All the texts are published in 2002/3. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, reflects on the effect of recent historical events and is set in a post-holocaust Germany, where second generation Germans have inherited the search for justice in a bid to overcome the guilt of the past. Meanwhile Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie, is a more contemporary response to a current situation and is set in 1990s Nigeria, where political democracy and justice have been disregarded in a bid to gain power. In Purple Hibiscus oppression is enforced by the narrator’s father whilst in The Reader it is the narrator’s lover, Hanna, who enforces this order, both situations arguably symbolize the oppression enforced by the political dictatorships in Nigeria and Nazi
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In Purple Hibiscus, the domestic household can be seen as microcosm of Nigeria’s government and the order placed upon the family is symbolic of the political order which has been forced upon the citizens of Nigeria. In this way, “Papa [who] liked order,” is representative of the Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha. The short punchy structure of: “Papa liked order,” reflects Papa’s own dictatorial personality but ironically Papa has strong political views and hypocritically denounces the governments behaviour: “what we need in Nigeria is more democracy, not less,” appearing oblivious to the oppressive regime he inflicts upon his own family. The critic Hewett similarly agrees that: “the irony of the story , of course, resides in Eugene’s oppression of his own family while he fights for political freedom” (Hewett, Coming of Age: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the Voice of the Third Generation ). Papa “a Big Man,” fights for democracy and critically states: “Nigeria will not totter like a Big Man with the spindly legs of a child.” This simile helps draw attention to the capitalised repetition of “Big Man,” highlights Papa’s hypocrisy in desiring to make a democratic Nigeria, while his own household is representative of a dictatorship. Meanwhile the subjectivity of Nigeria’s political system is shown via Obiora: “Morality, as well as the sense of taste, is relative.” Obiora is often a mouthpiece for democracy and in this way accentuates the extent to which Eugene’s actions are immoral, where under the eyes of a corrupt government, judgement is subjective, so Eugene will not be prosecuted because of his ‘glowing’
In Purple Hibiscus, the domestic household can be seen as microcosm of Nigeria’s government and the order placed upon the family is symbolic of the political order which has been forced upon the citizens of Nigeria. In this way, “Papa [who] liked order,” is representative of the Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha. The short punchy structure of: “Papa liked order,” reflects Papa’s own dictatorial personality but ironically Papa has strong political views and hypocritically denounces the governments behaviour: “what we need in Nigeria is more democracy, not less,” appearing oblivious to the oppressive regime he inflicts upon his own family. The critic Hewett similarly agrees that: “the irony of the story , of course, resides in Eugene’s oppression of his own family while he fights for political freedom” (Hewett, Coming of Age: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the Voice of the Third Generation ). Papa “a Big Man,” fights for democracy and critically states: “Nigeria will not totter like a Big Man with the spindly legs of a child.” This simile helps draw attention to the capitalised repetition of “Big Man,” highlights Papa’s hypocrisy in desiring to make a democratic Nigeria, while his own household is representative of a dictatorship. Meanwhile the subjectivity of Nigeria’s political system is shown via Obiora: “Morality, as well as the sense of taste, is relative.” Obiora is often a mouthpiece for democracy and in this way accentuates the extent to which Eugene’s actions are immoral, where under the eyes of a corrupt government, judgement is subjective, so Eugene will not be prosecuted because of his ‘glowing’