of compassion and ruled
with love, not intimidation.
Kambili in Father Amadi finds a person who cares about her, and this changes her life
because she is encouraged to be herself and to strive for happiness. Father Amadi asks Jaja
about the abuse he and Kambili suffer at the hands of Papa Eugene, and this allows Father
Amadi to help Kambili because he can perceive the fear in her heart and understand why she
is so quiet and shy (175). Kambili also noticed that Father Amadi had a voice: "That had the

39
same effect on my ears that Mama working Pears baby oil into my hair had on my scalp. I did
not fully comprehend his English-laced Igbo sentences at dinner because my ears followed the
sound and not the sense of his speech." (135). Kambili falls in love with Father Amadi, which
awakens her sense of sexuality. With him, Kambili smiles, laughs, runs, and dreams as he
instills confidence and hope in her with his encouragement. Father Amadi assures Kambili,
“You can do anything you want, Kambili” (239). Through her encounter with Father Amadi,
Kambili learns about a new religion that encompasses Christianity and the Igbo religion, and
she also finds herself, which frees her from her silence.
The consequences of Papa Eugene’s patriarchal violence leave a scar on Kambili that
she will carry for the rest of her life. In any case, it is important not to stereotypically reduce
all Nigerian men to Papa Eugene. This novel only tells the story of one Nigerian family. As
Adichie asserts in her lecture “The Danger of a Single Story,” Papa Eugene is only one man,
and he does not represent all Nigerian men. As Adichie claims, “power is the ability to not just
to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person” (10:13).
Comparing all Nigerian men to Papa Eugene is like comparing all American men to the
character in the novel American Psycho and claiming that all Americans are serial killers
(11:01/11:04/11:32). The decisions parents make about their role in the family have a profound
and lasting impact on their children's lives and personalities (Nutsukpo, 2017, 125). Kambili
and Jaja are damaged by the parenting that Papa Eugene imposes on them, and they will bear
the scars of his behavior for the rest of their lives. Because he imposes a life devoid of social
contact, love, and understanding on them, they cannot adapt to his lifestyle and feel that they
are living a decent life.
This subsection has analyzed the courage, dignity, and self-empowerment of Kambili
and her brother, and her mother. The sub-section has covered the courage of Jaja to challenge
his father and thereby give input to Kambili to follow him and change her life. The dignity of
Mama Beatrice has been analyzed because it is very important to Kambili ad Jaja that their
mother has a dignified life. In the end, I have analyzed deeply how Kambili gains her identity
through self-empowerment.

A Different Silence
The first parts of the analysis were about the different forms of silence before the change and
this subchapter will analyze the silences that occur in the Achike family after the death of Papa

40
Eugene. This new form of silence is different from the silences imposed by Papa Eugene.
Furthermore, Purple Hibiscus begins with silence and ends with silence.

Silence of Mercy
Kambili and Jaja experience a new silence which can be seen as a weapon against Papa
Eugene. They were used to remaining silent because of Papa Eugene's violence, but when they
begin to oppose him, they begin to use their silence against their father. For example, when
Kambili and Jaja arrive at Aunt Ifeoma's house for Easter, Jaja refuses to talk to him on the
phone when he calls (Adichie 268). Kambili learns to speak out when she is constantly
provoked by her cousin Amaka. It is only when Kambili fights back, thanks to Aunt Ifeoma's
encouragement, that Amaka and Kambili are able to begin their friendship. Kambili believes
in herself and begins to speak, laugh, and sing more confidently. Kambili thinks about the
silence they experienced at home, which began to disappear when they visited Aunt Ifeoma in
Nsukka: “I lay in bed after Mama left and let my mind wander through the past, through the
years when Jaja and Mama and I spoke more with our spirits than with our lips. Until Nsukka”
(15-16). In their eyes, they can see the words they are afraid to say. As Meher notes, the novel
begins with silence and ends with silence (209). Silence is a form of violence.
When Jaja is in prison instead of Mama Beatrice, he is silent because he does not want
to worry Kambili and Mama Beatrice. Kambili knows this and respects her brother's silence.
For Kambili, Jaja, while in prison, hides his worries and pain behind an air of carelessness and
silently observes his mother and sister (Adichie 305). Kambili explains her brother's silence as
paused and hopes that they will have the occasion to speak without hindrance in the future
when Jaja will come out of prison:

I have not told Jaja that I offer Masses for Papa every Sunday, that I want to see him
in my dreams, that I want it so much I sometimes make my own dreams, when I am
neither asleep nor awake… With Jaja's imprisonment, another form of silence takes a
back seat, but this one is fleeting. There is so much that is still silent between Jaja and
me. Perhaps we will talk more with time, or perhaps we never will be able to say it all,
to clothe things in words, things that have long been naked. (Adichie 306)

Jaja's silence betrays the harshness that has gripped him in prison. There is nothing he can say
to end the torment he is experiencing. The tapes that Aunt Ifeoma sends with the voices of her
children are the only relief he has (Adichie 300). The visits from Kambili and Mama Beatrice

41
also bring him relief, but he is unable to talk to them because he does not want them to worry
about him. Jaja has closed himself off and this can be explained by Foucault, where it is stated
that the absolute isolation in the relationship of the individual gives’ relief to the prisoner:
“Alone in his cell, the convict is handed over to himself; in the silence of his passions and of
the world that surrounds him, he descends into his conscience…” (Journal des economists,
cited in Foucault 238). Jaja survives in prison thanks to the silence that he imposes on himself.

Mama Beatrice’s Choice of Silence

Kambili and Mama Beatrice are now free from Papa Eugene's oppression and can live a more
relaxed life, working out the enforced silence into a liberated silence. After Papa Eugene’s
death and Jaja's imprisonment, Mama Beatrice breaks down and retreats into silence. Still,
there are many things that they do not talk about, and this is a thing that will take time to
overcome. Kambili and Mama Beatrice have been used to omitting things in their
conversations and it is not possible to change completely but it will be more graduated. Maybe
it will never happen but at least now they are free to decide by themselves what to say and
what to omit. This happens by their own choices and not because of the fear of being punished
by Papa Eugene:

There is so much more that Mama and I do not talk about. We do not talk about the
huge checks we have written, for bribes to judges and policemen and prison guards.
We do not talk about how much money we have, even after half of Papa’s estate went
to St. Agnes and to the fostering of missions in the church. And we have never talked
about finding out that Papa had anonymously donated to the children’s hospitals and
motherless babies’ homes and disabled veterans from the civil war. There is still so
much that we do not say with our voices, that we do not turn into words. (Adichie 297)

Reminding that Papa Eugene had done charity and that he was a great man outside of the
family life is a thing that Kambili and Mama Beatrice do not want to talk about. The fact that
Mama Beatrice had poisoned her husband due to his violence against his family members was
more important. Now they are free of the patriarchal control that Papa Eugene inflicted on
them, and their new freedom gives them a chance to feel happy.

