Opobo

missionaries' because of the ridiculous idea that the main figures of Christianity are white and therefore holier. Papa's holy, God-like status in others' eyes prompts his sometimes extreme actions for him to fit their standards. After Papa's death Kambili reflects that she "had never considered the possibility that Papa would die, that Papa could die. He was different from . . . all the other people they had killed. He had seemed immortal" (287). Papa is unable to revive himself despite being a Christ figure, breaking his perfect image. In death he no longer must follow societal expectations, can garner sympathy, and has a sense of mortality, becoming free from religious constraints. But Jaja lives on with the legacy of his namesake. Jaja of Opobo "refused to let [the British] control all the trade.He did not sell his soul for a bit of gunpowder like the other kings did, so the British exiled him. . . . He never returned" (144). Jaja's namesake is a symbol of defiance from colonialism, who is able to reject this pattern of Faustian bargain unlike the rest who give in at the cost of their own culture. The current Jaja parallels this by going against the trend of strictly following a religion's traditions and can decide his own values admirably. However, ideal images can overshadow the individual especially when one has more power than the common person. People tend to place responsibility on people within positions of power instead of themselves. Communities particularly…

2. Colonialism & the Ekwunokwu [Ekumeku] War In the Nigerian geo-political experience, literature is replete with accounts of indigenous resistance to colonial incursion. Often cited are cases of the Caliphate, Ijebu, Ibadan, Benin Kingdom, Kings Jaja of Opobo and Nana of Itsekiri, but little is recorded of the Ekwunokwu [Ekumeku] War involving Anioma against the British colonialists. Following the Berlin Conference of 1885, the area that came to be known as ‘Nigeria’ came under British sphere…

Though chronologically happening in the middle of the plot, the opening line of Purple Hibiscus is “Things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion…” From this point on, Jaja takes a stand against his father’s power over him. In chapter nine, Jaja’s cousin, Obiora asks where his name comes from. Jaja reveals his real name is Chukwuka. Aunty Ifeoma tells the story of Jaja of Opobo, a king who refuses to sell his soul when the British take over Nigeria. Obiora…