purple hibiscus test review
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? "...But you know Eugene quarrels with the truths that he does not like. Our father is dying, do you hear me? Dying. He is an old man, how much longer does he have, gbo? Yet Eugene will not let him into this house, will not even greet him... Eugene has to stop doing God's job. God is big enough to do his own job. If God will judge our father for choosing to follow the way of our ancestors, then let God do the judging, not Eugene."
Aunty Ifoema is speaking and Kambili over hears it. Ifoema is a strong women and the only one that will tell the truth to papa but mama is submissive. Here Ifeoma essentially lays it all on the line--Papa (Eugene) is trying to play God, instead of letting God take care of his own business. Ifeoma prefers a more humanistic approach to Christianity, while Papa clearly clings to order, control, and rigid dogma. And in perspective, Papa's refusal to visit his own dying father because of religious differences seems like a very un-Christian thing to do.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? "Ifeoma, did you call a priest?" Papa asked. "Is that all you can say, eh, Eugene? Have you nothing else to say, gbo? Our father has died! Has your head turned upside down? Will you not help me to bury our father?""I cannot participate in a pagan funeral, but we can discuss with the parish priest and arrange a Catholic funeral."
Aunty and Eugene are speaking. Eugene and her argue about how their dad should be buried and he feels that he should have a catholic burial and is more upset that he did not convert other than being upset he passed away. Ifoema is open to the funeral her dad wanted and is actually sad about her dads loss nally losing the con dence and control she has exhibited throughout the novel, and shouting at and cursing Eugene.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? There are people, she once wrote, who think that we cannot rule ourselves because the few times we tried, we failed, as if all the others who rule themselves today got it right the rst time. I
Aunty said this in a letter about the history of Nigeria and says African countries need to learn how to run themselves, rather than depending on Western military and economic control forever. This brings the novel to an optimistic ending and shows that Ifeoma seems to argue that the struggle for freedom is always worthwhile, because the end goal is freedom from tyrannical people-- Papa, for example--or freedom from tyrannical countries-- like Britain and the U.S. Essentially she's saying that it's unfair to judge Nigeria against much older, more prosperous nations like America or Western Europe, as Nigeria is still very young as a country, and still going through "growing pains." Ifeoma has gone against her friend's advice and moved to America--contributing to the cycle of Nigeria's best and brightest leaving the country-- but here she is also ful lling the tradition of the emigre who gains the best perspective and insight regarding her homeland only when she is away from it.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? "It is not about me, Chiaku." Aunty Ifeoma paused. "Who will teach Amaka and Obiora in university?""The educated ones leave, the ones with the potential to right the wrongs. They leave the weak behind. The tyrants continue to reign because the weak cannot resist. Do you not see that it is a cycle? Who will break that cycle?"
Chiaku is speaking. This is when we learn that aunty is thinking of moving to the us because her work would get more praise and her children would get better education but chiaku resents her friend aunty for leaving because she thinks whenever someone is talented they go to the west and never return. Chiaku has a point on a global and political level-- tyranny is only perpetuated through ignorance and stagnancy--but on a personal level, Ifeoma seems to have no positive option other than leaving the country she loves.
what does the purple hibiscus symbolize
Created by Aunty Ifoema's botanist friend. Jaja is struck by its appearances and he discovers his love for gardening which becomes an important part of him opening up. He take some of the plant back home and it comes to represent freedom and individuality. At the end Kambili says that she hopes he will plant more when he gets released thus showing she has hope that freedom with blossom again.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? "Kambili, you are precious." His voice quavered now, like someone speaking at a funeral, choked with emotion. "You should strive for perfection. You should not see sin and walk right into it." He lowered the kettle into the tub, tilted it toward my feet.
Eugene and Kambili are speaking. He punishes her for not saying that she spent time with her grandfather and he pours boiling water on her feet. he tells Kambili that she's precious and hurts her in the same instant: he's so concerned for her soul that he's willing to "condition" her to avoid sin.he's horribly violent, to the point where he's willing to torture his own family, thus undercutting the very religious ideals and freedom that he's otherwise trying to promote.