42
Kambili’s Troubleless Silence
The silence that descends on Enugu after Papa's murder is different, as it is as hopeless as the
silence that prevailed when Papa Eugene was alive, but it is a silence that lets Kambili breathe.
Kambili retreats into silence to free herself from the reality of the troubles that have befallen
her family (Adichie 305). The death of Papa Eugene undoubtedly contributes to deepening the
silence. Kambili has grown up in a world where silence was imposed on the people. Mama
and Kambili know the truth and there is nothing left to say. Papa Eugene has forced them to
acquire good habits, to prevent moral contagion by active surveillance, and to maintain
reflection by the rule of silence; this rule accustoms the convict to regard the law as a sacred
commandment whose violation brings just and legitimate harm (Foucault 238). Papa Eugene
is the cause of their silence, even when he is not present and now even if he is dead. The
oppressor has control even when he is not present because his victims do not know to behave
differently. However, the silence in the final phase of the book, which also marks the
wholeness of Kambili's metamorphosis, is different.
Kambili and Mama Beatrice can now choose to remain silent or to speak out, which
puts their silence on another level. There is also something beautiful about the new silence of
Kambili and Mama Beatrice: “I had never felt the comfortable silence we shared as we cleaned
the rice, carefully, because the grains were stunted and sometimes looked like the glassy
stones. Even the air seemed still, slowly rousing itself after the rain. The clouds were just
starting to clear, like cotton-wool tufts reluctantly letting go of one another” (Adichie 247).
Their new silence is a free silence. They decide for themselves to remain silent, and they do
not remain silent for fear of being punished. The silence Kambili previously experienced was
a result of Papa Eugene's patriarchal violence, a result of the postcolonial era in which Kambili
lived. Kambili recounts that: “silence hangs over us, but it is a different kind of silence, one
that lets me breathe. I have nightmares about the other kind, the silence of when Papa was
alive” (305). Papa Eugene imposed silence on the Achike family because he was a perpetrator
of patriarchal violence. The silence that Kambili experiences after his departure is a silence
that allows Kambili to decide for herself whether or not to remain silent.
For Kambili, finding her in-between or Third Space has led to the emergence of a new
consciousness that not only expands and enriches her socio-cultural horizons but also
transforms her to some extent. For Meher, the last shadow of silence that remains for Kambili
is a different kind of silence, for it is a silence that allows her to hope and dream (210). This
silence can be compared to Bhabha's Third Space. Kambili's Third Space is neither reducible

43
to Papa Eugene nor to Papa-Nnukwu. Her place in this world is in this “in-between space”
between the Christian religion and the Igbo tradition (Bhabha 36). Kambili likes to stay with
Father Amadi because he is a priest who combines Christianity with the Igbo tradition and
who allows the traditional Igbo language in the church and in everyday life:

There was something confident about his (Father Amadi) gait, like a rooster in charge
of all the neighborhood hens. In the car, he played a tape. It was a choir singing Igbo
worship songs. I knew the first song: Mama sang it sometimes when Jaja and I brought
our report cards home. Father Amadi sang along. His voice was smoother than the lead
singer’s on the tape. (Adichie 178)

Kambili feels so familiar with the things Father Amadi does and for the first time in her life,
she is allowed to express her cultural heritage while feeling like a courageous Christian. Father
Amadi makes Kambili feel safe as he reminds her of her mother. Kambili feels familiar to
Father Amadi. This, along with her love for Father Amadi, allows Kambili to take a new step
on her journey to self-empowerment.

The Silent Letters

For Kambili, Nsukka is the place where she feels free and where she learned to speak her mind
and think for herself. It was where she had the people who helped her break free and find her
true identity. Nsukka was the place where Kambili learned to be happy and to laugh: “Because
Nsukka could free something deep inside your belly that would rise up to your throat and come
out as a freedom song. As laughter” (Adichie 299). Nsukka has become quiet because Aunty
Ifeoma has moved to the United States. Kambili continues to go to Nsukka to visit, but the
absence of Aunty Ifeoma and Father Amadi makes itself felt and represents a different kind of
silence. Aunty Ifeoma has gone to a place where she can free herself from the oppression that
the government has imposed on her and other lecturers at the University of Nsukka. Nsukka is
being silenced by the Nigerian government, so people who disagree with the government have
to leave. Also, Father Amadi has gone to Germany to do missionary work (261). In any case,
Kambili continues to visit Nsukka even after Aunty Ifeoma and Father Amadi leave:

As we drove back to Enugu, I laughed loudly, above Fela’s stringent singing. I laughed
because Nsukka’s untarred roads coat cars with dust in the harmattan and with sticky
mud in the rainy season. Because the tarred roads spring potholes like surprise presents

44
 and the air smells of hills and history and the sunlight scatters the sand and turns it into
gold dust. Because Nsukka could free something deep inside your belly that would rise
up to your throat and come out as a freedom song. As laughter. (Adichie 298-299)

