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(IGCSE English) Purple Hibiscus Themes Questions & Detailed Answers 2024
(IGCSE English) Purple Hibiscus Themes Questions & Detailed Answers 2024
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(IGCSE English) Purple Hibiscus ThemesColonialism and Nigerian Politics
Though the plot of Purple Hibiscus unfolds mostly on a micro level, its characters'
lives are also affected by a larger political background the macro level.
Nigeria has a long history of English colonialism and oppression—it was a colony of
the British for over a hundred and fifty years
While colonialism sets the background for the novel, Purple Hibiscus also takes
place during a turbulent time for the Nigerian government.
The plot probably coincides with the real, historical military coup and subsequent
regime of Ibrahim Bangida, one of the country's most corrupt leaders—although in
the novel he is only referred to as the Head of State, or "Big Oga."
We see everything through a young adult's point of view, but Adichie still manages
to make her novel a political one by showing the tragic personal results of the
legacy of colonialism, dictatorship, and corruption.
Religion and Belief
Religion and belief are central to the novel, particularly in the contrasts between
Papa, Papa-Nnukwu, and Aunty Ifeoma/Father Amadi.
These beliefs have led to a deep rift between Papa and his father, Papa-Nnukwu,
who still follows traditional Igbo rituals.
Ifeoma's priest is the open-minded, lighthearted Nigerian Father Amadi.
Adichie ultimately presents Ifeoma's and Papa-Nnukwu's religion in a much kinder
light than Papa's, as Adichie too rejects Western domination over Nigerian culture,
and the suppression of joy and acceptance that comes with too strict a dogma.
, We see this stance through the character of Father Amadi—a young Nigerian
priest embracing both the old ways and the new—and also in the positive changes
to Jaja and Kambili as they are exposed to beliefs other than Papa's.
Though they choose different paths, the important thing is that with Aunty Ifeoma
and Father Amadi they find a place of religious acceptance, and so have the
freedom to choose without risking punishment.
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Family
Purple Hibiscus takes place mostly on the familial level (within the domestic
sphere), dealing with the relations between Papa, Mama, Jaja, and Kambili, and
then their relations with Papa-Nnukwu, Aunty Ifeoma, and her children.
First we see the family dynamic of Kambili's family, where they all live in silence
and fear, following Papa's strict rules and schedules.
Kambili and Jaja are very close, though they rarely speak.
These two families overlap when Kambili and Jaja go to stay with Aunty Ifeoma.
They see how different they are from Ifeoma's family, and start to realize how
unhealthy and rigid their own family dynamic is.
Through Aunty Ifeoma and her children, Adichie represents her idea of a healthy
family—one that creates community and love, but also accepts differences and
supports individuals as they grow and change.
Freedom vs. Tyranny
Related to the strictness of Papa's beliefs and the corruption of the Nigerian
government is an important theme of freedom, and its opposite, tyranny.
Politically, Papa and Ade Coker represent a freedom of the press that
protests against the censorship and corruption of the Head of State.
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