Amaka says, "Uncle Eugene is not a bad man, really...People have problems, people make mistakes" (251). Is he in fact a "bad man"? How can his generosity and political integrity coexist with his religious intolerance?
Eugene is not a good person at all and is indeed a bad person. He portrays and thinks of himself as a Godly figure and uses that to justify how he punishes his children and wife so brutally. He also punishes them for their smallest imperfections which is hypocritical because by doing this he is going against what he believes. They can coexist because of how he is a walking paradox.
In what ways are Aunty Ifeoma and Eugene different from one another? How does each character approach life? How do they differ in their religious views? Why is Ifeoma so much happier even though she is poor and her brother is rich?
Eugene is very wealthy,controlling, and strict. He believes that he is better than everyone because he made something for himself. He is so strict because he does not want his family to waste what he has provided for them. Aunty Ifeoma, on the other hand, is much more laid back and fun. She is a hard worker. She is not as religiously strict as Eugene. I think she is happier because she lives freely and has great connections and relationships with her friends and family and is not held down by others' expectations.
How does Father Amadi bring Kambili to life? Why is her relationship with him so important to her sense of self?
Father Amadi brings her to life by digging into her personality and forcing her to open up to him. He always tries to include her in conversations and I think this is the first time she has been able to make a friend that is not a family member, on her own. She has never opened up to anyone and loved anyone other than her father until now. As she tries to impress him, it lets her try new things which shows her how much she has missed out on.
describe the theme of family in the novel
In eugene's house they all live in silence and fear because of Papa's rules. Kambili and Jaja are very close even though they rarely speak. They never see any other family. Aunty Ifema's family all speak freely, laugh and are encouraged to debate and question and are also close with Pap Nnukwu. When Kambili and Jaja see this they are able to see how unhealthy their family is and this shows that the author's idea of a great family is aunt ifoema's.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? I should have taken care of Mama. Look how Obiora balances Aunty Ifeoma's family on his head, and I am older that he is. I should have taken care of Mama."
Jaja is speaking. Jaja and kambili both feel guilty for not taking better care of their mother. Jaja says he could have saved her many times before, and he contrasts his own submissiveness to his cousin Obiora's maturity. Kambili says that god works in mysterious ways which shows she still subconsciously worships her dad. jaja has rejected al of his religion and his father and believes it is a system of domination to justify people's pain and suffering. here's no reason, for instance, why God had to punish Job (or even Christ himself) so harshly. Perhaps God, just like Papa, is a bully, hurting people for no particular reason. In all, the passage shows the divide between Kambili and Jaja. Both have now been freed from Papa's literal control, but they react to this freedom in different ways.
Jaja questions why Jesus had to be sacrificed, "Why did He have to murder his own son so he would be saved? Why didn't He just go ahead and save us?" (289). How does Jaja make a sacrifice in the novel? What do you think motivates him? Should this be understood as a Christian sacrifice or a simple act of compassion and bravery?
Jaja makes the sacrifice of saying that he was the one who poisoned Papa Eugene because he feels that he should have protected mother more and so now he wants to make sure his family does not get any worse because of how bad his father had already made their lives. I think this is both a Christian act and an act of compassion because he acted as the man of the family and did what he had to do.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? Amaka and Papa-Nnukwu spoke sometimes, their voices low, twining together. They understood each other, using the sparest words. Watching them, I felt a longing for something I knew I would never have.
Kambili is speaking and is jealous of her cousin's close relationship with her grandfather; she wishes that Papa had allowed her to spend more time with Papa-Nnukwu growing up. In short, Kambili is seeing the consequences of his own father's close- mindedness: because Papa didn't get along with his father, Kambili never got to visit her grandfather growing up. She feels that she's missed out on an intimate family connection. By contrast, Kambili's rapport with her own father is almost nonexistent, consisting mostly of her own silence and Papa's lecturing, praying, or moralizing.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? I did not say anything else until lunch was over, but I listened to every word spoken, followed every cackle of laughter and line of banter. Mostly, my cousins did the talking and Aunty Ifeoma sat back and watched them, eating slowly. She looked like a football coach who had done a good job with her team and was satis ed to stand next to the eighteen-yard box and watch.