The last sentence describes her state of mind remembering Nsukka where her dreams began to
grow and Kambili discovered friendship and love. These words symbolize the feelings that
Kambili nourishes for Nsukka and make it clear that it will remain in her heart and mind
because it was the place where she learned to laugh and speak loudly. Kambili through her
narration explains how Nsukka was the place where she discovered a different world than the
one Papa Eugene made her live in.
Aunty Ifeoma has left for the United States and her absence means a new kind of
silence. In order to keep in touch with Kambili and Mama Beatrice, Aunty Ifeoma writes letters
to them and Mama Beatrice when she leaves for the United States (Adichie 300). Aunty Ifeoma
has a job at a community college and one at a pharmacy. She ignores writing about the present
and focuses on telling Kambili and Mama Beatrice about things she misses and things she
longs for that have remained in the past. Kambili describes the letters as long and without real
meaning. “Sometimes, her letters go on and on until the ink gets smudgy, and I am not always
sure what she is talking about” (300-301). For Kambili, Aunty Ifeoma writes these long letters
because she wants Kambili to feel loved and cared for, and for this reason, it does not matter
if the letters do not say much. Furthermore, Kambili believes that Aunt Ifeoma's letters show
that she misses Nsukka and the people she used to visit. The relationship between Aunty
Ifeoma and Kambili and Mama Beatrice is very solid and will never fade.
Only for Amaka and Obiora does the silence seem to have disappeared, as they lead
completely different lives in the United States. They also write letters to Kambili about their
new lives in the United States. Amaka writes about how everyone is getting fat and how Chima
has to change clothes every month because he is getting fatter. Amaka confesses to Kambili
that they have stopped laughing because they do not have time to laugh in the States and they
do not see each other much either. Amaka has Kambili read letters she wrote to the office of
the head of state and even to the Nigerian ambassador to America complaining about the poor
state of the Nigerian justice system: “She said nobody acknowledged the letters but still it was
important to her that she do something” (300). Kambili appreciates Obiora's letters the most.
Obiora has received a scholarship to a private school and can challenge his teacher without
being punished. This is the difference between Nsukka and his new home. Obiora has
discovered freedom of speech (301).

45
 Father Amadi writes to Kambili in his letters, and he continues to encourage her and
make her feel good. He tells Kambili that she must believe that Jaja will soon come home and
Kambili believes him, even though they have not heard from the lawmen (302). Kambili
believes him because he said it and his word is true for them. Kambili keeps Father Amadi's
letters in her purse, and he never answers her questions about whether he is happy, he only
replies, “that he will go where the Lord sends him” (302-303). His letters remind Kambili that
she is worthful. Then, Father Amadi writes to Kambili that he wants to know the truth about
Papa Eugene's death, but he asks for it without mentioning Papa Eugene:

His letters dwell on me. I carry them around because they are long and detailed, because
they remind me of my worthiness, because they tug at my feelings. Some months ago,
he wrote that he did not want me to seek the whys, because there are some things that
happen for which we can formulate no whys, for which whys simply do not exist and,
perhaps, are not necessary. He did not mention Papa—he hardly mentions Papa in his
letters—but I knew what he meant, I understood that he was stirring what I was afraid
to stir myself. (Adichie 303)

Kambili understands anyway. Kambili continues to love Father Amadi. And she continues to
go to the church where Father Amadi said Mass in Nsukka. “I no longer wonder if I chose St.
Andrew's Church in Enugu as my new church because the priest there is a Blessed Way
Missionary Father like Father Amadi is; I just go” (Adichie 303-304). Kambili is devoted to
Father Amadi who opened her heart in so many ways. Father Amadi was the one who made
her feel confident. He made her feel worthy, and she grew into a woman thanks to him because
she experienced love for the first time in her life.
In this subchapter, I have analyzed the life of Kambili after the death of Papa Eugene
and presented the different forms of silence that emerged. The silence of Jaja, who closes
himself in silence so as not to evoke sorrow in Kambili and Mama Beatrice; the silence of
Mama Beatrice, who does not want to talk about things that might worry Kambili; the silence
of Kambili, which now makes her hope and dream about the future; and finally, the silence
that is evident in the letters Kambili receives from Amaka, Obiora, Aunty Ifeoma, and Father
Amadi. All these new forms of silence are expressions of hope and freedom, because they
symbolize Kambili's coming of age, as she transforms from an insecure and repressed girl into
a confident and self-empowered woman.

