Plot

• Purple Hibiscus is a novel set in postcolonial Nigeria, a country beset by political instability and economic difficulties.
• The central character in Purple Hibiscus is Kambili Achike, a fifteen-year-old member of a wealthy family dominated by her devoutly Catholic father, Eugene.
• Eugene Achike is both a religious zealot and a violent figure in the Achike household, subjecting his wife Beatrice, Kambili herself, and her brother Jaja to beatings and psychological cruelty.
• Told through Kambili's eyes, the story of Purple Hibiscus is essentially about the disintegration of her family and her struggle to grow to maturity.
• A key period in Kambili's life is the time she and her brother spend at the house of her father's sister, Ifeoma, and her three children.
• This household offers a marked contrast to what Kambili and Jaja are used to, practicing a completely different form of Catholicism that encourages its members to speak their minds.
• In this nurturing environment, both Kambili and Jaja become more open, more able to voice their own opinions.
• Kambili falls in love with a young priest, Father Amadi, which awakens her sense of her own sexuality.
• Ultimately, a critical mass is reached in terms of the lives of Kambili, Jaja and the existence of their family as it once was.
• Unable to cope with Eugene's continual violence, Beatrice poisons him.
• Jaja takes the blame for the crime and ends up in prison.
• In the meantime, Aunty Ifeoma and her family go to America to live after she is unfairly dismissed from her job as lecturer at the University of Nigeria.
• The novel ends almost three years after the events just described, on a cautiously optimistic note.
• Kambili has become a young woman of eighteen, more confident than before, while her brother Jaja is about to be released from prison, hardened but not broken by his experience there.
• Their mother, Beatrice, having deteriorated psychologically to a great degree, shows small signs of improvement.
• In essence, a better future is possible for them all, though exactly what it might involve is an open question.
• Papa-Nnukwu is a kind, loving man rooted in the traditional non-Christian beliefs of his indigenous culture, presenting a marked contrast to his son Eugene's adherence to European religion and lifestyle.
• Each section of Purple Hibiscus concerns an important phase in Kambili's story.
• The language of the novel is basically that of its first person narrator, Kambili Achike.
• Many strong themes emerge from a reading of Purple Hibiscus, including: The dangers inherent in religious zeal, Money and social position do not equal happiness, Corruption in a society struggling for political stability, The difficulties of everyday life in a country that is politically unstable, Personal sacrifice and its various manifestations, Traditional indigenous belief in relation to contemporary Western belief, Youthful love, in particular Kambili's feelings for Father Amadi, The relationship of the natural world (e.g fauna and flora, climate and geography) to everyday life, The cons
• Father Amadi is youthful, indigenous and well-versed in contemporary life, presenting a marked contrast to white European priests in the country such as Kambili's pastor, Father Benedict.
• Aunty Ifeoma is highly capable in many aspects of her life, displaying determination and resourcefulness in bringing up her children without a husband.
• Kambili is dominated by her father until he is arrested, at which point she displays more overt defiance than her family.
• Purple Hibiscus is divided into four main sections, each containing a number of chapters that are not numbered or titled.
• Kambili's narrative reflects her sensitive, intelligent and observant nature and is rich with evocative detail.
• Aunty Ifeoma creates a much happier environment for her children than does Kambili's family.
• The use of the traditional Igbo language by many characters at various times is noteworthy in Purple Hibiscus.
• Kambili takes the blame for her mother's crime and spends almost three years in prison before obtaining an amnesty.
• Aunty Ifeoma is Kambili's sister, a tall, striking, intelligent woman who works as a lecturer at the University of Nigeria.
• Father Amadi is a young attractive priest in the circle of Aunty Ifeoma and her family.
• Papa-Nnukwu is both father and grandfather in the Achike family, being Eugene and Ifeoma's father.
• Kambili's personality has hardened but not been broken through her time in prison.
• These include: Father Benedict, Ade Coker and Amaka, Obiora and Chima, Aunty Ifeoma's three children.
• There are also a number of minor characters in Purple Hibiscus worthy of detailed discussion, but space does not permit this here.