Purple Hibiscus

Purple Hibiscus

Book cover of the first edition
Author	Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Language	English
Genre	Fiction, coming-of-age
Publisher	Algonquin Books
Publication date	30 October 2003
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (paperback)
Pages	307
ISBN	9780007189885
Dewey Decimal	823.92
Followed by	Half of a Yellow Sun

Purple Hibiscus is a novel by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, published on 30 October 2003 by Algonquin Books. Narrated in the first person, Kambili Achike, the central character struggles to find her voice as the daughter of a wealthy, devout Catholic businessman, Eugene, who violently abuses his family. Her brother, Jaja, eventually rebels against their father, choosing to live with Aunty Ifeoma, Papa Nnukwu, and Father Amadi, all of whom influence his—and as a result, Kambili's—beliefs and cultural knowledge. Kambili's mother, Beatrice, poisons Eugene, but Jaja takes the blame to protect her, leading to his imprisonment. Purple Hibiscus, Adichie's debut novel, is set in post-colonial Nigeria and explores themes of religion, family, and colonization.

Adichie wrote Purple Hibiscus while she was attending college in the United States. The novel received positive reviews from critics and won several awards, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in 2005.

Plot summary

Kambili Achike is a fifteen-year-old Nigerian girl who comes from a wealthy family in Enugu State, dominated by her devout Catholic father and businessman, Eugene. Eugene is both a religious zealot and a violent figure in the Achike household, subjecting his wife Beatrice, Kambili herself, and her brother Jaja to violent beatings and psychological cruelty.

The story is told through Kambili's eyes. She and her brother later live at their aunt Ifeoma's house with her three children. The household offers a different view of what they faced in their father's house. It practices a completely different form of Catholicism, making for a happy, liberal place that encourages its members to be inquisitive, form their own opinions and speak their minds. In this nurturing environment, both Kambili and Jaja become more open and more able to both form and voice their own opinions. While at Aunty Ifeoma's, Kambili also falls in love with a young priest, Father Amadi, which awakens her sense of sexuality.

Ultimately, a critical mass is reached in terms of the lives of Kambili, Jaja and their family as it once was. Unable to cope with Eugene's continual violence any longer, Beatrice poisons him. Jaja takes the blame for the crime and ends up in prison. In the meantime, Aunty Ifeoma and her family move to America after she is unfairly dismissed from her job as a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The novel ends almost three years after these events, on a cautiously optimistic note. Kambili has become a young woman now eighteen years of age who is more confident than before. Her brother Jaja is about to be released from prison, hardened but not broken by his experience there. Their mother, Beatrice, has deteriorated psychologically to a great degree.

Themes

Purple Hibiscus explores the theme of religion. It depicts the seven sacraments, especially Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist (or just Eucharist or Holy Communion). The sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is shown in the masses celebrated by Father Benedict, Father Amadi, and other priests in Abba. It also includes active participation by Papa and his family, and Aunty Ifeoma and her family. A sub-theme of the cultural absence of the Igbo culture is seen in Kambili's narration, where he narrated Father Benedict's decline of the Igbo language and culture. For instance, he allowed that the Credo and Kyrie should be recited only in Latin and that the rhythmical clapping of hands should be minimal but sustained singing in Igbo, offertory songs.

Reception

In a starred review by Kirkus Reviews, Adichie was praised for "creating a compelling narrative—and a surprising punch at end."

Works cited

• Amaefule, Adolphus Ekedimma (15 April 2021). "The Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria and Liturgical Inculturation in Chimamanda Adichie's Purple Hibiscus". Ecclesiology. 17 (1): 72–90. doi:10.1163/17455316-bja10002. ISSN 1744-1366.
• Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi (17 October 2003). "Purple Hibiscus". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 17 September 2024.