Purple Hibiscus Essay
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.
During the novel “Purple Hibiscus”, we witness the transformation of Kambili Achike from a silenced, repressed and wary girl into a more confident, mature and happy young woman. This change is brought upon by significant characters in the story, who help show Kambili how joyous the world can be and how she also has a place within this joyous world. And through this Kambili finds a way to slowly crack through her father’s hold over her and come into her own.
Within the Achike household Papa Eugene enforces the rules of Catholisms upon his family. He is a very controlling man and is obsessive in his beliefs, to the point where he punishes the members of his family for anything which he deems a “sin”, which he does out of his love fro them as he believes he needs to protect them from committing sins and ending up in “hell-fires”. To him there is a very clear divide between what is right and what is wrong, however his standards are very difficult to live by but he expects and ensures his family adhere to these. As a result of her father’s abuse and the way he rules and controls their household, Kambili is the withdrawn, shy girl we meet at the beginning of the novel. His rules and dominion leave no room for Kambili to become her own person or express herself. Because of her father’s abuse and the way he has taught them (the way he has brought them up) she knows of no other way than the way they live, and believes it to be the right and only way which will lead them to salvation. A physical manifestation within Kambili of her father’s abuse is her stutter. This also affects how she interacts with others outside of her family. For example at school Kambili is so withdrawn and her growth is
During the novel “Purple Hibiscus”, we witness the transformation of Kambili Achike from a silenced, repressed and wary girl into a more confident, mature and happy young woman. This change is brought upon by significant characters in the story, who help show Kambili how joyous the world can be and how she also has a place within this joyous world. And through this Kambili finds a way to slowly crack through her father’s hold over her and come into her own.
Within the Achike household Papa Eugene enforces the rules of Catholisms upon his family. He is a very controlling man and is obsessive in his beliefs, to the point where he punishes the members of his family for anything which he deems a “sin”, which he does out of his love fro them as he believes he needs to protect them from committing sins and ending up in “hell-fires”. To him there is a very clear divide between what is right and what is wrong, however his standards are very difficult to live by but he expects and ensures his family adhere to these. As a result of her father’s abuse and the way he rules and controls their household, Kambili is the withdrawn, shy girl we meet at the beginning of the novel. His rules and dominion leave no room for Kambili to become her own person or express herself. Because of her father’s abuse and the way he has taught them (the way he has brought them up) she knows of no other way than the way they live, and believes it to be the right and only way which will lead them to salvation. A physical manifestation within Kambili of her father’s abuse is her stutter. This also affects how she interacts with others outside of her family. For example at school Kambili is so withdrawn and her growth is