Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

PURPLE HIBISCUS

About the Author

himamanda Ngozi Adichie was born on 15 September 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria, the fifth of six children to Igbo parents, Grace Ifeoma and James Nwoye Adichie. While the family's ancestral hometown is Abba in Anambra State, Chimamanda grew up in Nsukka, in the house formerly occupied by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe. Chimamanda's father, who is now retired, worked at the University of Nigeria, located in Nsukka. He was Nigeria's first professor of statistics, and later became Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University. Her mother was the first female registrar at the same institution.

Chimamanda completed her secondary education at the University's school, receiving several academic prizes. She went on to study medicine and pharmacy at the University of Nigeria for a year and a half. During this period, she edited The Compass, a magazine run by the University's Catholic medical students.

At the age of nineteen, Chimamanda left for the United States. She gained a scholarship to study communication at Drexel University in Philadelphia for two years, and she went on to pursue a degree in communication and political science at Eastern Connecticut State University. While in Connecticut, she stayed with her sister Ijeoma, who runs a medical practice close to the university.

Chimamanda graduated summa cum laude from Eastern in 2001, and then completed a master's degree in creative writing at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. It is during her senior year at Eastern that she started working on her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, which was released in October 2003. The book has received wide critical acclaim: it was shortlisted for the Orange Fiction Prize (2004) and was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (2005).

Her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun (also the title of one of her short stories), is set before and during the Biafran War. It was published in August 2006 in the United Kingdom and in September 2006 in the United States. Like Purple Hibiscus, it has also been released in Nigeria.

Chimamanda was a Hodder fellow at Princeton University during the 2005-2006 academic year, and earned an MA in African Studies from Yale University in 2008.

Her collection of short stories, The Thing around Your Neck, was published in 2009. Chimamanda says her next major literary project will focus on the Nigerian immigrant experience in the United States.

Chimamanda is now married and divides her time between Nigeria, where she regularly teaches writing workshops, and the United States. She has recently been awarded a 2011-2012 fellowship by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University.

Biography from The Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Website:

http://www.l3.ulg.ac.be/adichie/cnabio.html

About Nigeria

The action of the novel takes place in two cities of Nigeria. Kambili and her family live in Enugu. Her aunt and cousins live in Nsukka, which is the main university town of Nigeria. There is also a third setting: Abba, where Kambili’s grandfather lives.

In the novel, the settings represent contrasting ways of thinking: the University represents people who are forward-thinking, open-minded and progressive, and indeed Nsukka is the real place of transformation for Kambili and her brother. Enugu is a place of industry, and it represents home, where Kambili’s father is held in very high regard by everyone thanks to his important role at the newspaper, in the church, and his industries which employ many local people. Abba represents the traditional Igbo way of life and religion.
ENUGU

NSUKKA

ABOUT THE IGBO CULTURE

he British colonised a huge area of Western Africa in the 1870s, bringing together over 300 different ethnic groups, and called it ‘Nigeria’. One of the largest of these ethnic groups, the Igbo people, overwhelmingly accepted the English language, the Christian religion and Western education system brought by the British. A huge majority of the Igbo people are Christian, and over half of them are Roman Catholic.

However, in many rural parts of South East Nigeria, where the Igbo people predominantly live, the traditional belief system of odinani still remains. Odinani involves believe in one powerful force or being, called Chukwu, and there are many spirits and forces which are smaller elements of Chukwu. In the novel, Papa-Nnukwu (Kambili’s grandfather) still believes in the traditional odinani, which is much of the reason for the conflict between him and Kambili’s father.

Of course, the difficulties of bringing together so many diverse cultural groups without really paying attention to their traditions and cultures meant that civil unrest was rife.

The Igbo people were part of the largest civil war in Nigeria’s history in the late 1960s: the independent state of Biafra was declared as a result of years of unrest. After three years of fighting – both in terms of military action and claims of food shortages and genocide – the war came to an end and Biafra fell. The number of Igbo deaths was over 3 million, some due to combat, and some due to starvation.

Of course, tensions remained between the Igbo people and the other ethnic groups of Nigeria, and the civil unrest of the pre-Biafran conflict continued for many years. Even today there are groups of people fighting for an independent Igbo state: in the novel, we hear about Kambili’s father and the way he speaks up against the military coups, and the way his newspaper makes statements about politics which are not always popular.

The Igbo language in the book represents this old culture which Kambili’s father seems to reject so wholeheartedly. Bear in mind that while Mama uses Igbo when she is speaking to Kambili and Jaja, Papa very rarely uses his traditional mother tongue, stating that the children must sound respectable and use English. Consider Fr. Benedict’s outright rejection of Igbo songs, believing them to be signs of the old religion and culture and therefore somehow dangerous, and his adamant use of English and Latin. Compare this with the visiting priest early in the novel, and the use of Igbo at Aunty Ifeoma’s house, as well as in Fr. Amadi’s services: they are much more accepting of tradition, knowing that in order to prosper, the Igbo people really need a balance of their heritage as well as their modern beliefs.

BREAKING GODS

Palm Sunday

he novel begins with a startling statement from our main character, Kambili, who tells us that her family life is beginning to “fall apart”. We join the novel late in the action, telling us that the rest of the book is written in flashback.

We meet Kambili, a fifteen year old girl from Nigeria, and her slightly older brother Jaja. We also meet her father (Papa, as he is called at this stage) and mother (Mama).

A wealthy, luxurious setting is established: Kambili lives a fairly privileged life and her house has both staff and luxuries. However, it is very quickly clear to the reader that her home life is not as idyllic as some outside the compound of her expensive home would expect.

