Themes in Purple Hibiscus 🔮💜🪻🌺

• Kambili and Jaja both come of age in Purple Hibiscus as a result of their experiences.
• The book opens with Jaja rebelling against his devout Catholic father by skipping communion on Palm Sunday, an important religious holiday.
• The following chapters detail the events that culminate in Jaja’s defiance.
• The book is narrated by Kambili three years after this incident.
• Kambili has been stunted by the severe punishments of her father, barely speaking and finding her own voice throughout this ordeal.
• Both Kambili and Jaja take steps towards adulthood by overcoming adversity and being exposed to new thoughts.
• Part of growing up is building your own identity by choosing which paths to follow.
• In Enugu, the only path Kambili and Jaja are allowed to follow is Papa.
• Papa writes out schedules and severely punishes them when they stray.
• When Kambili and Jaja visit their Aunty Ifeoma in Nsukka, they are astonished by what they find.
• Aunty Ifeoma's home is small and devoid of luxuries, but there is love and respect.
• Her children Amaka and Obiora are allowed to question authority and choose their own paths.
• Obiora, though he is three years younger than Jaja, is articulate and protective.
• Obiora has been initiated into Igbo culture by performing a rite of manhood.
• Jaja was not allowed to participate in Obiora's initiation and is ashamed that he is lagging behind his cousin.
• In Nsukka, Jaja is encouraged to rethink his allegiances and make his own decisions.
• Violence begets violence.
• Over the course of the novel, both Kambili and Jaja must come to terms with the lingering after-effects of colonialism in their own lives.
• Papa and his paper, the Standard, are critical of the corruption that is ushered in by a leader who is not elected by the people.
• Amaka assumes that Kambili follows American pop stars while she listens to musicians who embrace their African heritage.
• Aunty Ifeoma encourages Kambili to reconsider her stance on Papa - Nnukwu.
• After Nigeria declared independence from Britain in 1960, a cycle of violent coups and military dictatorship led to civil war, which led to a new cycle of bloody unrest.
• He is wrathful towards his children when they stray from his chosen path for them.
• Kambili and Jaja understand firsthand the struggle of their cousins.
• Ironically, Papa is a self-righteous dictator in his own home.
• His home, modernized up to Western standards, is for appearances only.
• They both adjust to life outside their father’s grasp by embracing or accepting traditional ways.
• In Purple Hibiscus, there is a coup that culminates in military rule.
• Kambili and Jaja are kept away from the unrest at first.
• Even democracy is hindered by the widespread corruption in the government.
• In the wake of Ade Coker’s death, Papa beats Kambili so severely she is hospitalized in critical condition.
• The children are not allowed to watch television.
• Nigerian politics are intertwined with the internal drama of the Achike family.
• There is emptiness in his home just as his accent is falsified in front of whites.
• The trappings of Papa’s success are hollow.
• They witness protests, deadly roadblocks, and harassment from the safety of their car.
• Kambili has been taught by Papa, her grandfather is a heathen.
• After witnessing his innocence ritual, Kambili questions the absolute rule of her father.
• Both Kambili and Jaja take major steps towards adulthood by claiming their individuality.
• Only with Aunty Ifeoma can Mama behave authentically.