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Reading Response

Throughout Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the main character and narrator Kambili, does not have much of a voice. She goes through so many traumatic experiences and so much stress in her daily life that she bottles it up. Her father holds extremely high expectations for her, constantly keeping her on edge. Before her trip to Nsukka, Kambili abided by what her father asked of her and was extremely polite, making it seem to others, such as girls at school or her cousins, that she didn't have a personality. She also gave off the impression that her wealth made her too good for others. While in Nsukka, Kambili builds up more confidence and meets people like Father Amadi who make her comfortable to express herself. She laughs and smiles for the first time in her life when surrounded by Aunty Ifeoma and her cousins, people she looked up to for their ability to be so comfortable and happy.

Another aspect of the novel that I noticed was Papa's reaction every time he beats his wife or children. Every time Papa abused Kambili he cried or asked if she was okay. An example of this is when he pours hot water on her feet, he starts to cry. Also, when Kambili eats before mass and Papa punishes her for it, he makes an interesting statement. He asks her, "Why do you walk into sin? Why do you like sin?". Him asking her this, makes it seem as though it is her fault that he is abusive. He feels like he is obligated to abuse her and is asking her why she has to put him through this, as if he can not help it. After this, he hugs her tight and asks if she is okay. Through this abuse, Papa seems to be bipolar because of his fits of rage and then immediately feeling guilty.

Comments

  1. CadeApril 18, 2018 at 2:59 PM

    This was a great second response to the book. I like how you had some opinions on some situations that happened. Good job

    ReplyDelete

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