Purple Hibiscus
Another huge theme in this book is silence. Silence is the blanket that covers the family. The silence of the abuse, mentally and physically. Papa is the dominant in the household and he views everyone else as below him. Even at confession Kambili didn’t want to confess everything. The more I read this book I question it more and more, I’ve never read a book that had so many problems all at once. The one I feel most bad for is Kambili because he looks up to her father and her father is the one ripping the family apart, but keeping it around for show so he doesn’t seem like he’s breaking his wedding vows. Everything just seems like an act, like he’s putting on a show for his reputation. And what kind of man avoids his family, but pulls them close when he needs them? The psychological factors that he’s doing to his family is horrible. A catholic man is moral and is always giving. The only thing he gives is a belt to his family when they do something he doesn’t like. I think the book draws me in more because I want to see him fall in the end and see his family finally stand up to him. I understand everyone is stereotyped by gender, but everyone is expected to be respectful, not powerful. Papa’s sister was raised the same way he was, but she turned out to be a wonderful individual who puts her family first and loves him. There’s two worlds split between Papa and Aunt Ifeoma.
