Purple Hibiscus Father

When considering great works of literature, it becomes clear that conflicts within them are endless. More specifically, a conflict between a parent and their family members helps to contribute to the meaning of the work. In Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus, Papa Eugene, the father of Jaja and Kambili, is the source of these many conflicts between himself and his children. The relationship, or lack thereof, between Jaja and his father Eugene Is on the verge of falling apart. Jaja and Kambili’s bitterness sprouts from the physical abuse they receive from their father. The conflicts created as a result of Jaja and Kambili’s connection with their father shape their views and ideals as they grow older. Father Eugene, a devout Catholic and successful man, chooses to follow the views of Catholicism and resent the traditional Igbo religion. Because of this, it becomes clear that his relationship with his father, a heathen, does not exist. Because of …show more content…
Although most people tend to resent or even hate their abuser, Kambili has an abiding love for her father. She has been manipulated into believing that she deserves these beatings because she is full of sins. Even after father Eugene beat her with a belt as a result of eating too close to mass, Kambili is filled with guilt and sorrow for her sin. However, Kambili does not feel this way toward her father forever. When visiting her aunt and cousins in Nsukka, she begins to see how a normal, functional family gets along. They do not live in fear of each other. As a result of all the physical abuse she has receive, Kambili often finds herself mute. When having the desire to talk and laugh with the other girls her age, the timid spirit that has been beaten into her wins over, and she decides to hide. It is not until after she has been beaten into the hospital that Kambili truly begins to resent her