Kambili is speaking. She is very surprised to see how different her aunt's household is. Aunty encourages speaking out.Ifeoma's behavior in this passage indicates that she values open discourse and freedom of speech; not only in Nigerian society but in her home (versus her brother, who values political freedom, but not personal or religious freedom in his house). Furthermore, Kambili's surprise with Ifeoma reminds us how severe her own upbringing is: Papa doesn't let her speak her mind, let alone talk at the dinner table. It is only through their interactions with Ifeoma and her family that Kambili and Jaja will start to escape their father's in uence.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? Ade Coker was at breakfast with his family when a courier delivered a package to him. His daughter, in her primary school uniform, was sitting across the table from him. The baby was nearby, in a high chair. His wife was spooning Cerelac into the baby's mouth. Ade Coker was blown up when he opened the package—
Kambili is the speaker. Ade has been assassinated by a package sent by the head of state. This reminds us that HOS has the most power and does not have to hide his violence. This assassination is also a major turning point in the plot, as it is a sign that Papa's political activities have real, deadly consequences, and it is also a symbol of "silencing" on a political level--Ade is literally killed for speaking out against tyranny.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? I waited for him to ask Jaja and me to take a sip, as he always did. A love sip, he called it, because you shared the little things you loved with the people you loved. Have a love sip, he would say, and Jaja would go rst. Then I would hold the cup with both hands and raise it to my lips. One sip. The tea was always too hot, always burned my tongue, and if lunch was something peppery, my raw tongue suffered. But it didn't matter, because I knew that when the tea burned my tongue, it burned Papa's love into me.
Kambili said this. It involves the theme of violence and family.Kambili and Jaja are waiting to sip the tea and they feel as if the sips prove their papa's love for them. Kambali associates this with her fathers love because they are both supposedly good for them even even if they hurt her. It foreshadows Papa's violence. Perhaps subconsciously, he uses the hot tea ritual to teach his children that he beats them because he loves them.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? I laughed. It sounded strange, as if I were listening to the recorded laughter of a stranger being played back. I was not sure I had ever heard myself laugh."Why did you become a priest?" I blurted out, then wished I had not asked, that the bubbles in my throat had not let that through. Of course, he had gotten the call, the same call that all the Reverend Sisters in school talked about when they asked us to always listen for the call when we prayed. Sometimes I imagined God calling me, his rumbling voice British-accented. He would not say my name right; like Father Benedict, he would place the emphasis on the second syllable rather than the first.
Kambili says this and is loosening up and begining to accept others, speak, and laugh. Kambili asks Amadi why he became a priest, but then regrets this and tells us, the readers, that she knows the answer: God calls priests to the profession. Kambili has been taught to embrace a Catholic god who does not fit into her culture and she can't even imagine God pronouncing her name correctly, or speaking in any way other than with a white British accent--a clear symbol for the discord between Kambili's religion and her culture.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? It's your father. They called me from the factory, they found him lying dead on his desk." Mama sounded like a recording...
Mama calls and said her father is dead and kambili is shocked by this because she thought her dad was immortal. Kambili has moved further and further from her dad's views and when he dies it reflects her growing freedom and independence.
What is Kambili's mother's attitude toward her husband and marriage in general?
Mama knows that Papa is highly regarded throughout Enugu, and that many women desire to have him. She thinks she is very lucky and therefore puts up with her beatings because she is glad that he chose her. She thinks that she was lucky in getting her husband.
what do mama's figurine's symbolize?
Mama polishes these after she is beaten which tells the kids what has just happened because they do not speak about it. When Papa breaks the figurines Mama cleans them up and says she will not replace them thus showing she will not stand the violence anymore. The figurines symbolize the submissiveness and silence the family lives with under the fear of Papa and when they break it means the beginning of freedom and free speech.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? "I started putting the poison in his tea before I came to Nsukka. Sisi got it for me; her uncle is a powerful witch doctor." For a long, silent moment I could think of nothing... Then I thought of taking sips of Papa's tea, love sips, the scalding liquid that burned his love onto my tongue.
