Purple Hibiscus: Growth and Freedom from Oppression

Abuse and Oppression in the Family Home

Abuse can manifest in many different ways. For some, it comes in the form of physical violence. For others, it arrives daily as verbal abuse, in which a person is degraded and demeaned consistently. A third group experiences abuse as a removal of freedom, where the individual is oppressed to the point of being obliged to obey the will of the abuser, without being permitted to act beyond what the abuser allows. This is the situation for Kambili and Jaja, two children in Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The children grow up in Nigeria under the oppressive and restrictive hand of their father, Eugene, a wealthy businessman. Once they come of age and are exposed to an unfamiliar way of life, however, that experience provides the catalyst they need to fulfill the novel's central purpose: to suggest that each person must fulfill his or her own mission in life. To do so, one must break the bonds of restriction and abuse.

Eugene as the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

In the novel, Eugene represents the oppressive, restrictive, and abusive force — yet only those closest to him, his own family, ever experience this side of him. As such, he is the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing. In the wider community, he is regularly praised and recognized for the good he appears to do. He donates generously to charity and supports both religious and political communities, helping prominent members build their homes, fund their campaigns, and maintain religiously run institutions. While his family admires these public contributions, they also live in fear and awe of him. At home, they are subject to his violent temper; he becomes abusive and physically dangerous the moment anyone steps out of line, whether that person is his wife or one of his children.

The growing children and their mother are symbolic of the undeveloped or not-yet-developed personality — one that accepts whatever happens because it knows no other way of being a family. The harshness this dynamic creates becomes evident in the novel's descriptions of punishment. At one point, Jaja is punished for missing two questions on his catechism test, which costs him the distinction of being named the best student in his First Holy Communion class. Eugene — or Papa, as the children call him — is established early in the novel as religiously fanatical. Religion is of supreme importance to him, practically overriding everything else. He strictly adheres to every form of worship, even practices others have abandoned, such as kneeling at the cross. He becomes furiously angry when his wife or children will not do the same. For failing to place first in his religious class, young Jaja receives the following punishment, narrated by Kambili:

"Papa took him upstairs and locked the door. Jaja, in tears, came out supporting his left hand with his right, and Papa drove him to St. Agnes hospital. Papa was crying, too, as he carried Jaja in his arms like a baby all the way to the car. Later, Jaja told me that Papa had avoided his right hand because it is the hand he writes with" (145).

In addition to physical punishment, the children receive harsh emotional treatment. Eugene keeps them trapped in a cycle of fear, admiration, and the constant pursuit of his approval. It is the only life they know.

Aunt Ifeoma's Home as a Catalyst for Growth

The turning point in the novel arrives when Kambili and Jaja visit their Aunt Ifeoma and her cousins in Nsukka. Ifeoma's household represents genuine family love and care, independent of material wealth. This is a completely foreign concept to the children, and they are shocked to witness how the family members treat one another — warmly and respectfully — even without wealth or servants. Each person loves and respects the others; the children are even permitted to question the decisions and claims of their elders. Aunt Ifeoma does not demand agreement with everything she says, and the children are free to choose their own paths without being coerced into a predetermined direction. In this way, her family symbolizes the polar opposite of the restrictive environment Eugene has created. At first, Kambili can barely process what she is witnessing:

"I had felt as if I were not there, that I was just observing a table where you could say anything at any time to anyone, where the air was free for you to breathe as you wished" (120).

The experience at their aunt's home affects each child in a distinct way. Kambili is afraid to speak, having spent her entire life learning that speech invites punishment. Her cousin Obiora possesses things Jaja's father never gave him: a sense of manly protectiveness over his family, the gift of articulate speech, and the freedom to be initiated into Igbo culture. Eugene's close affiliation with the Christian church and Westernized politicians prevents him from allowing Jaja those same opportunities.

Conclusion: Coming into Full Bloom

Kambili and Jaja's mother, finally unable to endure any more of her husband's abuse, murders him. The children respond instinctively. Jaja takes the blame for his father's death and goes to prison to protect his family. Kambili assumes a caregiving role, moving in with her mother to look after her. Both children, like the hibiscus flower itself, have come to full bloom — not as harsh red flowers, but as royal purple ones. They now understand the true meaning of love and care for one another. Through the symbolism of growth and color, the novel demonstrates the vital importance of love and the journey toward one's own unique personality, free from oppression.