Purple Hibiscus †Character List Essay

Kambili AchikeThe main character who narrates the story of her familys breakd bear. When the story begins, Kambili is fifteen years gray-headed and painfully shy. She lives under the strict Catholic nonice of her father, who expects his children to succeed at all costs. As semipolitical unrest seizes Nigeria, Kambili is introduced to a new way of life by her liberal aunt. Though she retains her faith by several horr cobblers lastous events, Kambili learns to drumhead authority when necessary.JajaKambilis br new(prenominal), who is about two years older than her. desire Kambili, Jaja strains under the tyranny of his father. After both(prenominal) his infant and stick argon hospitalized from beatings, Jaja begins to rebel. Jaja is rational and protective and more(prenominal) outgoing than his sister. He severs ties with both his father and faith. Jaja takes the blame for his mothers crime. popping (Eugene Achike)A bounteous man in the Achikes village of Enugu, pop music r uns several successful factories and publishes an English-language newspaper infamous for its reproval of Nigerias corrupt government. He is a devout Catholic who expects nothing less than perfection from his family. pascal punishes his wife and children in order to correct their behaviour. Papa is beloved in his community but is disoriented from his own father and his handed-down Afri washbowl culture.Mama (Beatrice Achike)Mama is a quiet and ghostly woman, addicted to obeying the rule of her husband. Though the sophisticate worsens over time, she refuses to leave. Ultimately, she realizes she must protect her children and poisons her husband. auntie IfeomaPapas sister who teaches at the University in nearby Nsukka. Ifeoma is widowed, caring for three children on a meagre salary. She is liberal and point-blank but excessively a devout Catholic. Unlike her brother, she respects the religion and traditions of her father. Her way of life inspires Kambili and Jaja to conceive their own upbringing. Papa-NnukwuIfeoma and Eugenes father. Papa-Nnukwu is a traditionalist, holding on to the faith of his ancestors. Kambili grows to love Papa-Nnukuw contempt her fathers warnings that he is a heathen. Through his joy and warm spirit, Kambili learns that both family and faith ar more abstruse than what she has been taught.Amaka auntie Ifeomas eldest daughter, fifteen years old. She is fiercely loyal to her Nigerian roots despite her Catholic upbringing. Amaka is critical of her cousins wealth and quietness. all overtime, Amaka and Kambili come to understand one another and a sisterly bond is forged through adversity.Obiora aunty Ifeomas eldest son, fourteen years old. Since the dying of his father, Obiora has assumed the role of man of the house. He is questioning and mature and de wilds in intellectual debate. Obiora inspires Jaja to open his eyes.ChimaAunty Ifeomas unripenedest boy, seven years old. Chima is the baby and does not yet have many responsib ilities. He clings onto his mother and to both Obiora and preceptor Amadi. It is clear he misses a male role model. bewilder AmadiA young missionary priest based in the chaplaincy in Nsukka. Kambili falls in love with him. He is warm and gentle to the children of the village, representing a contemporary take on faith. He is respectful of his Nigerian roots, incorporating inhering Igbo songs of worship into his sermons. His bond with Aunty Ifeomas family is strong. He enjoys lively debate with both Amaka andObiora. He is interpreted with Kambili in part because she is so quiet. He encourages Kambili to spread her wings.Father benedictThe white, British-born head of St. Agnes, the Achikes church. He is a supportive ally of Papas, praising him constantly as one of the pillars of the community. Father benedick is austere and offers all his view of religion.Ade CokerThe editor of the Standard, Papas paper. With Papas support, he is openly critical of the corrupt government and becom es a political target. He is killed by a garner bomb bearing the State Seal.Yewande CokerAdes wife. She is widowed with two young children, who Papa tries to help.SisiThe passive servant girl in the Achike category. Sisi provides Mama with the poison used to kill Papa.Chinwe YidezeA gossipy schoolfellow of Kambilis. She beats Kambili for head of class in one term.EzinneThe provided classmate who is kind to Kambili.KevinThe Achikes driver. Mama fires him later on Papa dies.ChiakuA professor friend of Aunty Ifeomas, who is critical of a move to America.Purple Hibiscus principal(prenominal) ThemesComing of AgeKambili and Jaja both come of age in Purple Hibiscus as a leave of their experiences. The leger opens with Jaja rebelling against his devout Catholic father by skipping communion on address Sunday, an important religious holiday. The following chapters detail the events that end in Jajas defiance. The book is narrated by Kambili three years by and by this incident. Since s he has been stunted by the severe penaltys of her father, Kambili barely speaks. Her narration is striking because it can be concluded that she finds her own voice throughout this ordeal. Both Kambili and Jaja take steps towards adulthood by overcoming adversity and being undefended 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. He 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. Though her home is small and devoid of luxuries, 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. He has been initiated into Igbo culture by performing a rite of manhood. Jaja was not allowed to participate and is ashamed that he is lag behind his cousin. In Nsukka, Jaja is encouraged to rethink his allegiances and make his own decisions. Aunty Ifeoma encourages Kambili to reconsider her stance on Papa-Nnukwu. As she has been taught by Papa, her grandfather is a heathen. But when she searches his face, she sees no signs of godliness. 