Imagine living in dramatic fear, someone who loves you, puts you through abuse, depression, and demolishing your self-esteem. How does a person grow from such a traumatic experience and become brave? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born on September 15, 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria. During her senior year at Eastern, she started working on her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, which was released in October 2003. Adichie demonstrates bravery and growth in humanity. Kambili and her family’s lives are followed throughout Purple Hibiscus. Kambili and her family live through fear of Papa, they are silent and are afraid to stand up for themselves. Fear suppresses our individuality and confidence- thus; it controls humanity and hinders us from bravery and growth.
Fear can have complete control, accustoming one to feel complacent with their status quo. Kambili and her family are frightened their whole life- they’re afraid of change as well their father’s strict ideals that stops them from letting go and growing as an individual. “This cannot go on, nwunye m,’ Aunty Ifeoma said. ‘When a house is on fire, you run out before the roof collapses on your head.” (213). Theoretically speaking, Aunty uses a metaphor that if a house is on fire, we must run out before the roof crumbles. She is relating this to the Achike household, proving that the pain that the family is enduring must end. Aunty Ifeoma was ashamed of Mama for going back to Eugene, even though he was the cause of her miscarriage. In the
Within the story Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, the author strongly emphasizes the idea that if one remains courageous and indomitable, they have the power to overcome any hardship. Through the use of rhetorical devices such as selection of detail, imagery, and symbolism, Hillenbrand speaks of Louis Zamperini’s life story which leaves the audience feeling empowered.
Even when the weight of the world is coming down and doubt is setting in, there still are powers to help carry on. Louie Zamperini, a famous Olympic athlete, was dragged down to a low level when he was captured by Japanese forces and suffered under horrendous conditions in the many POW camps he stayed at. Throughout all of life’s trials, he survived, due to his strong resilience and agency. He wanted to live, and even though he may have wanted to give up, he had plenty of things to live for. In Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand uses both internal and external conflict to show the theme that people can stand up against enemies even when the odds seem stacked up against them.
“Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born september 15, 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria. She is a novelist, short story writer, and nonfiction writer who has published more than 15 novels. The novelist has also a myriad of awards such as Reader's Digest Author of the Year Award, MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In this short story, “To My One Love”, the reader is given a setting on Nigeria in the 1990s where there has been an abundance of “Operations”, or robberies. At this time Chimamanda is in university and has taken a fancy to a young man named Nnamdi- unfortunately, he died because of these operations. Chimamanda wrote
The novel “Purple Hibiscus” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells a story of how two Nigerain children rebelled against their very father. For these children to end up rebelling against their father they must first bring about a change in themselves, they must become more mature, more responsible and not so dependent on their father. Kambili is one of those children that does go through a considerable change in her character, she reaches maturity. In fact this novel is a bildungsroman which is a story about a character self-development, her change.
TOPIC 2: Analyse the development of Kambili in Purple Hibiscus as she moves from strict, fearful obedience to tentative defiance of her father. In your response account for her initial subservience and explain what factors contribute to her increasing maturity and independence.
TOPIC 2: Analyse the development of Kambili in Purple Hibiscus as she moves from strict, fearful obedience to tentative defiance of her father. In your response account for her initial subservience and explain what factors contribute to her increasing maturity and independence.
“Still I Rise”, written by African-American writer Maya Angelou, includes a character who rises “Up from a past that’s rooted in pain.” No matter what words are said against her, lies are told about her, threats are made towards her, or words are written against her, she takes the past and uses it to fuel her confidence. The way she writes creates a deep sense of pride and feeling, while giving the poem life and helping the audience realise that they, too can rise. The diction, literary devices, and theme help the speaker portray her feelings about the topic of oppression in her experience.