Mama reveals she poisoned papa. Kambili cant help but love her father but now sees how messed up he was and is taken away that his tea killed him. dichie poignantly reminds us how Papa used to share his hot tea with his children, giving them "love sips"--and this same "love," which was both painful and alluring, is the method by which Papa himself was silently killed. This shows violence leads to more violence and that mama finally broke away from her tyrant.
Why does Adichie end the novel with an image of rain clouds? What are the implications of Kambili feeling that the clouds hung so low that she "could reach out and squeeze the moisture from them"? What is the meaning of the novel's very simple final sentence: "The new rains will come down soon"?
Nature lays a major part in the novel, therefore, the clouds symbolize a new beginning. Her saying that she could "reach out and touch them" symbolizes her ability to feel a new beginning coming on, and the "new rains" also symbolize the new beginning coming.
describe the theme of colonialism and politics in the novel
Nigeria was a colony but then the British people brought it together. Papa is described as being a "colonial product" thus showing it has a colonist mindset. He believes that white people do everything better and speaks in a British accent and avoids talking in Igboo. AUnty ifoma rejects the idea that witness-equals-superiority and is frustrated by Nigeria because she thinks they should embrace their resources and independence. Novel takes place during a time when the Nigerian government was led by a corrupt leader. This affects the novel by workers going on strike, police requiring bribes, Ade coker being assassinated. The author shows the result of colonialism,dictatorship and corruption.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? Ifeoma could not afford it." Papa-Nnukwu shook his head. "Since the father of her children died, she has seen hard times. But she will bring them this year. You will see them. It is not right that you don't know them well, your cousins. It is not right."Jaja and I said nothing. We did not know Aunty Ifeoma or her children very well because she and Papa had quarreled about Papa-Nnukwu. Mama told us. Aunty Ifeoma stopped speaking to Papa after he barred Papa-Nnukwu from coming to his house, and a few years passed before they nally started speaking to each other.
Papa Nnukwu and Kambili are the speakers. This shows the differnce between the families and shows that Eugene does not allow them to see their grandfather. Papa Nnkwu shows the difference between eugene and ifomea. apa is rich; Ifeoma is poor and widowed. Papa is dogmatic and strict; Ifeoma is openminded and independent. Papa places religion over family; Ifeoma does the opposite (she is a Christian too, but still loves and takes care of her "pagan" father). While Kambili and Jaja are still very much under their father's thumb at this point, every fact they learn about the outside world, and even about their own family, seems to go against Papa's narrow-minded worldview.
describe the theme of freedom vs. tyranny
Papa and Ade cocker represent freedom of speech that protests against the government. Aunty also speaks her mind and criticizes those in power. Political tyranny in this country responds to assertion of freedom with violence. Ade coker is killed, Papa's factories are closed, Aunty looses her job. The only hope of political freedom happens when the head of state dies and democracy is restored. Papa is a tyrant in his family life. He schedules every minute of their lives and offers them no independence and if someone goes against this he responds with violence. Jaja and Kambili get their first sense of freedom when they go to their aunt's house and they start to become more independent and rebellious. Kambili's assertion of freedom happens with her grandfather's painting, Jaja is when he refuses to get communion or speak to his father which is a turning point for the family. Mama turns into a tyrant by murdering her husband which puts jaja in jail. The hope is restored when Jaja is released from prison and the head of state dies which gave Kambili's family and Nigeria hope to find freedom.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? Papa was staring pointedly at Jaja. "Jaja, have you not shared a drink with us, gbo? Have you no words in your mouth?" he asked, entirely in Igbo. A bad sign. He hardly spoke Igbo, and although Jaja and I spoke it with Mama at home, he did not like us to speak it in public. We had to sound civilized in public, he told us; we had to speak English. Papa's sister, Aunty Ifeoma, said once that Papa was too much of a colonial product. She had said this about Papa in a mild, forgiving way, as if it were not Papa's fault..."Mba, there are no words in my mouth," Jaja replied."What?" There was a shadow clouding Papa's eyes, a shadow that had been in Jaja's eyes. Fear. It had left Jaja's eyes and entered Papa's."I have nothing to say," Jaja said.