46
Conclusion

Using womanist theory as a theoretical framework, this study has analyzed Kambili's process
of identity formation from a victim of patriarchal violence to self-empowerment. From
Kambili's narrative, it is clear that Nsukka has opened up an in-between space for Kambili
where she experiences a different lifestyle than the one, she is used to from Papa Eugene's
house in Enugu. From a womanist perspective, she manages to unite with those around her to
find a way to survive and connect her present life with her cultural heritage. The silence that
persists from the beginning to the end of the novel provides the basic framework for the
journey that Kambili undertakes.
Kambili finds her courage when she, Jaja, and Mama Beatrice understand that they
cannot continue to submit to Papa Eugene's oppression in order to protect each other. They
must find their dignity and self-determination. Thanks to Jaja's disobedience to Papa Eugene,
Kambili understands that it is possible to rebel against her father. Kambili wants to live as a
free person and free herself from the patriarchal violence that Papa Eugene imposes on her,
her brother, and her mother. Connecting with the people who love her Kambili discovers new
dimensions; with Aunty Ifeoma, Kambili sees her independence; with Amaka, she sees her
consciousness; with Father Amadi, she sees her beauty; with Papa-Nnukwu, she sees power
and religion outside of her father's version. All of this together helps Kambili realize that she
does not have to remain as she is. Only by freeing herself from fear and a suppressed life can
she step out of silence and begin a new life that is adapted to her. For Kambili, this means a
life in which the Christian faith and Igbo traditions can live in harmony, allowing her to be
herself and thus create her new identity.
I would argue that it is an interesting question to know what would have happened if
Mama Beatrice had not poisoned Papa Eugene. What would have happened if Papa Eugene
had still been alive. Is there any possibility that Kambili, Jaja, and Mama Beatrice would have
been successful in their journey to dignity and self-empowerment?

47
Works Cited
Primary Source
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Purple Hibiscus. 4th Estate, 2017. First published in 2003.

Secondary Sources
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “The Danger of a Single Story.” TED Talks, uploaded by TED, 7

Oct. 2009,

www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.

Accessed 15 January, 2022.

Amartey, Collins. “Articulations of Womanism in Adichie's Purple Hibiscus and Emecheta's

