Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

[EvoWarrior5]

Has anyone read her work?

I've read all three of her novels. Last year I read Purple Hibiscusand Americanah and wrote an essay about them, and I am currently writing my Bachelor's thesis on Half of a Yellow Sun. I'm also considering reading The Thing Around Your Neck, her short story collection. I think Adichie writes really well, she's got a good grasp on the main themes in her novels.

Any experiences with her? Thoughts?

[dark desire]

I read Purple Hibiscus some 4-5 years back. And that was before I entered my masters in Literature. Haven't got around to read any other of her novels. Her prose was gripping. The narratorial voice of a girl stepping into puberty was moving. I like women writers more than men writers. But I am not really aware of the politics of that region, so it was difficult to relate after a point. The themes of that novel did not really interest me. May be they did not go that deep? I cannot say. May be a girl at the step of puberty can only think this much. May be her father's oppression brought out a muffled voice. Either ways Purple Hibiscus was an enriching read. How have you found her other novels? Would you like to share thoughts on Purple Hibiscus?

[EvoWarrior5]

I actually thought that Purple Hibiscus carried its main themes forward very well. It was an eloquent exploration of postcolonial Nigeria, set in the late 90s I'm pretty sure. Eugene's anglophile attitudes and religious zeal are symbolic of colonial mimicry, and the novel shows the effects of this on his children very well. What I found most interesting is Eugene's patriarchal - almost bordering on colonial - rule over his family domain. The essay I wrote on the novel was about gender and voice, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how Kambili is rigidly oppressed under the traditional Christian gender roles her father enforces on her (not every Christian character in the novel is like this: father Amadi has a much friendlier, non-dictatorial Catholic vision). Interestingly, though, Kambili manages to come to her own and find the confidence to speak by the end of the novel. You may recall how Aunty Ifeoma (Eugene's sister; a strong, single mother) was much more tolerant. When Kambili and Jaja stay with her for a while, they are beyond their father's sphere of authority, and find in Ifeoma's words an alternative ideological vision. This new perspective helps them to make sense of the world, and they start defying their father afterwards.

I could go on further about Kambili's development, but I need not bore you with the details. One other thing that is interesting to note, though, is that in the garden of their father's house grow only red Hibiscuses. In Ifeoma's garden (or at least in the surrounding environment, can't recall exactly) grow purple ones. These can be seen as symbolic of the hybrid vision the children gain while staying at their aunt's house.

All in all an eloquent and successful novel. I'd recommend Americanah too. Its setting is very different, so while it shares some of the thematic concerns Purple Hibiscus had, it carries them into entirely new contexts. And of course it has its own themes as well.

[dark desire]

My lack of knowledge of the socio-political realities of Nigeria is perhaps why I could not relate to the novel that much. For me the novel takes place in an almost imagined space. If you know some article or something else that can shed light on the political climate and recent history of Nigeria it would be a great read along side Purple Hibiscus. Please tell if you know any. I also loved the evocative imagination of the two colours of Hibiscuses. Kaambili becomes a protagonist that the reader is left longing for more of. May be Adichie will revive her in a later work. We can certainly hope so!

[EvoWarrior5]

I looked through the articles I used for my essay and the best one I can find is this:

Peters, Audrey. "Issues of Personal and National Identity in Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus." The ALAN Review, Fall 2012.

I did a brief Google search too but they do not contain substantial historical context. If you want to read an article, I'd say this is the best one. It provides an analysis of Purple Hibiscus as an allegorical novel, where national politics are played out in the private domain. Of course, the novel presents us with scenarios which, when read allegorically, we know refer to a hopeful, future Nigeria rather than the Nigeria at the time the novel is set, or even Nigeria now.