Papa is the speaker. It involves themes of colonialism, family, freedom v. tyranny and speaking and silence. Jaja is standing up to his father by being silent and is no longer using silence out of fear it is now a weapon against his father. The ideas of speech and silence here are also heavily in uenced by Nigeria's colonial history. Papa's sister Ifeoma (whom we have yet to meet) is the only one who really tells it like it is about Papa, and calls him a "colonial product"--he has internalized the colonialist mindset that whiteness and Westernness always equals superiority. His slip into igboo shows his sudden anger for Jaja sliping away from him
What kind of man is Papa-Nnukwu? What are his most appealing qualities? What do the things he prays for say about his character? Why has his son disowned him so completely? Why might this be seen as ironic?
Papa-Nnukwu is a very kind,forgiving,loving person who also is independent and stays strong with his belief to his traditional religion. He prays for his son and his whole family which shows he really wants the best for him even though he has treated him so poorly.
Eugene boasts that his Kambili and Jaja are "not like those loud children people are raising these days, with no home training and no fear of God"; to which Ade Coker replies: "Imagine what the Standard would be if we were all quiet" (58). Why is quiet obedience a questionable virtue in a country where the truth needs to be spoken? In what ways is the refusal to be quiet dangerous?
Quiet obedience is a questionable virtue because in a country that is so corrupt, no change for the better will come until someone speaks out the truth. Also, the refusal to be quiet is very dangerous which can be seen as Ade Cocker was killed by a letter bomb. This also applies to the family's home life with Papa.
describe the theme of religion and belief in the novel
Shows in the contrast between Papa, Papa Nnukwu, and Aunty Ifeoma, Father Amadi. Papa Eugene has strict religious belief and this impacts his life and his families. He wants very traditional catholicism and no igboo be spoken in church. He punishes his family with violence if they commit a sin. Non christians are not allowed on his land and these beliefs led to the rift between him and his father who follows traditional beliefs. Papa Nnukwu goes to festivals and believes in gods which cause Papa Eugene to look at him as a heathen yet Author portrays his beliefs as equal to Eugenes. Aunty Ifoema included igboo songs in her catholic ways and accepts her father and she is somewhat of a balance. Her priest is open minded and accepts both old and new ways and the aunt and father offer kambili and jaja a place of religious acceptance.
describe the theme of speaking and silence in the novel
Silence is associated with the fear of Papa that the family feels. Kambili and Jaja have language of the eyes and never talk of their father's abuse out loud. After the visit to aunt's house Kambili and Jaja both start to sing, laugh and speak. Jaja turns his silence that is no longer out of fear to a weapon against his father. Papa and ade coker represent the power of free speech as their newspaper is the only one to speak up.
What is the significance of the title? What does purple hibiscus symbolize in the novel?
The Purple Hibiscus was something created by Aunty Ifeoma that went against the ideals/set boundaries of nature. It symbolizes Jaja and Kambili's growing out of their family's boundaries because it shares them growing into something that was not normally accepted by their family.
Why does Kambili's mother pay such loving attention to the ballet dancer figures (p. 7)? What might they symbolize?!!!!
The ballet dancers symbolize hope. Every time after she gets beaten, she polishes them off like she is starting fresh and new. However, after Papa breaks the figurines, Mama decides she cannot take it anymore and kills Papa. It symbolizes Mama's ability to make a fresh start and her hope that things will get better. After they break, all hope is lost and she must stop Papa once and for all.
What is the emotional atmosphere in Kambili's home? What effect does it have on Kambili and Jaja and why is Papa so strict?