The Joy of Motherhood.” University of Ghana Digital Collections,
http://197.255.68.203/handle/123456789/5539. Accessed 15 Feb. 2022.
Astrick, Tifanny. “Patriarchal Oppression and Women Empowerment in Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie's Purple Hibiscus.” Vivid Journal of Language and Literature, Perpustakaan
Universitas Andalas, 12 Oct. 2021,
https://www.academia.edu/57310977/Patriarchal_Oppression_and_Women_Empower
ment_in_Chimamanda_Ngozi_Adichie_s_Purple_Hibiscus. Accessed January 2’d,
2022.
Ashcroft, Bill, et al. Post-Colonial Studies: The Key Concepts. ed., Routledge, 2003. DOI.org
(Crossref), https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203449974. Accessed January 2’d, 2022.
Barry, Peter. (1995) Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, 2 nd
ed. Manchester University Press.
Beccaria, Cesare. “An Essay on Crimes and Punishments. By the Marquis Beccaria of Milan.
With a Commentary by M. de Voltaire. A New Edition Corrected. (Albany: W.C. Little
and Co., 1872).” The Online Library of Liberty, Liberty Fund, Inc, 2011,
files.libertyfund.org/files/2193/Beccaria_1476_EBk_v6.0.pdf.
Bhabha, Homi Kharshedji. The Location of Culture. Routledge, 1994.
Bhattacharjee, Partha, and Priyanka Tripathi. “Priyanka Purple Hibiscus Ethnic Tensions -
Language in India.” Language in India, 3 Mar. 2017,
http://www.languageinindia.com/march2017/priyankapurplehibiscusethnictensions.pdf.
Accessed February 22, 2022.
“Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story | TED.” YouTube,
uploaded by TED, 7 Oct. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg.
48
Dhivaja, E, Swamy, Sumathy K. “Imprints of Post-Colonialism in Chimamanda Ngozi
Adiche’s Purple Hibiscus.” Language in India. 3 Mar. 2016,
http://www.languageinindia.com/march2016/dhivyahibiscus1.pdf. Accessed February
22, 2022.
Dube, Musa. “Purple Hibiscus: A Postcolonial Feminist Reading.” Missionalia, vol. 46, no. 2,
2019, https://doi.org/10.7832/46-2-311. Accessed January 2’d, 2022.
Fanon, Frantz. Black Skin, White Masks Lam Markmann. London, Pluto Press, 1986.
Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage Books, 1977.
Fwangyil, Gloria Ada. “A Reformist-Feminist Approach to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s
Purple Hibiscus.” African Research Review, vol. 5, no. 3, 2011, pp. 261–74. Crossref,
https://doi.org/10.4314/afrrev.v5i3.67356. Accessed January 5’th, 2022.
Hooks, Bell. Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. Pluto Press, 2000.
hooks, bell. WordPress.com.
https://hamtramckfreeschool.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/hooks-bell-aint-i-a-woman-
black-woman-and-feminism.pdf. Accessed 29’th January 2022.
Ibeku, Ijeoma Ann. “Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and the Issue of Feminism in African Novel.”
Journal of Literature and Art Studies, vol. 5, no. 6, 2015, https://doi.org/10.17265/2159-
5836/2015.06.007. Accessed February 18’th 2022
Izgarjan, Aleksandra, and Slobodanka Markov. “Alice Walker’s Womanism: Perspectives Past
and Present.” Gender Studies, vol. 11, no. 1, 2012, pp. 304–15. Crossref,
https://doi.org/10.2478/v10320-012-0047-0. Accessed February 18’th 2022.
Loomba, Ania. Colonialism/Postcolonialism (The New Critical Idiom). 1st ed., Routledge, 1998.

Meher, Nilima. “(Re) Writing Postcolonial Bildungsroman in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies

Purple Hibiscus.” International Journal of English and Literature, vol. 5, no. 8, 31 Oct.
2014, pp. 206–210., https://doi.org/10.5897/ijel2014.0614. Accessed January 2’d, 2022.
Nutsukpo, Margaret Fafa. “Domestic Violence in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple
Hibiscus.” AFRREV IJAH: An International Journal of Arts and Humanities, vol. 6, no.
3, 2017, pp. 118–26. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.4314/ijah.v6i3.10. Accessed January
28’th, 2022.
Nutsukpo, Margaret Fafa. “Feminism in Africa and African Women’s Writing.” African
Research Review, vol. 14, no. 1, 2020, pp. 84–94., https://doi.org/10.4314/afrrev.v14i1.8.
Accessed April 10’th, 2022.
Ogunyemi, Chikwenye Okonjo. “Womanism: The Dynamics of the Contemporary Black
Female Novel in English.” Signs, vol. 11, no. 1, University of Chicago Press, 1985, pp.
49
 63–80, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174287. Accessed February 16.
Ordu, Stanley. “Womanism and Patriarchy in Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus.”
LITINFINITE JOURNAL, vol. 3, no. 2, 2021, pp. 61–73. Crossref,
https://doi.org/10.47365/litinfinite.3.2.2021.61-73. Accessed January 28’th, 2022.
Walker, Alice. In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose. 1st ed., USA, Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt, 1983.

50

View publication stats