Purple Hibiscus: Religious Attitudes

Religion is a very prominent theme in the “Purple Hibiscus”. The author, Adichie, uses a variety of characters to explore different ways of expressing one’s faith. She explores the ways in which three very different characters express their religion of the Catholic faith, as well as looking into the traditional Nigerian beliefs of Papa Nnukwu. By illustrating some very contrasting religious beliefs and methods of religious expression in her characters, she encourages readers to consider their own views on religion and helps them understand some valuable lessons on the subject.
Adichie uses Papa Nnukwu to teach readers that different people find spiritual pleasure in different religions, and helps the reader understand that beliefs unfamiliar from your own are equally important.
Papa Nnukwu is the only non-Catholic character that the reader becomes familiar with in the novel. He is a man rooted in the traditional Nigerian beliefs, and has continued to embrace the Nigerian culture despite so many in Nigeria, including his two children, who were starting to conform to the more Western, Catholic beliefs. Papa Nnukwu offers a huge contrast to Papa Eugene, who is obsessed with having a European lifestyle, certain that it is far superior to Nigerian beliefs. It is likely that Papa Nnukwu’s character has been used by Adichie to show Kambili that “sometimes what was different was just as good as what was familiar” (p. 166). Kambili had been brought up hearing Papa Eugene call his father a “heathen” and calling his traditional rituals/ceremonies “devilish folklore”. In one scene, Kambili watches Papa Nnukwu perform his morning prayers, and she is surprised to realise that his prayers are very similar to hers (p. 167). This scene is vital in helping the reader question whether it is right to deem certain religions as right or wrong, and assists them in realising that certain spiritual beliefs do not have more value than others. Kambili is amazed at how Papa Nnukwu’s