Brother Eugene: Generous or Corrupt?
In the novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we are introduced to a devout Catholic family. This family is heavily influenced by Brother Eugene, who takes Catholicism very seriously. He is a complex character to identify as good or bad because he has done well for society and his family, but he is also an abuser. Brother Eugene’s destructive habits and abusive behavior toward his own family overshadow the donations and family contributions we see him make in the novel, and he shouldn’t be seen as a good person for these few good actions.
We cannot disregard Brother Eugene's contribution to society with his wealth. He is a wealthy and influential person who "anonymously donated to the children’s hospitals, motherless babies’ homes and disabled veterans of the civil war" (297), which shows how he helped many people with his wealth and
…show more content…
The metal buckles on his slippers stung like bites from giant mosquitoes" (210). Kambili continued to get beaten by Brother Eugene for quite some time until she "closed her eyes and slipped away into the quiet" (210). Kambili woke up in a different room and noticed, "A doctor in white was in the room, at the foot of my bed [...] Broken rib. Heal nicely. Internal bleeding" (212). This shows Brother Eugene to be a terrible person. After all, he beat his daughter so harshly that she was sent to the hospital over a portrait of his father. This is because he is a "heathen" and does not practice the religion that Brother Eugene deems to be the right one. Not only does Brother Eugene neglect his father over his religion, but he beats his daughter over it. This demonstrates his abusive and destructive tendencies for not following his strict rules, expectations, and