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.Religion at that place is a pedigree between Father Benedict and Father Amadi. Priest at Papas beloved St. Agnes, Father Benedict is a white man from England who conducts his masses according to European custom. Papa adheres to Father Benedicts style, banishing every trace of his own Nigerian heritage. Papa uses his faith to justify abusing his children. Religion only if is not toblame. Papa represents the wave of fundamentalism in Nigeria that corrupts faith. Father Amadi, on the other hand, is an African priest who blends universality with Igbo traditions. He believes that faith is both simpler and more complex than what Father Benedict preaches. Father Amadi is a modern African man who is culturally-conscious but influenced by the colonial history of his unpolished. He is not a chaste absolutist like Papa and his God. Religion, when wielded by someone gentle, can be a positive force, as it is in Kambilis life. Papa-Nnukwu is a traditionalist. He follows the rituals of his ancestors and believes in a pantheistic model of religion. Though both his son and daughter converted to Catholicism, Papa-Nnukwu held on to his roots. When Kambili witnesses his morning ritual, she realizes that their faiths are not as different as they appear. Kambilis faith extends beyond the boundaries of one religion. She revels in the beauty of nature, her family, her prayer, and the Bible. When she witnesses the miracle at Aokpe, Kambilis devotion is confirmed. Aunty Ifeoma agrees that God was present even though she did not see the apparition. God is all around Kambili and her family, and can take the form of a smile. The individualistic nature of faith is explored in Purple Hibiscus. Kambili tempers her devotion with a reverence for her ancestors. Jaja and Amaka end up rejecting their faith because it is inexorably linked to Papa and colonialism, respectively.ColonialismColonialism is a complex root in Nigeria. For Papa-Nnukwu, colonialism is an evil force that enslaved the Igbo people and eradicated his traditions. For Papa, colonialism is responsible for his access to higher education and grace. For Father Amadi, it has resulted in his faith but he sees no reason that the old and new ways cant coexist. Father Amadi represents modern Nigeria in the global world. Papa is a product of a colonialist education. He was schooled by missionaries and studied in English. The wisdom he takes back to Nigeria is largely informed by those who have annex his country. He abando ns the traditions of his ancestors and chooses to speak primarily in British-accented English in public. His large estate is filled with westbound luxuries like satellite TV and music. Amaka assumes that Kambili follows American pop stars while she listens to musicians who embrace theirAfrican heritage. But the caparison of Papas success are hollow. The children are not allowed to watch television. His home, modernized up to Hesperian standards, is for appearances only. There is emptiness in his home just as his accent is falsified in front of whites. 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. They both line up to life outside their fathers grasp by embracing or accepting traditional ways.Nigerian PoliticsBoth Kambili and the nation are on the cusp of dramatic changes. The political mood of Nigeria and the internal drama of the Achike family are intertwined. After Nigeria declared inde pendence from Britain in 1960, a cycle of cutthroat coups and military dictatorship led to civil war, which led to a new cycle of bloody unrest. point democracy is hindered by the wide-spread corruption in the government. In Purple Hibiscus, there is a coup that culminates in military rule. 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. Ironically, Papa is a self-righteous dictator in his own home. He is wrathful towards his children when they stray from his chosen path for them. In the wake of Ade Cokers death, Papa beats Kambili so severely she is hospitalized in critical condition. Both in Nigeria and in the home, violence begets violence. Kambili and Jaja are kept outdoor(a) from the unrest at first. They witness protests, deadly roadblocks, and harassment from the safety of their car. But when they arrive in Nsukka, they are thrust into political debate. Obiora says the university is a microco sm for Nigeria ruled by one man with all the power. Pay has been withheld from the professors and light and power are shut off frequently. Medical workers and technicians go on strike and food prices rise. There are rumors that the sole administrator is misdirecting funds intended for the university. This is a parallel to what is happening in the country at large. Kambili and Jaja now understand firsthand the struggle of their cousins. The personal becomes political, and vice versa.SilenceSeveral characters are gripped with mutism throughout the novel. Kambilisuffers the most, unable to speak more than rehearsed platitudes without stuttering or coughing. Her silence is a product of the abuse that she endures at the hands of her father. Kambili does not allow herself to tell the truth about her situation at home. When her classmates hinge on her for being a backyard snob, she does not explain that she does not socialize out of fear. She is not allowed to dally after school lest sh e be late and beaten. She finally learns how to speak her mind when she is taunted continuously be her cousin Amaka. Aunty Ifeoma encourages her to defend herself and only then can Amaka and Kambili begin their friendship. Kambili begins to speak more confidently, laugh and even sing. The appellations of the irregular and fourth section