blog




  • Essay / To what extent religion is demonstrated throughout The Purple Hibiscus

    Chimamanda Adichie's novel, Purple Hibiscus is about the protagonist Kambili, her brother Jaja and their mother, Beatrice, subjected to a tumultuous environment at the house in the hands of the patriarch. – Eugene. He is a devout Catholic who rejects his father's traditional beliefs and pagan religion. Eugene – like many others in the past – only approves of Catholics and imposes Christian values ​​on his family members, oppressing them. Religion is a theme often used to oppress members of society, and this idea of ​​religion dictating Eugene's actions is prevalent throughout the novel. Oppression is justified throughout the novel by Eugene's hypocrisy, his desire for "perfection" from his children, and by his duplicity of censorship both at home and in his workplace. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original EssayReligious Values ​​as a Tool of Oppression in “Purple Hibiscus” Eugene is a successful businessman who does not encourage to speak Igbo (the mother tongue) in public. Kambili remarks: “we had to appear civilized in public…we had to speak English.” Eugene despises the language and is portrayed as an admirer of white colonialism. His sister, Aunt Ilfeoma, calls him "too much of a colonial product" because he was educated by Catholic missionaries and he belittles his pagan father because he is not Catholic. Eugene is known to the villagers of his hometown as generous and philanthropic. He helps the disabled and seems concerned for the well-being of his publisher's wife when she dies. However, he is unaware of his father's whereabouts and never visits him simply because he is not Catholic. He allows his children, rather reluctantly, to visit their grandfather for “fifteen minutes” without them being “allowed to touch or eat anything.” He convinces his children that their grandfather is a “heathen” and he burns Kambili – his daughter – with hot water for not telling him that she “shared the same room with their grandfather, a “ pagan.” He is told, “This is what you do to yourself when you enter into sin.” You burn your feet. Eugene continually hurts his children because they are not devout Catholics. At the beginning of the novel, Eugene throws his “heavy missal” at Jaja – his son – “across the room and smashes the figurines”. Readers immediately realize that religion plays a huge role throughout the story. He teaches Kambili that “heathens” are evil and very different from Catholics. However, she sees her grandfather praying for Eugene's prosperity and realizes that the only difference between Catholics and pagans is their means of worship. Papa-Nnukwu continually utters in his prayers: “Bless my son, Eugene. Let not the sun set on its prosperity. This observation shocks Kambili because Papa Nnukwu's religion seems to please him and give him a feeling of fulfillment, while Papa's religion seems stifling to him. However, Eugene still ignores his father – who takes care of him – and seems to prefer his late albino, English-speaking father-in-law. Additionally, Eugene tells his children that looking in the mirror is a sin. He is radical in his view of Christianity and believes above all in his religion. He expects everyone to comply equally. Eugene regularly finds fault with the pastors and priests of Sainte-Agnès, just as he does with his family. He finds Father Amadi – during his visit to their church – noisy and disapproves of his “singing in Igbo”. He refuses to consider Christianity as a religion..