The emotional atmosphere is very controlled and restricted for mom, jaja, and kambili due to how extremely controlling Eugene, the father is. Due to Papa's ways, the children do not ever speak up, never laugh, never live a true childhood, and never smile. They are also never allowed to fail or be themselves. Papa is so strict because he did not have much in his own childhood and wants his kids to not take what they are given for granted. He also is this way because he justifies everything out of the bible and almost views himself as a God.
describe the theme of violence in the novel
The first violence was the oppression of british colonialism which led to violence and corruption in Nigeria. The Head of state's military uses violence as a tool for censorship (killing ade coker, ransacking aunty's home) Papa uses violence to force his own type of oppression and that violence leads to more violence with an attempt to escape it. Just as colonialism lead to a corrupt government, papa's violent compels mama to poison him.
The novel is composed of four sections. Explain the significance of the four section headings, focusing ont he key words and concepts: "gods" and "spirits", "breaking" and "pieces", and "speaking" and "silence". Why is the novel structured around palm sunday?
The novel begins with a heavy dependence on religion. It dictates Kambili's and Jaja's lives, along with the actions of their father. Later in the novel, this religion begins to become a less major part of their lives, and they break away a little, while still holding onto the key aspects of religion that weren't twisted by their father. In the end, however, their speaking and silence shows their complete discontent with what is going on, and how they are refusing to allow it to go on. Instead of speaking, they are remaining silent, showing their obvious discontent. It focuses around Palm Sunday because Palm Sunday was when Jesus entered into Jerusalem. It is an important holiday in Catholicism, which plays a significant role in the book. It is also when Jesus enters into a new area, which signifies Kambili and Jaja coming into their own, undefined characters.
What does the novel as a whole say about the nature of religion? About the relationship between belief and behavior?
The novel says that the nature of religion is based on how each individual interprets religion differently. It makes it clear that many people use religion to justify behavior that is terrible. Some behavior that goes against the religion they are apart of.
What does Purple Hibiscus reveal about life in Nigeria? How are Nigerians similar to Americans? IN what significant ways are they different? How do Americans regard Nigerians in the novel?
This book reveals that this country had many government and military struggles. It shows that the Americans and them are similar because we both value religon and it plays a major role in the citizen's lives. They also show that they are different because the African culture values family and relationships and Americans value success and money much more than that.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? "How can Our Lady intercede on behalf of a heathen, Aunty?"Aunty Ifeoma was silent as she ladled the thick cocoyam paste into the soup pot; then she looked up and said Papa-Nnukwu was not a heathen but a traditionalist, that sometimes what was different was just as good as what was familiar, that when Papa- Nnukwu did his itu-nzu, his declaration of innocence, in the morning, it was the same as our saying the rosary."How can Our Lady intercede on behalf of a heathen, Aunty?"Aunty Ifeoma was silent as she ladled the thick cocoyam paste into the soup pot; then she looked up and said Papa-Nnukwu was not a heathen but a traditionalist, that sometimes what was different was just as good as what was familiar, that when Papa- Nnukwu did his itu-nzu, his declaration of innocence, in the morning, it was the same as our saying the rosary.
This shows the difference between the two families. Kambili has been raised to think that god doesnt respond to heathens and so when she hears her aunt asking god for help to heal papa N she doubts god will help. Aunty tries to correct Kambili's views w/o being to harsh or bashing Eugene. she claims that it's possible to worship God in many different ways. In short, Ifeoma subscribes to the belief that many religions have their good points; she's a pluralist who embraces many different points of view. Furthermore, she suggests, a truly loving God wouldn't entirely abandon his creation, no matter their beliefs. Kambili, on the other hand, has been raised on a stricter, narrower point of view.
When Kambili visits Aunty Ifeoma, she is immediately struck by how much laughter fills the house. Why is it surprising to her to hear people speak, laugh and argue so freely? How does she manage to regain her own ability to speak, and, most importantly, to laugh?
