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Control In Purple Hibiscus

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Title: The Illusion of Control in "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Introduction: In "Purple Hibiscus," Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explores the theme of control and its effects on individuals and relationships. The novel follows the story of Kambili, a young girl living in Nigeria under the oppressive control of her father, Eugene. Through Kambili's experiences, Adichie illustrates how the illusion of control can lead to destructive behavior and damage the bonds between family members.

Body Paragraph 1: Eugene's strict control over Kambili and her brother, Jaja, demonstrates the dangers of the illusion of control. Eugene's religious zeal and obsession with perfectionism creates an oppressive environment for his family, where any misstep is met with violent punishment. As Kambili observes, "I wished he would hit me and get it over with, because the longer he waited, the harder it was" (Adichie 38). This quote shows how Eugene's control causes fear and anxiety for his children, demonstrating the harm that such rigid control can cause. …show more content…

Kambili's struggles to find her own voice and identity are hindered by her father's control, as she is conditioned to follow his strict rules and expectations. This stifling of individuality ultimately leads to a lack of personal autonomy and difficulty in making choices for herself. As Kambili reflects, "I knew I was crying because of all the years of silence, of all the years of keeping things locked up inside me" (Adichie 284). This quote shows how Kambili's lack of agency and control over her own life has led to years of emotional suppression, highlighting the destructive impact of control on

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Next, Kambili and Jaja overhear Amaka talking to Aunty Ifeoma about them. Amaka asks Aunty Ifeoma if “[Aunty Ifeoma’s] sure they’re not abnormal” (Adichie 141). Kambili overhearing Aunty Ifeoma and Amaka talking about her placid behavior opens Kambili’s eyes to her behavior. Before Kambili did not think that the way she acts will affect how others think of her but now she understands that she has to change her behavior for people to like

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All he could do was sit, suffering at home all day long, every day. John’s anger wasn’t only affecting himself, but it was rubbing off on his family. His sons started to pick fights in school all the time. His wife tried to tell him to get his frustration under control before things got worse. John claims, "I was angry and I planned to stay angry until I got back at the bastards who did this to me.

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Knock him down!”. This continuous targeting of Gene, mainly by Finny, makes it sensible that Gene would become reliant/revengeful. Therefore, if Gene were to dangerously act upon his emotions, he would kill his own

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You work to hard" (51). Gene is much smarter than everyone else in his class, and therefore refers to himself as the head of the class. To continue, both boys also posses chaste rustics of denial under stress and both take on alternate personalities when stressed. Gene when under harsh conditions takes on a violent and disturbing actions that hurt himself and the ones around him. For example when he was on the branch with finny, he subconsciously gets a "fear" of walking out on the branch, so Gene hesitantly "took a step towards him (finny), and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb.

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He explains his guilt that “burns like acid in [his] veins” as the leftover feelings from his childhood remain “as though [he] were still concealing the family shame” (744). This descriptive language showcases how deeply and painfully this trauma has been within in as he has made his own life for himself. He saves this for the end of his essay so that he does not pull too much of the audience’s sympathy from other people who made need it “more.” He introduces the topic of physical violence by writing that “[his] own father never beat [them]” (740)—a curious phrase as he goes on to say that the image was so vivid in his mind that it felt tangible and real. There is an emphasis on the absence of physical violence, but also an admittance of how the threat of such can be just as painful and imprint such images on the brain for years to come.

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Personal inhibition can cause an individual to lash out, and harm others around them. Author Knowles represented this through Gene, and his constant battle with his thoughts and assumptions. Early in the book we see Gene show multiple signs of jealousy, whether it be during the swimming scene (44), or when he lashes out at Phineas while trying to study for a test (57). The swimming scene represents the theme of jealousy, and as a result we are seen with Gene left in awe of Phineas’s ability to beat the school record without an ounce of practice. His jealousy resulted in him creating the assumption that Phineas was dominant over him, and he must counteract that with academics in order to restore a balance, or a slight dominance over Phineas.

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Kambili and Jaja come from a wealthy family, and their father is highly regarded in the society. From the outside, they appear to be a perfect family; however, they fall short of that expectation. The public is not aware that Papa, Eugene, is an abusive father. He believes if you don’t follow the Christian life-style, you should be punished for your sins. Kambili’s life begins to change once Christmas time arrives.

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When Kambili was worrying about Jaja and her family, Father Amadi asked her about it, which she denied. to which he states, “‘So tell me what you’re thinking about’ he said… ‘what you think will always matter to me, Kambili”(Adichie 268). Even though Kambili did not want to say anything at first, Father Amadi did not let her sit in her bubble; instead, he tells her that her words matter and she should not think it does not matter. Father Amadi is a confidant for Kambili.

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McCarthy writes the father’s internal dialogue, “Could you crush that beloved skull with a rock?” (McCarthy 114).This strongly emotional imagery inside the father’s head not only represents the father killing his son but also suggest that the father has a detailed plan. Once again, this shows how far people will go and change when they are under extreme circumstances. This also shows how widespread these kinds of changes are in humans. The good guys too, need to take extreme measures when they are faced with no other

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If Kambili wasn’t the narrator of the book, it would be impossible to know what Kambili really feels. The Achike family understands that they're keeping a family secret- the one centered around Eugene. Papa Eugene is also a representative of contradictions. He is praised for his generosity, whether it be because of charity, or religion, or simply good morals. He has a high political standing and has given to all that need.

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This is one of the first times that Kambili rebelled against her father and when her father said to go do her studying instead she started doodling: ”On others, I formed the letters of his name using Roman

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But the kids who tease her do not know what’s happening at home, you never know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. Kambili is just trying to make the best of her life, she is trying to be her own person, with different opinions, and different perspectives on life, than her father. However, Papa is controlling her life and she has no say in it, no matter the circumstances. I think this method of parenting is crazy, Papa is ruining Kambili’s childhood, making her vulnerable, in the sense she doesn’t know how to fight back. Papa’s rules make her scared to speak up, there is always silence, she’s learned to say what her parents want to hear.

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This line is spoken from Kambili’s thoughts. This demonstrates the effects of how

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This is the case with Purple Hibiscus as well: in Ouma’s words, the novel is “informed by the experiences of movement and contact with other words”(49). kambili’s father’s sister, aunty Ifeoma, works as a lecturer at Nsukka University, where the country’s flaws are flagrantly visible: unpaid salaries, authoritarian management, and career stagnation are driving staff members into exile. The idea of leaving raises diverse feelings in kambili’s cousins. The oldest cousin, Amaka, feels that leaving means running away, and she asks her brother whether the problems of the crisis-ridden country cannot be fixed. “Fix what?”

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Purple Hibiscus, written by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, is a novel set in post-colonial Nigeria where the protagonist, 15-year-old Kambili struggles growing up torn between two contrasting beliefs; Igbo traditionalism and western Catholicism. Religion as many believe is the hope in a power greater than ones self. It is also a means of worship, moreover as means of people uniting together as one and believing in one God. Religion is a very important aspect and can certainly impact and influence a person’s mentality. Adichie uses two conflicting religions to show the development of Kambili’s character and maturity, as well as explore the tension that is forced unto the her throughout the novel.

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