Purple Hibiscus Flashcards
“One ____. The tea ________________, always ______________________”
“One sip. The tea was always too hot, always burned my tongue”
Adichie demonstrates Eugene as an abusive patriarch. Eugene imposes power on his children through displaying that his love towards them is conditional → only gave them “one sip” (as Jaja is not given a sip of the tea as he refused communion)
The use of the adverb “always” displays the constant abuse the children are faced with and how the are powerless, as it is continuous
Structure
Flashback - Adichie uses flashback in her novel to outline the progression of character. Through the use of flashback, readers can see how Jaja is rebelling in the beginning, and are given context to see what led him to these actions. The use of flashback also helps the readers to understand Kambili’s actions in the present.
“I meant to say_____________________, but the words that came out were _________________________”
“I meant to say I am sorry Papa broke your figurines, but the words that came out were “Im sorry your figurines broke, Mama”
Verb choice - the verb ‘broke’ signifies both the breaking of the figurines and the breaking of the silence in the household.
Symbolism - the figurines are a symbol of domestic abuse. Each time Mama gets abused, she ritualistically washes the figurines one by one, almost washing away the sins of the abuse. When the figurines finally break, the traditions of cleaning them to stay silent ends with it.
“Things _____________________”
“Things started to fall apart when”
In media res - the novel begins directly in the climatic moment where Papa is first challenged. The use of this structural feature places characters directly into Kambili’s point of view where she begins to see her world fall apart.
Intertextual reference - the immediate reference to ‘Things fall apart’ another key literary text from Nigeria. this foreshadows the major themes such as colonialism and religion as well as Eugene’s death.
“Let God _____________, not _______”
“Let God do the judging, not Eugene”
The Greek tragic hero: Eugene has characteristics of Hubris where his fatal flaw is his belief that he must control and punish others for their sins and essential “do God’s job”. This eventually leads Beatrice to murder him.
“Flung _________________________”
“Flung his heavy missile across the room”
Verb choices: the verb “flung” has connotations of violence and thus foreshadows the violent events later on in the novel and their relation/connection to religion and colonialism.
The symbol of the purple hibiscus:
“when all the hibiscuses in our front yard were a startling red”
→ connotations of blood and danger
→ symbolises her father
“Aunty Ifeoma’s experimental purple hibiscus: rare, fragrant with the undertones of freedom”
Quote for the purple hibiscus (flower)
“Aunty Ifeoma’s _______________________: rare, fragrant__________________________”
“Aunty Ifeoma’s experimental purple hibiscus: rare, fragrant with the undertones of freedom”
“Mama was ______________ like the jute _____________________workers bought in bulk”
“Mama was slung over his shoulder like the jute sacks of rice his factory workers bought in bulk”
–> Simile, comparing her mom to a sack of rice
–> connotations of lifelessness
“A woman _______________________, what is that?”
“A woman with children and no husband, what is that?”
–> rhetorical question
–> implicates that a woman is worthless without a husband
Jaja takes responsibility for the murder on Eugene
Does he do this because he is the head of the house and feels the responsibility? Does he do this to protect his mother from judgement and isolation in the community.
–> Uses the stereotype of male violence and strength to suggest that Jaja as the murderer is more likely.
Remember key (mats)
Things started
Flung
I meant to say
Let god
One sip
Aunty Ifeoma’s
Mama was
A woman
+ Jaja responsibility
+ Flashback structure
“Jaja ___________”
“Jaja scrubbed while i wiped”
“I imagined the door was getting stuck and papa was trying to open it”
“Backyard snob”
