Symbolism In Purple Hibiscus

In Purple Hibiscus, Kambili suffers from her father’s abuse and his lack of appreciation for his origins like his father and Igbo culture/religion. Papa abhors anything related to the Igbo culture because he believes the Igbo are heathens. He tries to be a “pure” Catholic, but this causes him to stray from where he wants to go because he obsesses over the idea of being an extremely devout Catholic, and his children suffer the worst from his fixations. Aunty Ifeoma, however, is also Catholic, but she still has the respect for her culture and background, which she passes on to her children. Because Kambili and Jaja are maltreated at home from their devout father, they start to crave freedom and knowledge of their culture when they’re exposed

This statement divides her mother and Mama Joe’s methods of plaiting hair (most likely because of different cultural environments/atmospheres), and Papa’s household and the Igbo community. The cultural difference in these distinct places is apparent. Hair symbolizes different cultures and sometimes religion. The cornrows in this scene are only specific to the Igbo. At the same time, Papa tries to eliminate all signs of Igbo culture in his life. Mama not plaiting Kambili’s hair the same as Mama Joe could represent how Kambili isn’t free to explore more about her culture and how different her life is from ordinary Igbo life. Another important part in this scene is the “enterprising snail” that repeatedly attempts and fails to crawl out of its cage, similar to how Kambili strives to achieve freedom and independence from her father’s handcuffs. Kambili identifies with the snail when she expresses her thoughts: “I wondered if it was the same snail, crawling out, being thrown back in, and then crawling out again. Determined. I wanted to buy the whole basket and set that one snail free” (Adichie 238). She admires the snail’s efforts and wishes she could be the one to set it

After Okonkwo and his tribe are exposed to a new religion, some start to question their beliefs and even convert. Okonkwo, however, isn’t willing to let go of his beliefs and realizes that he would rather die for his religion than coexist with Christians in the new era of Christianity. In contrast, Kambili craves exposure to her culture and new perspectives on her religion, Catholicism. In both cases, they discover something different about themselves. The locusts, cornrows, and snail all represent new concepts or ideas. Because Okonkwo and his peers belittle and reject the Christians by not letting them “perch on the same branch,” Okonkwo and people who feel the same way as him suffer. Their unwillingness to compromise ultimately leads to Igbo culture and religion’s demise. Unlike Eugene, Kambili learns to accept her roots, the Igbo side of her, which is represented by her cornrows, and as a “snail,” she manages to gradually break free of her shell and live independently. The themes Things Fall Apart and Purple Hibiscus present may seem unrelated to each other, but they in fact complement each other. The contrast between what happens when culture/religion is scorned and what happens when culture/religion is respected is displayed in both novel’s themes. Rejection of culture or religion may cause one to accept oneself (fabricated or actually), and acceptance may force one to acknowledge his or her true