Theme Of Silence In Purple Hibiscus

“‘Is this how you wash plates in your house?’ she asked. ‘Or is plate washing not included in your fancy schedule?’ I stood there, staring at her, wishing Aunty Ifeoma where there to speak for me. Amaka glared at me for a moment longer and then walked away. She said nothing else to me until her friends came over that afternoon, when Aunty Ifeoma and Jaja were in the garden and the boys were playing football out front. ‘Kambili, these are my friends from school,’ she said, casually.” (Purple Hibiscus, 140-141)

In the novel, Purple Hibiscus, silence is a major theme. Kambili a fifteen year old girl is perceived as a shy girl who is trapped underneath all this silence. Throughout the story we see a series of events unfold, many which silence …show more content…
“‘Is this how you wash plates in your house?’ she asked. ‘Or is plate washing not included in your fancy schedule?’ I stood there, staring at her, wishing Aunty Ifeoma where there to speak for me.” (Purple Hibiscus, 140-141) Here we see a clear sign that Kambili does not know how to stand up for herself. Wishing that Aunty Ifeoma were here to stand up for her. Aunty Ifeoma family life is very different to Jaja and Kambili. It amazes Kambili how free they are in their own home. Amaka, Kambili’s cousin, is quite rude to Kambili in the beginning in this extract. Here we see a humble kambili who just sits back and keeps silent. Aunty Ifeoma is major influence in kambili’s life as she teaches her to stand up for herself. At this point in the novel we start to see a friendship start between Amaka and …show more content…
Kambili is a victim of abuse and this plays a huge role in her need to keep silent all the time. We see this through, “He picked up the missal and flung it across the room, toward Jaja. It missed Jaja completely, but hit the glass étagerè, which Mama polished often.” (Purple Hibiscus 7). The outburst from Eugene is a clear indication that he broke the figurines. However, we see an innocent Kambili as she will never say or think anything ill about her father. We see that she respects and looks up to him. The entire family is living in fear and has to hide it well through their silence. The whole family is suffocating slowly and silently under this abuse. Eugene is seen as two different people to the audience. On the other hand he is seen as a hero to the public but in his own home a monster with a need to control