Abuse In Chimamanda Adichie's Purple Hibiscus

Throughout the course of Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, we follow the completely different lives of Kambili and Amaka. Kambili grows up in an extremely wealthy and powerful family, but she is abused by her father. Then there is Amaka, who grows up under the wing of her empowering and loving mother, but her family is extremely poor. Amaka’s mother, Aunty Ifeoma, insists that Kambili and her brother visit her in Nsukka when she realizes the severity of Kambili’s abuse. When the two cousins come together under the same roof, they are able to see each other for who they really are, not who they are being raised by or what situation they are growing up in. Although the beginning of Kambili’s and Amaka’s relationship is strained, once Amaka figures out that Papa severely abuses Kambili, she becomes a more loving and understanding cousin/friend …show more content…
Jaja and Kambili are in Nsukka for a second time. They have been brought to Nsukka by Aunty Ifeoma after Kambili has just been severely abused by papa leaving her almost dead. The evening Kambili arrives in Nsukka her and Amaka are alone together. The two are talking and Amaka guesses that Papa is the one that abused her and that is the reason why she came back to Nsukka. Kambili confirms this to be true, but does not wait to see Amaka’s response, because she heads to the bathroom. A few nights later Amaka is talking to Kambili and describing the few times her mom has physically punished her; then Kambili describes, “Amaka took my hand in hers…. She did not speak but I felt as though we were thinking the same thing - how different it was for Jaja and me” (Adichie 246). The action of holding someone else’s hand is supposed to show love, and in this situation it shows love as well as sympathy. Making it obvious that Amaka has a new understanding of the unfortunate home life that Kambili