Purple Hibiscus
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria. She was raised at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where both of her parents worked—her father as a professor and her mother as the institution's first female Registrar. Initially, she pursued a medical degree at Nsukka but at 19, she moved to the US to follow a different academic route. She earned her degree in Communication and Political Science, graduating summa cum laude from Eastern Connecticut State University.
To learn more about Adichie, watch her famous TedTalks: 'The Danger of a Single Story', and 'We Should All Be Feminists.'
Purple Hibiscus is a novel written by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The story follows the Achicke family with particular emphasis on the children: Kambili who narrates the story, and her brother Jaja. Both children grow up with privilege in an extremely religious household under the tyrannical rule of their father. However, their perspectives change once they visit their less privileged aunt in anther town.
Click the image of the book cover to access a PDF version of the novel.
THE NOVEL IN PARTS
Click the image or the title above to access some resources that could help you analyse novels. These resources explain and demonstrate the ways that we analyse various aspects of novels.
Possible Essay Questions
In what ways does Purple Hibiscus comment upon misogyny within the context of a post-colonial Nigerian society?
How does Adichie’s narrative comment on the influence of socioeconomic status on personal identity and freedom in Purple Hibiscus?
Analyze the role of the narrative structure in Purple Hibiscus, especially considering Kambili’s perspective as both a participant and observer.
Discuss the significance of dialogue, silence, and communal life in shaping the narrative of Purple Hibiscus.
Examine how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie uses Kambili’s character arc to make profound statements about silence and voice in Purple Hibiscus.
Explore how Purple Hibiscus reflects on Nigeria's colonial past and its impact on contemporary society’s racial and class dynamics.
In what ways does Purple Hibiscus critique the patriarchal structures represented by figures such as Papa Eugene?
To what extent is Purple Hibiscus as a good example of example of post-colonial literature.
How does Purple Hibiscus explore themes of internalized oppression, whether racial, religious, or cultural?
Analyze the significance of the novel’s three primary settings—Enugu, Nsukka, and Aunty Ifeoma’s house—in shaping Janie’s character and the broader themes of tradition, change, and personal growth.
How does Adichie employ the natural landscape and elements like the purple hibiscus flower as symbols of emotional growth and rebellion?
What comments does the text make on religion and faith?
What roles do dreams and nightmares play in the text, Purple Hibiscus?
Click the link above or the image to access materials that can develop your understanding of the text.