This surprises Kambili because in her own house no one talks or laughs or shares emotions other than papa. She regains her ability by opening up and starting to help out at Aunt Ifeoma's house and also by developing her own personal connections. She is allowed to finally be herself and be accepted and this allows her to regain these things.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? "I hear he's very involved in the editorial decisions. The Standard is the only paper that dares to tell the truth these days." "Yes," Aunty Ifeoma said. "And he has a brilliant editor, Ade Coker, although I wonder how much longer before they lock him up for good. Even Eugene's money will not buy everything." "I was reading somewhere that Amnesty World is giving your brother an award," Father Amadi said. He was nodding slowly, admiringly, and I felt myself go warm all over, with pride, with a desire to be associated with Papa.
father amadi is speaking. He is impressed that kambili's father is Eugene.Kambili tells him about some of his achievements.The passage is notable because it reminds us of the paradoxes of Papa's behavior. He's an incredibly generous and noble-spirited man, who donates his time and money to ghting for other people. And yet he's also a severe, brutal dictator in his own house: he sincerely believes that children should be beaten and punished harshly when they do anything wrong. While Papa's behavior might be hard for readers to understand, Adichie uses his contradictions to make him a deeply human and fascinating character, both admirable and reprehensible at once.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? The sun turned white, the color and shape of the host. And then I saw her, the Blessed Virgin: an image in the pale sun, a red glow on the back of my hand, a smile on the face of the rosary-bedecked man whose arm rubbed against mine. She was everywhere.
kambili is speaking and her faith in catholicism is reconfirmed when she sees the image of the virgin mary while on a pilgrimage.Unlike her brother, Jaja, Kambili embraces the concept of the Virgin Mary: she thinks that religion, and speci cally Christianity, are crucial parts of life, no matter how Papa has misinterpreted them. This shows hoer her concept of religon has changed bc at first it was based on her father's ideas but adichie's descriptions symbolize kambili's sheltered views of the world and now Kambili looks at religion the same way her aunt does and sees it everywhere
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? It was what Aunty Ifeoma did to my cousins, I realized then, setting higher and higher jumps for them in the way she talked to them, in what she expected of them. She did it all the time believing they would scale the rod. And they did. It was different for Jaja and me. We did not scale the rod because we believed we could, we scaled it because we were terri ed that we couldn't.
kambili is speaking and watches as father amadi teaches children how to exercise and comes to see the bar as a metaphor for different methods of upbringing. she now admires her aunt's strategy. Kambili thinks, Ifeoma's method of child- rearing is more powerful, because it encourages children to become self-motivated--they want to jump higher, rather than just jumping out of fear of punishment.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? Papa wanted Father Benedict to hear our confession. We had not gone in Abba because Papa did not like to make his confession in Igbo, and besides, Papa said that the parish priest in Abba was not spiritual enough. That was the problem with our people, Papa told us, our priorities were wrong; we cared too much about huge church buildings and mighty statues. You would never see white people doing that.
kambili is speaking. Papa takes family to confess. Papa notes that Father Benedict is more "spiritual," while the church in Abba, by contrast, is more concerned with worldly goods than heavenly ones. Outrageously, Papa notes that white people simply wouldn't be so materialistic.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? Father Amadi led the first decade, and at the end, he started an Igbo praise song. While they sang, I opened my eyes and stared at the wall... I pressed my lips together, biting my lower lip, so my mouth would not join in the singing on its own, so my mouth would not betray me.
kambili is speaking. She is blown away at the fact that her aunt's preacher is young, openminded, and accepting of both new and old traditions. ather Amadi embraces Igbo as another language of praise for a universal, life-af rming God. This worldview is obviously more appealing than Papa's, but at this point Kambili is still very much under her father's in uence. We see this fact especially in this scene, as she "silences" herself by biting her lip, instead of singing along with the rest of her family. According to Papa, Kambili would be doing the good Christian thing, but from an outside perspective this seems repressive and ridiculous-- she is purposefully keeping herself from praising the very God she professes to love, as well as refusing to join in an expression of communal love, joy, and celebration.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? Papa changed his accent when he spoke, sounding British, just as he did when he spoke to Father Benedict. He was gracious, in the eager-to-please way that he always assumed with the religious, especially with the white religious.
