By Linda Jummai Mustafa
Title: Purple Hibiscus
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Publisher: Farafina Publishers
Year: 2006 but first published by Kachifo Limited 2003
Imagine a man who fights a tyrannical government with a passion that is not wavered even in the eye of imminent death, and at home commands so much fear that members of his family are silenced by his iron fists. Imagine also a man who would not bow to an Igwe and calls this sign of respect “an ungodly tradition” (pg. 94) yet this same man rushes to kneel and kiss the ring of a bishop. Imagine a man who supports many charitable groups in the society as well as for the church yet is so miserly at home that none of his households are permitted to watch the television. These and many more are the ironies that make Purple Hibiscus a book one might not forget in a hurry.
My first impression after reading this book was “what’s the big deal about Purple Hibiscus?” But a second reading changed my dull perception of this work of art. It is a known fact that late Chinua Achebe played an important role in Adichie’s life and that’s why it is not so surprising to see the similarities that exist between Things Fall Apart and Purple Hibiscus.
Achebe’s lead character Okonkwo is exactly the spitting image of “Papa” otherwise known as Eugene. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is a quick witted, very hard working, highly revered in his community but has a very thunderous temper. This temper makes him to beat his wife in the season which villagers were commanded to observe domestic peace, the same kind of temper is described by Adichie when she describes how Papa beats his pregnant wife to pulp and even make her to beg for his forgiveness after a painful miscarriage (in fact two miscarriages). Eugene’s wonderful character outside his home is a shadow of his fierce ‘iron fist’ leadership at home. With so much love displayed outside, readers get shocked by the unavailability of love in a rich and very influential man’s home- a thought that most of us today would rule out. Just like Okonkwo, Papa is also a dare devil who thinks his home is the war front for political intrigues to be quickly curbed and even eliminated.
To Papa, everyone is like a puppet to be pushed, pulled, punched and stuffed at a corner of the house. The only person who is allowed to say anything is Papa, otherwise silence reigns supreme. The excessive religion and fear of god is a paramount theme in the book and this hypocrisy was what fostered the murdering of Eugene by Kambili’s mother. Despite kambili’s love of her father, she had to bear physical abuse. She dotes on Papa, tries to please him and obey all his commands yet no matter what she does, Papa would not acknowledge her love.
A tragic story, Papa is a complex character with flaws that draws him to his death. Like other tragic heroes’ Papa struggles with his own demons of self hate and takes it out on his wife, Beatrice, his son, Jaja and Kambili.
Chimamanda’s characters speak the reality of a modern Nigeria. Her descriptions come with much symbolism though the main character (Kambili) is a fifteen year old naïve, sheltered child. The ironic situation of having a very harsh father may have provoked Kambili’s crush on the virtuous young loving Catholic priest. For Kambili, a man who loves tradition despite being a catholic priest was far too good to be true. In telling the story of Kambili, Adiche gets to present a story of love, intricately woven in such a tight knot that the family soon falls apart.
Though written in the first person narrative, as told by a teenager, who struggle into adulthood; poignant questions that need answers are asked in this work of art. For instance, mandatory celibacy in the catholic clergy prompts readers to look into the issue of going to catholic rituals orchestrated by single men. This issue is especially raising concerns in the catholic community as more and more priests are enshrouded in romantic relationships that leave the catholic community in doubt of a noble religion. The resilience of the Nigerian citizens faced with political instability and military autocracy are also ironies that identify the modern Nigerian without mincing words.
Also like Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Purple Hibiscus is filled with Igbo words and expressions which non Igbo speakers would find hard to comprehend. This can be frustrating for readers who want to find the meaning of the words. This lack of Igbo glossary can influence a difficult understanding of the book.
I believe however that Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus is a book that came at a time when most readers thought that there are only a few female Nigerian writers left in modern Nigerian contemporary literature. Purple Hibiscus though with strong political themes is a story about women by a woman and for women. The young, the old and the not too young are all affected by a patriarchal domination prevalent in the modern Nigerian society and unless we all try to give women some leverages we may end up having a society where the only hope to survival is to kill just as Beatrice finally had to murder her husband in order for her to survive.
