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Character Development In Purple Hibiscus

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Unforeseen, Eugene Achike, or Papa, the proclaimed antagonist in the novel Purple Hibiscus, as a character actually helped Jaja and Kambili Achike, the protagonists, develop an identity. Eugene is an abuser therefore a monster in the novel Purple Hibiscus. Purple Hibiscus is a novel written by Chimamanda Adichie and narrates the story of a fifthteen year old girl and her family in Nigeria during a time of mutiny. While the Achike family’s outside environment is in political chaos, so is the family’s authoritarian hierarchy. Jaja and Kambili begin to revolt against Eugene, their father who has had complete dominance over their lives. After Eugene allows the children to travel to Nsukka to visit their cousins, he begins to give up his influence over Kambili and Jaja. Adichie uses the character development of Jaja and Kambili before and after going to Nsukka to emphasize the importance of interactions in the event of coming of age to nevertheless creating an identity, or inevitably a unique fingerprint. The Achike children are not accustomed to having opinions for themselves and are very isolated from the world before Nsukka. They are living, as Amaka said, and unusual life. Kambili first explains her and her brother’s way of life when she claims,“Kambili was written in bold letters on top of... my schedule” (Adichie 23). Kambili and Jaja unfortunately did not have any free time as there was always the schedules to shadow. Since Papa indirectly controlled every activity that

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