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Essay / Purple Hibiscus: Theme of domestic violence against women
Table of contentsIntroductionDomestic violence in Purple HibiscusImpact of violence on the Achike familySexism and mistreatment in Purple HibiscusConclusionWorks citedIntroductionPurple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a novel that takes place in the 1960s in Enugu, which is a city in postcolonial Nigeria. The story revolves around Jaja and Kambili. The novel is about how Kambili endures an abusive father and begins to find herself in the political instability of the 1990s. Respectable Nigerian author Chinua Achebe was one of Adichie's biggest motivations and impacts in writing this novel, and when she was a young girl, Adichie's family even lived in Achebe's old house. The opening lines of Purple Hibiscus refer to Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart. This essay will describe how themes such as domestic violence, family, and religion affect the notion of maturity in Purple Hibiscus and give a deeper and more meaningful meaning to the novel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayDomestic Violence in Purple HibiscusAccording to the United Nations, violence against women is any act that results in or is likely to result in result in physical, sexual harm or mental harm or suffering inflicted on women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether in public or private life… (Article 1). Domestic violence therefore occurs when one partner intentionally causes physical or mental harm to the other spouse or other family members. In Purple Hibiscus, Eugene Achike, a well-known and respected man is revealed to be an extremely violent man in his home, extremely controlling and inflicting pain on his wife Beatrice, his children, his sister and his father, both physically and mentally. Every family is different from each other, and this is evident in Purple Hibiscus – Ifeoma and her children are a close-knit family, filled with warmth, love and laughter towards each other, and on the other hand, some families are tightly controlled. , formal, extremely materialistic but deficient in love, concern and care. The Achicke family falls into the second category. Eugene Achicke and Beatrice have two children named Jaja and Kambili. They are a typical nuclear family. The extended family consists of Ifeoma, also known as Eugene's sister and her children, as well as Papa-Nnukwu, known as Eugene's father. Sissi, the housekeeper, and Kevin, the driver and farmer, were integrated into the family based on their work ideals. Through this family, Adichie depicts family life in a customary African family with domestic violence and abuse as its foundation. Impact of violence on the Achike family On numerous occasions, Papa beats Beatrice, Jaja and Kambili. Each time, he is instigated by an activity that he considers unethical. At one point, when Mom didn't want to visit Father Benedict with him because she was sick, Dad beats her and she gives birth prematurely. Another example is when Kambili and Jaja share a house with a "heathen" in Nnsuka, boiling water is poured on her feet since she admitted that she entered directly through sin. On another occasion, Kambili is severely kicked and beaten for possessing Papa Nnukwu's artwork until she is hospitalized. The painting represents her last link with the missing past, which she was only just beginning to discover. It was only linked to history andthe culture his father had allowed him to see, it was the newly colonized land of the nation of Nigeria. His father shaped his entire vision; However, as Kambili enters adolescence and womanhood, she begins to shape her own identity based on the information and experiences she has had. She began to explore the history that shaped her, but with the death of Papa Nnwuku, Kambili loses direct contact with that history and must now be reprimanded for its knowledge. “Get up!” » Papa said again. I still haven't moved. He started kicking me. The metal buckles on his slippers stung like giant mosquito bites. He spoke constantly, uncontrollably, in a mixture of Igbo and English, like chewy meat and thorny bones. Impiety. Pagan worship. Hell fire. The kicks increased in tempo and I thought of Amaka's music, her culturally conscious music that sometimes began with a calm saxophone and then transformed into vigorous singing. I wrapped myself tighter around myself, around the pieces of the painting; they were soft, feathery. They still had the metallic smell of Amaka's paint palette. The sting was now sharp, more like bites, as the metal landed on the open skin on my side, my back, my legs. Kick. Kick. Kick. Perhaps it was now a belt because the metal buckle seemed too heavy. Because I heard a swoosh in the air (211). This caused Kambili to be hospitalized. At the hospital, she starts taking tablets and injections while her father was near her saying “my precious daughter”. Nothing will happen to you. My precious daughter” (212). This suggests to the reader that he feels guilty for beating his daughter, but it is a form of parenting in Eugene's eyes, so his children will not do something unethical. Kambili was beaten and punished by her father just because she finds herself in tradition and modernity. Furthermore, Eugene legitimizes the beatings he inflicts on his family, claiming that it is for their benefit. The blows silenced her children. Both Kambili and Jaja are astute throughout their years and are not allowed to have their own beliefs and opinions when they reach adulthood, their father plans everything for them as shown by the schedules that their father made for them. When Ade Coker jokes that his children are excessively quiet, Dad doesn't laugh. They fear God. In reality, Kambili and Jaja are afraid of their father. Beating them has the opposite effect. They choose the right path because they fear the repercussions. They have no incentive to develop and succeed, which risks being undermined by disappointment if they don't. This primarily affects Jaja, who is embarrassed to be in many ways behind Obiora, both in knowledge and in protecting his family. He ends up comparing religion with discipline and rejects its trust. Sexism and Abuse in Purple Hibiscus There is a hidden sexism at work in the abuse. When Mom reveals to Kambili that she is pregnant, she shares that she gave birth prematurely several times after Kambili was conceived. She tells Kambili: “You know, after your arrival and my miscarriages, the villagers started whispering. Members of our Ummunna even sent people to encourage your father to have children with someone else” (20). Throughout the novel, Kambili's mother loses two pregnancies because of her husband, Eugene. These beatings may also have resulted in various unsuccessful jobs. When she miscarries, Kambili feels traumatized because she, 1993.