Purple Hibiscus Analysis

Throughout this course, we learned that women’s studies originated as a concern at the time that “women and men noticed the absence, misrepresentation, and trivialization of women [in addition to] the ways women were systematically excluded from many positions of power and authority” (Shaw, Lee 1). In the past, men had more privileges than women. Women have battled for centuries against certain patterns of inadequacy that all women experience. Every culture and customs has divergent female

Authors such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Simone de Beauvoir, who wrote on the oppression of people agree that there is a mental oppression the acts as one of the biggest obstacles to freedom for oppressed groups. The oppression of black people and women are similar in fundamental ways because they are viewed as inferior and the ways they are controlled and limited by another, dominant group which makes it easy to apply the concept of the Veil to both of them. Du Bois introduces the concept of the Veil, which concerns the way black people see themselves through the eyes of white people. De Beauvoir expands the concept of the Veil to apply to the oppression of women and their fight for freedom. However, by applying the concept to gender division

With these mediums of oppression, her first theory, referred to as the Matrix of Domination is brought up. Previous models of oppression were considered additive, or hierarchal, meaning that they must be ranked. Collins uses the experiences of black women to explain that all these modes of oppression, gender, race and class are interlocking and equally important when viewing domination. This bleeds mores into Part II, but the essentials are discussed in this section.

Nigeria, a relatively renowned African country, has always depicted the people to be poor, with unfavorable circumstances to work around. However, after reading the novel Purple Hibiscus, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, one can understand that such stereotypes do not apply to all people living in Nigeria. This novel revolves around the unique aspects of Nigerian culture, and focuses on Kambili Achike, a fifteen year old Nigerian girl. Even though Kambili has an extremely privileged life due to her father’s wealth, she is increasingly miserable and endures great stress at home. This is because while her father, Eugene, is generous and politically active in the community, he is a religious Catholic zealot and a violent figure at home, often beating his wife Beatrice, and his children, Kambili and Chukwuka (also known as Jaja). When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Eugene sends his children away to Nsukka to stay with their Aunt Ifeoma. Through meeting her poorer aunt and her cousins, Kambili and her brother discover a life beyond the confines of their father's authority. Through Kambili’s coming of age journey, several aspects of Nigeria are touched upon, such as the role of women within society, the importance of religion, and the presence of Nigerian politics.

Firstly, oppression is evident through various types of abuse through the main characters, Aminata and Celie. Both have faced several forms of abuse such as physical, emotional, mental and sexual abuse that have stripped away their identity and dignity. For instance, Aminata fights for her freedom throughout her entire life, only to suffer from physical abuse almost everyday on the slave ship and to suffer from sexual abuse on the plantations. Moreover, Aminata

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.

The next requirement for being a “true woman” was submissiveness. According to society men were superior to women by “God’s appointment.” If they acted otherwise they “tampered with the order of the Universe” (Welter 105). A “true woman” would not question this idea because she already understands her place. Grace Greenwood explained to the women of the Nineteenth Century, “True feminine genius is ever timid, doubtful, and clingingly dependant; a perpetual childhood.” Even in the case of an abusive husband, women were sometimes told to stay quiet

Firstly, oppression is evident as various types of abuse through the main characters, Aminata and Celie. Both have faced several forms of abuse such as physical, emotional, mental and sexual abuse that have stripped away their identity and dignity. For instance, Aminata fights for her freedom throughout her entire life, only to suffer from physical abuse almost everyday on the slave ship and from sexual abuse on the plantations. Moreover, Aminata becomes mentally unstable due to abuse and

In her essay “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference”, Audre Lorde details multiple groups of people and their actions and attitudes. She focuses on and criticizes different demographics’ actions and how they impede the achievement of equality for people like herself. She portrays the disenfranchisement and underappreciation she receives multilaterally because of her race, social class, sexual orientation, age, gender. Lorde’s prevailing goal of the essay is to demonstrate that the marginalized should not nullify, ignore, suppress, or attack the expression of differences between themselves. Rather, she asserts that they should recognize and celebrate those differences to unite across demographic boundaries so they may together

The inequalities and injustices displayed go from racial to gender; characters such as Boo Radley and Lennie are targeted because of their disability. Throughout the novel

These conflicts along with the passing of time are symbolic of the progress of not only society but of the circumstances of the two races. Twyla fails to progress in the same way regarding her mindset as she continues to show indifference and bigotry. Although the two of them show instances of both being the oppressor and the oppressed, their races are still made vague. Twyla’s unprogressive attitude can be seen as both being inherently characterized by white supremacy while also stemming from years of an oppressed

In works of literature, characters seem to change from the beginning to the end. In the novel "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jaja changed throughout the story. At the beginning, Jaja was very obedient and scared of Papa. He listened and did whatever his father told them to do. Towards the end of the novel, We see Jaja as a completely new person.

Black western feminist scholars have regarded the black female body as a foundation for conferring gender, race and power, but also as being socially constructed (Chapman, 7). One must consider the perception of gender in western culture. Women have been perceived second-class citizen’s for the entirety of our nations existence, crafting the female body a site for public discourse particularly when stressing the standards of beauty. Woman of all shapes and sizes, colors and heritages, have been fighting for a place of equality in America for over a decade. Yolanda Chapman, a scholar and graduate alumni of Georgia State University argues the fact that black race is not only socially constructed but also legally obligatory. Blacks in the United States are a legally created group through the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments (Chapman, 7). This means inhabiting a racially defined status that indicates a black identity in addition to gender indifference.

In the novel Purple Hibiscus, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a young woman named Kambili struggles to live under her father's extremist beliefs, causing her to be unable to break away from his rule. However, on a trip to Nuskka, she lives with her aunt who views life more open-mindedly, thus giving her a new perspective of life. At the beginning of the novel, Kambili is introverted and close-minded, while as the book progresses, she changes into a more open-minded and independent person.

The novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was published by Anchor Books in 2004, a first person narrative of life in the political turmoil of post-colonial Nigeria. Purple Hibiscus, exemplifies how the western feminist theory has greatly failed to address the needs and wants of the african women and their children. This essay focuses primary on the forms of patriarchy presented in the novel and how each utilizes violence, religious oppression and silence as forms of control over the mother and the children of the Achike family. The family's patriarch Eugene, the patriarchal religious leaders and the corruption of the patriarchal government attempt to control homes, parishes, and nations through silence and violence.The use of