are Speaking With Our Spirits and A Different Silence. Kambili and Jaja communicate through their eyes, not able to utter the ugly truth of their situation. Mama, like her daughter, cannot speak freely in her own home. merely with Aunty Ifeoma can she behave authentically. The silence that falls upon Enugu after Papa is murdered is, as the title suggests, different. There is hopelessness to this silence like the one that existed when Papa was alive. But it is an honest silence. Mama and Kambili live the truth and there is nothing more that can be said. Jajas silence betrays a callosity that has taken hold of him in prison. There is nothing he ca n say that will end the torment he experiences. The tapes that Aunty Ifeoma sends with her childrens voices are the only respite he has. Silence is also used as punishment. When Kambili and Jaja arrive in Nsukka for Easter, Jaja refuses to speak to his father when he calls. After the years of silence that he has imposed upon his children, they use it as a weapon against him. The government also silences Ade Coker by murdering him after he prints a damning story in the Standard. When soldiers raid Aunty Ifeomas flat, they are trying to silence her sympathies with the rioting students through intimidation. Silence is a type of violence.Domestic ViolenceOn several occasions, Papa beats his wife and children. Each time, he is provoked by an action that he deems immoral. When Mama does not want to visit with Father Benedict because she is ill, Papa beats her and she miscarries. When Kambili and Jaja share a home with a heathen, boiling water is poured on their feet because they have walk ed in sin. For owning apainting of Papa-Nnukwu, Kambili is kicked until she is hospitalized. Papa rationalizes the violence he inflicts on his family, saying it is for their own good. The beatings have rendered his children mute. Kambili and Jaja are both wise beyond their years and also not allowed to reach adulthood, as maturity often comes with questioning authority. When Ade Coker jokes that his children are too quiet, Papa does not laugh. They have a fear of God. Really, Kambili and Jaja are afraid of their father. Beating them has the opposer effect. They choose the right path because they are afraid of the repercussions. They are not encouraged to grow and to succeed, only threatened with failure when they do not. This takes a toll on Jaja especially, who is ashamed that he is so farthermost behind Obiora in both intelligence and protecting his family. He ends up equating religion with punishment and rejects his faith. There is an underlying sexism at work in the abuse. Whe n Mama tells Kambili she is pregnant, she mentions that she miscarried several times after Kambili was born. in spite of appearance the narrative of the novel, Mama loses two pregnancies at Papas hands. The other miscarriages may have been caused by these beatings as well. When she miscarries, Papa makes the children say special novenas for their mothers forgiveness. Even though he is to blame, he insinuates it is Mamas fault. Mama believes that she cannot exist outside of her unification. She dismisses Aunty Ifeomas ideas that life begins after marriage as university talk. Mama has not been liberated and withstands the abuse because she believes it is just. Ultimately, she poisons Papa because she can see no other way out. The abuse has repressed her to the point that she must resort to murder to escape.Nature/EnvironmentThe books namesake crest is a representation of freedom and hope. Jaja is drawn to the unusual purple hibiscus, bred by a botanist friend of Aunty Ifeoma. Aunty Ifeoma has created something new by bringing the natural world in concert with intelligence. For Jaja, the flower is hope that something new can be created. He longs to break free of his Papas rule. He takes a stalk of the purple hibiscus home with him, and plants it in their garden. He also takes home the cortical potential he learns from Nsukka. As both blossom, so too do Jaja and his rebellion. Kambilis shifting attitudes toward nature refer her stage of transformation. During one of the first times she showers atNsukka, Kambili finds an earthworm in the tub. Rather than coexisting with it, she removes it to the toilet. When Father Amadi takes her to have her hair plaited, she watches a determined escargot repeatedly crawl out of a basket. She identifies with the snail as she has tried to crawl out of Enugu and her fate. Later, when she bathes with water scented with the sky, she leaves the worm alone. She acknowledges that God can be found anywhere and she appreciates its det ermination. In the opening of the book, Kambili daydreams while looking at the several fruit and flower trees in her yard. This same yard, a signifier of wealth, leaves her open for taunts of snob at school. But here she fixates on the beauty of the trees. When she returns from Nsukka after her mother has miscarried, Kambili is sickened by the rotting tree fruit. The rot symbolizes the sickness in the Achike household but also that Kambili is seeing her home with new eyes. Like the trees, she is trapped behind tall walls. defy also plays a role in the novel. When Ade Coker dies, there are heavy rains. After Palm Sunday, a violent wind uproots several trees and makes the satellite dish crash to the ground. Rain and wind gleam the drama that unfolds in the Achikes lives. Mama tells Kambili that a mixture of rain and sun is Gods suspense on what to bring. Just as there can be both rain and sun at the same time, there are good and evil intertwined. In nature, Kambili gleans that ther e are no absolutes. Papa is n any all good or all bad, her faith does not have to be either Catholic or traditionalist, and she can challenge her parents while still being a good child.