Purple Hibiscus English Essay, Coming of Age
Analyze how a text you have studied explores an aspect of human experience.
In the novel, ‘Purple Hibiscus’, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explores an aspect of coming of age. The main character, Kambili Achike transforms from a sad child to a strong young woman as she fights her way to freedom from oppression. As she experiences new activities and events in her life, she grows and Adichie portrays this aspect of human experience through techniques such as internal monologue and first person narrative. With these techniques, the audience can see the transformations of Kambili from the start to the end of the book. By reading about a human experience of coming of age, the intended audience of adolescents and young adults can relate to Kambili. They experience very similar thoughts themselves and with the help of the techniques chosen by Adichie, the audience feels a connection between themselves and Kambili even if they are not in an abusive situation.
‘Purple Hibiscus’ begins with a narration of a silent Kambili with no independence or direct desire to think for herself. She prefers to share her thoughts and opinions through a verbal stream of consciousness. Her father being a strict authoritarian is the main contribution to Kambili’s frightened and quiet character. Adichie represents the silent and naïve image of Kambili through first person narrative and internal monologue. By expressing everything through internal monologue, Kambili became physically unable to speak without being commanded to. “I cleared my throat, willed the words to come. I knew them, thought them. But they would not come.” Internal monologue and first person narrative are also used by Adichie to convey Kambili’s new perspective on love as she matures and comes of age. The reader learns the only love that Kambili seems to know and experience is the tough love performed by her father. Usually, Kambili received the love with some sort of pain inflicting, leading to
In the novel, ‘Purple Hibiscus’, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explores an aspect of coming of age. The main character, Kambili Achike transforms from a sad child to a strong young woman as she fights her way to freedom from oppression. As she experiences new activities and events in her life, she grows and Adichie portrays this aspect of human experience through techniques such as internal monologue and first person narrative. With these techniques, the audience can see the transformations of Kambili from the start to the end of the book. By reading about a human experience of coming of age, the intended audience of adolescents and young adults can relate to Kambili. They experience very similar thoughts themselves and with the help of the techniques chosen by Adichie, the audience feels a connection between themselves and Kambili even if they are not in an abusive situation.
‘Purple Hibiscus’ begins with a narration of a silent Kambili with no independence or direct desire to think for herself. She prefers to share her thoughts and opinions through a verbal stream of consciousness. Her father being a strict authoritarian is the main contribution to Kambili’s frightened and quiet character. Adichie represents the silent and naïve image of Kambili through first person narrative and internal monologue. By expressing everything through internal monologue, Kambili became physically unable to speak without being commanded to. “I cleared my throat, willed the words to come. I knew them, thought them. But they would not come.” Internal monologue and first person narrative are also used by Adichie to convey Kambili’s new perspective on love as she matures and comes of age. The reader learns the only love that Kambili seems to know and experience is the tough love performed by her father. Usually, Kambili received the love with some sort of pain inflicting, leading to