Review of "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells the story of Kambili and her older brother Jaja. After living in a strict Catholic household all their life, visiting their extended family on their own opens them up to a new way of life and to the prejudices and complexities within their own family and in their country. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author who is most known for writing her celebrated novel, Americanah, but has also written several other works that all strive to, in her own words, not tell “a single story.” As the characters imprint their personal beliefs onto Kambili, they also contribute to helping Kambili realize the greater implications of what it means to run a family and treat others with respect.

Kambili and Jaja both grow up in a very austere Catholic home where their father, who is referred to as “Papa," governs their every move. Their mother, “Mama,” is mostly quiet throughout the novel and usually goes along with what Papa does, until the end of the book. While Kambili merely observes how the house runs, Jaja is bold, rebellious, and similar to his father, which causes them to clash and argue. Papa usually gives Jaja and Kambili severe punishments for disobeying him, which often involve making amends with God for their sins.

When Papa reluctantly allows Kambili and Jaja to visit his sister Aunty Ifeoma’s house, they discover a more loving and welcoming environment that still practices Catholicism. Aunty Ifeoma frees Kambili and Jaja of their daily schedule which Papa insists they stick to. Aunty Ifeoma’s daughter Amaka takes after her mother who is confident and independent. However, Amaka constantly makes fun of Kambili for her family’s wealth.

One of the main reasons that Papa does not want Kambili and Jaja to go with Aunty Ifeoma is that he is worried that they will spend time with Papa-Nnukwu, who is the father of Papa and Aunty Ifeoma. Papa-Nnukwu follows the Igbo religious beliefs, which have been long-established in Nigeria. As a devout Catholic, Papa does not want his children anywhere near Papa-Nnukwu. In fact, Papa only lets them in his house for fifteen minutes once a year on Christmas. Even so, Aunty Ifeoma gets along well with her father and brings Kambili and Jaja to see him often, making them nervous about what their father would say. The rebellious relationship that Jaja has with Papa mirrors the one that Papa has with his father Papa-Nnukwu.

One of the major themes in this book is conforming to the “rules” and who does so. For example, Kambili does as she is told because she’s naive, but her older brother Jaja has already formed opinions that he uses to decide whether or not to obey the rules. Aunty Ifeoma and their family, including Amaka, all conform to their own rules, but certainly not the rules of Papa. Meanwhile, Papa-Nnukwu practices the long-established Igbo religion, so in some ways, he does fit in with many others in Nigeria, but this also means he does not fit in with the rest of his family.

The opposing characters in the novel call into question which characters are good or bad. For example, Papa has made incredible improvements to his community through the church. However, he also sets such high expectations for his family and punishes them severely when they sin or understandably do not carry out his high expectations. Aunty Ifeoma is good for showing Kambili and Jaja a new way to live, but is it bad that she disobeyed their father? Is Jaja good for standing up to Papa and his abusive behavior, or is he just provoking Papa more and making everything worse? Is Amaka being mean to Kambili by making fun of her wealth, or is she actually opening Kambili up to the idea that not everyone is as financially privileged as she is? However, probably most important is the question of Mama, who ends the novel by committing a shocking and drastic act that changes the course of the family forever.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading serious fiction or any other of the author’s work. The novel explores growing up and being exposed to different external pressures or influences, but it also reveals internal emotions and struggles.