Mini paragraphs for group work

1. There are some implied references to domestic violence. Comment on the nature of the relationship between Mama and Papa, and how Mama copes.

2. Kambili is completely shocked by her brother’s behaviour. Comment on the implications of what Jaja has done at this point in the story, and how Papa reacts and responds.

3. Papa is established as a very religious man. Comment on his role in the church and his attitude towards religion as it is portrayed at this stage in the story.

4. The way that the children are treated by their father and mother is of great importance. Comment on the nature of their parent-child relationship as revealed in the first section of the novel.

SYMBOLISM – pages 14-16

The symbolism of the title is suggested at the close of this section.

Until Nsukka. Nsukka had 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. But my memories did not start at Nsukka. They started before, when all the hibiscuses in our front yard were a startling red.

Write a short paragraph explaining what you feel the red and purple hibiscus flowers mean at this stage. Why is the novel called ‘Purple Hibiscus’? What do the flowers represent? What, perhaps, is Aunty Ifeoma’s role in the novel if she is the one growing the “experimental” purple flower? How did the purple flowers get to Kambili’s garden when they used to all be red?

SPEAKING WITH OUR SPIRITS

Before Palm Sunday

FLASHBACK

The novel now uses flashback to address the events leading up to the violence and conflict of Palm Sunday when things began to fall apart in the Achike household.

What is the effect of knowing the events of Palm Sunday before reading the events preceding it?

DEVELOPMENTS – pages 19-36

We learn a lot about the typical daily life of the Achike family in the first chapter of this section.

In pairs, write a set of summary notes which includes quotations using each of these headings:

1. Mama’s role in the house

2. The relationship between Jaja and Kambili

3. Jaja and Kambili’s education

4. Papa’s control of the family

5. Mama’s pregnancy

6. The military coup and Papa’s job

KAMBILI – pages 37 - 51

We learn a huge amount about Kambili’s character as ‘Speaking With Our Spirits’ opens. The key incident we can use to discuss Kambili is when she achieves second in the class at school.

CRITICAL ESSAY MINI PARAGRAPH - CHARACTER

If you are asked a question on character in the novel, this incident is ideal to use as an example of Kambili early in the text, before her transformation in Nsukka. Write a critical essay paragraph with at least two quotations, using the prompts below for inspiration if necessary:

Kambili receives an excellent report, yet is not happy. Why?

What do others think of Kambili (her father, the girls, the teachers)?

Consider Kambili’s self-esteem at this point.

What direct effect does Kambili’s lack of confidence and shyness have at this point?

ABBA – page 52 onwards

The family go to Abba to spend Christmas in their Igbo hometown. What does Abba represent? You may wish to read the page about the Igbo people in this booklet as a reminder at this stage.

REVELATION OF CHARACTER – pages 52 - 80

In Abba, we meet Papa Nnukwu and Aunty Ifeoma for the first time. Answer the following questions, using quotations where necessary to back up your observations.

1. Why does Eugene hate his own father so much?

2. What limitations does he place on the children upon visiting Papa-Nnukwu?

3. Discuss the contrast between his treatment of Papa-Nnukwu and Grandfather.

4. Aunty Ifeoma’s arrival is characterised by the sound of her laughter. Comment on the contrasts between Aunty Ifeoma and her sister-in-law, Mama.

KAMBILI AND AMAKA – pages 71 - 88

Look carefully at the character of Amaka, Aunty Ifeoma’s daughter: she is the same age as Kambili, and yet is completely different. As we read through this section, make a list in two columns of the differences between the two girls in your literature jotter.

Kambili / Amaka

SYMBOLISM

Whenever we hear about Aunty Ifeoma and Amaka at this stage, Kambili notices two things about them: their laughter, and their lipstick. What does this laughter symbolise? The lipstick, too, holds symbolism. What does this reveal about their role as women in the novel, as opposed to Kambili and her mother?

JAJA – pages 71 - 109

There are signs in the lead up to the childrens’ visit to Nsukka of Jaja’s increasing defiance. He participates in the pagan celebration at Christmas, and is inquisitive. He seems “shamed” over not having undergone the traditional Igbo rites of passage, such as the initiation into the spirit world. He speaks up against Papa to defend Mama and Kambili when she eats cornflakes to take Panadol and ease her period cramps. Nsukka is the place where Kambili gains self-esteem and confidence and becomes at one with herself. However, for Jaja, it is much more: it is where he learns to stand up to his father as he did at the very beginning of the novel, causing things to “fall apart at home”, and indeed, leading to the eventual outcome of the whole story.

CHARACTER PROFILE: BEFORE NSUKKA – up to page 109

In your literature jotter, and using a selection of quotations to back up your points, write a character profile for Kambili Achike. You should try to cover the following aspects of characterisation: her narration, her actions in the novel in response to key incidents, her dialogue with others, descriptions of her that you find, the reaction of other characters to her, and the relationships she has with other characters. Remember that the descriptions you find of Kambili are from her own point of view, and therefore reveal a lot about her self-esteem. You can also say a lot about what Kambili admires in other people.

MINI PARAGRAPH: LEAVING HOME – pages 104 - 109

The character of Eugene (Papa) becomes much more human as the children leave home. We have a clear opinion of the man thanks to the early chapters of the novel, yet we see how troubled and trapped he is by his own fervour when the children leave for Nsukka. Write a paragraph for a critical essay with at least two quotations, showing that Eugene could in fact be seen as a loving father who only wants the best for his children.

PROGRESS QUESTIONS – up to page 109

1. Explain the incident which causes the family to begin to “fall apart” in ‘Breaking Gods’. (4)