Purple Hibiscus by Adichie is a captivating novel that tells the story of a young Nigerian girl named Kambili, who seeks freedom from the oppressive environment in which she grew up. In the book, Adichie uses a variety of symbols to convey her message, including nature and pathetic fallacies. By examining the symbolism of the book, readers can gain a deeper understanding of the story and character growth. This essay will explore the use of symbolism, particularly the purple hibiscus, in the novel to analyze its meaning and impact on the story. Therefore, this will be an essay on the symbolism of purple hibiscus. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay Many times in the novel, red and purple hibiscus play an important role in the eyes of Kambili and Jaja, but also in the novel as a whole. Purple flowers have been described as “rare, fragrant with shades of freedom” (16), which also conveys their importance and uniqueness. Before “things started to fall apart,” the hibiscus were still a bright red color, a sign that they had not yet fully blossomed and freedom had not yet come to the family. Red, a color symbolizing anger and violence, haunts Kambili throughout her childhood as she must clean up her mother's blood after an episode of violence. Kambili cannot concentrate after a long period of time and can only read with "the black letters blurred, the letters swimming into each other, then changed to bright red, the red of fresh blood." As for the red hibiscus, they symbolize the oppression of the family, since the only way for Dad to maintain control over his wife and children is through his violence. The children only see the purple hibiscus when they visit Aunt Ifeoma in Nsukka, and they are surprised because “[they] didn't know there were [any]” (128). Kambili and Jaja not only discovered a new flower when they arrived in Nsukka, but they also discovered what true freedom is. Seeing how Aunt Ifeoma lives with Amaka and Obiora, Jaja and Kambili notice that their lives are strict and controlled unlike that of their cousins, who have the freedom to do whatever they want. For Jaja, purple hibiscus symbolize the hope that something new can exist, like a new life without Dad's rules. He takes a stalk of flowers with him and plants them in the garden in the hope that freedom will soon return. Adichie foreshadows Jaja's rebellious decisions from the moment he notices the rare flowers refusing him to go to communion, leading Papa to throw a "missal across the room" (3). From then on, the flowers “began to sprout dormant buds,” although most were “still red” (9). As the purple hibiscus begin to bloom, Jaja's rebellion toward Papa also grows, revealing how the flowers symbolize Jaja's growth as a character. Throughout the novel, Kambili's attitude toward nature changes as she grows, but it also reflects her inner turmoil and joy. During a stay in Nsukka, Kambili discovers an earthworm "crawling in the bathtub". Before taking her bath, she picked it up and “threw it down the toilet” (233) without flushing, even though she knew Obiora was fascinated by worms. Instead of dealing with the crawling insect, she decides to remove it. The earthworm symbolizes Kambili's mood, in this case her disorder, and demonstrates how)