Throughout Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie, Kimbili and her brother become more defiant. The two learn that standing up for what one believes in is of the utmost importance, even if it means defying those you love. This lesson is most relevant when the reader analyses the narrator's relationship with their tyrannical father, Eugene. Adichie portrays two different views on defiance through Kimbili's father and her brother, Jaja. This stark contrast facilitates the reader's understanding on Adichie's own conflicted stance on the topic of defiance by the death of Eugene and his brutal rule and his family's reinvention of themselves after Kimbili's trip to see her Aunt and cousins.
Within the story “Once Upon a Time” by South African author Nadine Gordimer one of the main themes discussed would have to be that fear in the end leads to disaster. Gordimer says in the story that the characters are allowing fear to control their actions. Because fear is such a strong emotion, it can be the cause for many irrational and thoughtless actions that inevitably lead to disasters. Along with these actions Fear can cause hallucinations like in “Once Upon a Time.”
members against the bad days in future. In this novel the name of two hibiscus plants are mentioned. One is red and the other is purple. When red is common and found everywhere, purple is rare and experimental with its new look and fragrance. Both the brother and sister are attracted towards this flower which they find in Aunty Ifeoma’s house. For both the characters the purple hibiscus stands for freedom
Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus is a story set in Nigeria told from the perspective of Kambili and her journey towards independence; along the way, she looks to the female role models in her life, each which aid her path to liberation. Mama and Aunty Ifeoma are two vital female characters to the development of the story but with stark contrasts; Mama’s submissive and reserved demeanor provides a perfect foil to Aunty’s outgoing and independent personality. They both influence Adichie’s bildungsroman, but how they aid Kambili’s endeavor is strikingly different. Mama and Aunty Ifeoma represent the female figures in Kambili’s life; Mama shows Kambili to submit to the men in her life, while Aunty Ifeoma opens up the idea of being independent and free thinking. Mama stresses submission and dependency as a sacrifice to tradition while Aunty Ifeoma emphasizes independent thought to embrace oneself and progress over all others. The way that these two women uphold themselves throughout the novel, demonstrates how these patriarchal societies, like the one in Nigeria, restrict women like Mama, while women like Aunty are deemed rebellious to society.
1) Five major issues explored in purple hibiscus are; domestic violence, oppression, religion, education and love.
Nigeria, a barren wasteland, now an uprising land of civilization enters an era of ferocity, dominance, depravity. From the ashes of Nigeria, emerges Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the author of Purple Hibiscus. She intertwines Purple Hibiscus with her personal memories; she wrote her tale based on her experience-religion, history, and politics. Purple Hibiscus is a novel expressing the complexity of the human nature. From tragedies to happiness, life is a pendulum of occasions. Life consists of abrupt changes; these changes are caused by external factors such as government. However, when a government is corrupt, two primary courses are presented: to submit or rebel. The corruption within government vastly expands towards major concepts-politics, economy, religion-that influences people’s lives. Therefore, Adichie exposes the detrimental transformation of a tyrannical government through her portrayal of the economic, religious, and political strife throughout Nigeria.
Hugh Prather, an American writer, once said “Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes.” Change is an inevitable part of being human. As we grow we meet and discover new ideas and people, that change our thinking. For the most part, change happens in very small amounts in life, but there are times at which one single event can lead to great personal development or downfall. In the novels Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, change of physical and social interactions and environments leads to change in personal beliefs. However, while Purple Hibiscus portrays change as a beneficial transformation, Things Fall Apart argues that change is undesirable. In Purple Hibiscus,
In Purple Hibiscus “silence and Feminism” is a theme of grave adversity. The household in which the story surround comprised of Papa Eugene, mother Beatrice, daughter Kambili and son Jaja. Papa Eugene is a very successful and prominent figure who dominated the family with an iron fist. His devout to Catholicism propel him from a loving public figure to an authoritative husband and father at the hint of any religious indiscretion. His method of punishments is immoral by nature, but yet no one dear speak against him. They flout it, acting as if though nothing occurred and returned to normalcy just as fast as Papa violent outburst. The silence is abnormal and heavy; Kambili feels “suffocated” by it (Adichie 7).He is, a sick, demented man who is