32nd Annual Student Research Conference
Voice and Identity: Captives of Colonialism in Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus
Satiah R. Duval
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
In the novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie, fifteen year old Kambili narrates the process of the disintegration of her family. Her father, Papa-Eugene, who has fully immersed himself and their family into the Catholic faith, is comparable to a dictator. In order to keep his family on the path of God, Papa controls every aspect of his family's daily routines. This authoritarian type rule that Papa enacts in their home makes it difficult for Kambili to form her own identity and find her voice. However, when Kambili spends time away from her father, she slowly begins to form her true identity and gains confidence in the power of using her voice. But it isn’t until Papa dies that she is truly liberated from his tyrannical rule.
Keywords: Adichie, Catholic, God, Dictator, Identity, Voice, Tyrannical
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 305-4
Location: BH 241
Time: 2:15