Papa calls his father a “heathen” because he still follows the religious traditions of his people, the Igbo. However, he does not allow his children to visit with his own father, Papa-Nnukwu, for more than fifteen minutes each Christmas. Papa is celebrated for his generosity in Abba as well. The family supervises a feast that feeds the entire umunna – extended family. Kambili is not a snob she is motivated by fear, unable to create her own identity.Īt Christmas, the family returns to the Papa’s ancestral town, Abba. When Kambili places second on term, Papa tells her she must excel because God expects more from her. The girls at school assume she is a snob because she doesn’t socialize and always runs straight to her father’s car after class. Kambili is a good student, rising to the top of her class.
Each day, she follows a schedule that allots only time to study, eat, sleep, pray and sit with her family. The rigid life that is shaped by her father renders her mute. When she tries to speak, she often stutters or has a coughing fit. When Ade Coker is arrested, Papa’s bravery and position in the community help to free him. Since the Standard tells the truth, the staff is under constant pressure from the Head of State, the military leader who assumes the presidency following a coup. His newspaper publishes articles critical of the rampant government corruption. Papa generously donates to his parish and his children’s schools. He is praised by his priest, Father Benedict, and his editor, Ade Coker, for his many good works. He owns several factories and publishes the pro-democracy newspaper the Standard.
Kambili then explains the events leading up to Palm Sunday, detailing the seeds of rebellion that are planted in the children’s minds by their liberal Aunty Ifeoma, Papa’s sister. This defiant act and resulting violence marks the beginning of the end of the Achike family. The book hits a shelf containing his wife’s beloved figurines. Because Jaja has no reasonable excuse for missing church, Papa throws his missal at his son. Jaja has refused to go to church and receive communion. He punishes his wife, Mama (Beatrice Achike), and his children when they fail to live up to his impossibly high standards. Kambili’s father, Papa (Eugene Achike) is a strict authoritarian whose strict adherence to Catholicism overshadows his paternal love. Kambili lives with her older brother Jaja (Chukwuku Achike), a teenager who, like his sister, excels at school but is withdrawn and sullen. Purple Hibiscus takes place in Enugu, a city in post-colonial Nigeria, and is narrated by the main character, Kambili Achike.
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