kambili is the speaker. This shows how Papa is submissive and a suck up to colonial order such as Father benedict. This shows papa's contradictions such as: he's politically brave, personally tyrannical, rigidly religious, and impressively philanthropic, and yet he ultimately accepts the dominant political order of the international stage--in other words, he supports the idea of the supremacy of Western civilization over the African world. At a time when other Nigerians were ghting for supremacy and independence from the West, Papa is satis ed to accept whiteness as superior, even in matters as supposedly universal as religion
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? I lay in bed after Mama left and let my mind rake through the past, through the years when Jaja and Mama and I spoke more with our spirits than with our lips. Until Nsukka. Nsukka started it all; Aunty Ifeoma's little garden next to the verandah of her at in Nsukka began to lift the silence. Jaja's de ance seemed to me now like Aunty Ifeoma's experimental purple hibiscus: rare, fragrant with the undertones of freedom, a different kind of freedom from the one the crowds waving green leaves chanted at Government Square after the coup. A freedom to be, to do.
kambili is the speaker. This shows the novel will be a flashback.The purple hibiscus, Kambili tells us, is free and "experimental"--a sure sign of its symbolic meaning. It's worth noting that although Kambili is seemingly under her father's thumb--living in his house, ex.--in her mind she's now free of his in uence. By the same token, the hibiscus seems to be powerless and domestic, when in reality it's secretly wild and free.
When Kambili hears Amaka weeping, Kambili thinks: "She had not learned the art of silent crying. She had not needed to" (185). What does this passage suggest about the differences between Amaka and Kambili? IN what other ways are Aunty Ifeoma's children different from Kambili and Jaja? How are Kambili and Jaja different from one another?
this suggests that AMaka had the freedom of expressing emotions and opinions while growing up, whereas Kambili and Jaja did not at all because if they did they may have gotten punished more. Aunty Ifeoma's children lived a far less structured life and were allowed to have fun and do things on their own and for the most part when they wanted. Kambili and Jaja could not. Jaja and Kambili are different in many ways. Jaja only wants to please his father out of fear. Kambili wants to because she loves him. Jaja quickly realizes that he needs to break away from his father when he goes to his aunt's house and is able to develop a great connection with others much easier.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? "They are always so quiet," he said, turning to Papa. "So quiet." "They are not like those loud children people are raising these days, with no home training and no fear of God," Papa said, and I was certain that it was pride that stretched Papa's lips and tightened his eyes. "Imagine what the Standard would be if we were all quiet."It was a joke. Ade Coker was laughing; so was his wife, Yewanda. But Papa did not laugh. Jaja and I turned and went back upstairs, silently.
Ade points out that papa's kids are very silent. Papa is very proud of his kids and he thinks that his violence is justified because they are well behaved. Ade points out that Papa is a political advocate who uses journalism and his voice (the Standard) to criticize the existing political leadership in Nigeria. And yet Papa tolerates no such criticism or debate at home. he is more interested in power and control than doing the right thing.
who said this quote? What is the significance? What is the context? "When the missionaries first came, they didn't think Igbo names were good enough. They insisted that people take English names to be baptized. Shouldn't we be moving ahead?" "It's different now, Amaka, don't make this what it's not," Father Amadi said calmly...
Amaka is speaking and is preparing for her confirmation. Adiche says that in the confirmation the priest gives an english name but Amaka argues that she should not have to take it.Amaka's argument reinforces the notion that a truly spiritual and political person sometimes must be a pluralist--i.e., must embrace many different cultures and ideologies. Amaka is willing to go through con rmation--a European transplant-- and yet she also wants to hang on to her Nigerian identity during the process.
Look at the passage on p.301, from Amaka's letter. What does this passage suggest about the essential difference between American and African culture?
Amaka says that in America everyone and everything in life is driven by the desire to obtain money and business success and not by family. She says that her family is no longer close like they were in African culture. They never see each other and never laugh.
