Purple Hibiscus Essay

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Within the books Purple HIbiscus and I, Tituba, there are two strong-minded female characters that stick out. Purple Hibiscus is narrated by a little girl, Kambili, who is faced with the consequences of the African colonization. Her father, Eugene, believes that it is his job to ensure his family's descend into heaven after they die which entail physical abuse for his wife and children when they commit a sin. The wife of Eugene, Beatrice, sees the good in her husband and makes the hard decision to stay with him despite the abuse. Beatrice eventually poisons her husband to remove the misery that her, her children and husband face due to Eugene's strong belief in the catholic religion. I, Tituba is about a black woman's life during the days of the slavery and the Salem witch trials. Tituba, the book’s main character, was a product of her mother being raped by a white man while on a slave ship. Tituba witnessed her mother being hung for defending herself at a very young age and is raised by Mama Yaya. Mama Yaya is a healer and has the powers to speak to the dead. She teaches Tituba most of the tricks of her trade before she dies, which allows Tituba to carry on her legacy using her powers for good. A few years after …show more content…
We learn from reading these books that Beatrice and Tituba are strong-willed women. This is shown repeatedly by how they react to their negative environments despite being oppressed because of their gender and race along with not being able to live out their specific spiritual dimensions in life. Both of these women find solidarity with the people around them and Tituba also finds solidarity within nature to help them get through the trials and tribulations they face almost daily. From reading this book, it becomes clear the even the strongest of people need someone to be there for them whether they bring comfort, advice, or even a small glimmer of

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