Change With Aunty Ifeoma

Before Kambili goes to stay with her Aunt in Nsukka, we see she has a tough time discovering herself and has a hard time even smiling due to the stronghold her father has on her. This is then reflected by the overwhelming color of the hibiscuses that Chimamanda Adichie describes to us. The first example we get of this is soon after her, Jaja, and their cousins attended the Aro festival with Aunty Ifeoma. They had just finished watching what Papa had called a “heathen festival” and had taken Papa-Nnukwu home for the evening. Later that night we find out that Kambili “dreamed that [she] was laughing, but it did not sound like [her] laughter, [she] was not sure what [her] laughter sounded like. It was… like Aunty Ifeoma” (Adichie 88). The reason …show more content…
The first change we see in Kambili was after Aunty Ifeoma had asked Kambili to help with the orah leaves. When Kambili responded by saying she didn’t know how to, Amaka remarked that it was because she was to rich to know how to do it. Then suddenly Kambili decided to reply to Amaka by stating “ ‘you don’t have to shout, Amaka,’ [she] said, finally, ‘I don’t know how to do the orah leaves, but you can show me’ ” (Adichie 170). What’s so compelling about this moment is that the old Kambili would have just taken the insult as she had done previously in the chapter. But now, not only is she speaking out, but she is speaking up for herself, which is something the “old” Kambili would 've never done. Later on we get another glance at what person Kambili is becoming when she hangs out with Father Amadi. Father Amadi invited Kambili to join him and the guys to play football. But Kambili, who’s still not as open yet, just watched him play with the other guys. After he was finished playing, he decided to drive Kambili back to Aunty Ifeoma’s but on the way home he tried to have a conversation with her. That’s when Father Amadi told Kambili she should’ve learned how to question things like Amaka does. Kambili then did something she’s never done before, “[she] laughed. It sounded strange, as if [she] were listening to the recorded laughter of a stranger being played back” (Adichie …show more content…
Along with this Adichie adds in the hibiscuses to symbolize that her life is crumbling apart. Right before Kambili and her brother left Nsukka to go home, Amaka gave her the unfinished painting of Papa-Nnukwu as a gift for Kambili and because Amaka knew how much Kambili treasured it. Then after a few days after they had arrived home, Jaja asked Kambili if he could see the painting, so Kambili gave it to him to look at. It was then they both knew and expected a severe punishment from Papa as he walked in on them admiring the painting of Papa-Nnukwu (the heathen), that’s when Kambili’s life took a turn for the worst. Papa looked at the two of them and asked, “ ‘What are you doing with that painting?’ … ‘It’s mine,’ [Kambili]said”. That’s when Papa snatched the painting from them and tore it into numerous little pieces. Since Kambili was so attached to that painting “[she] curled around [herself] tighter, around the pieces of the painting… [she] closed her eyes and slipped away into quiet” (Adichie 210-211). This was probably one the most horrific beatings Papa has bestowed on any one of the family members and almost cost Kambili her life. With this moment came a drastic change in her life, she would go to live with Aunty Ifeoma until the day that Papa passed away. While staying with Aunty Ifeoma though, she