32nd Annual Student Research Conference
From Silence to Voice: Kambili’s Coming-of-Age in Purple Hibiscus
Patrick M. Pardo♦
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
Chimamanda Adichie's novel Purple Hibiscus (2003) delineates the protagonist Kambili’s journey from silence to voice in a coming-of-age story. Set in the historical and poltical context of 1960s Nigeria, the novel depicts how living in a strict household under an autocratic father, silences her. This paper will analyze Kambilli’s transformation from a state of voicelessness to agency and an increased sense of self-identity. Kambili's development provides key insights into the understanding of what it means to reclaim a sense of self through a process of healing.
Keywords: Purple Hibiscus, Kambili, growth, postcolonial, Nigeria, Bildungsroman, liberation, evolution
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 206-1
Location: BH 251
Time: 10:15