Overview of Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie

Throughout the centuries, the roles of Nigerian women have continuously evolved. During the pre- colonial era, women in Nigerian tribes were not only child bearers and wives, but also free adults. They played critical roles in food preparation, weaving, pottery, and the economy. However, the impact of British rule in Nigeria made a significant shift from the pre-colonial to the post- colonial era. The influence of the Catholic Church, Western style education, patriarchal government and modern ways of making money took a major toll in a woman’s role in society. In Chimamanda Adichie’s novel, Purple Hibiscus, Mama Beatrice and Aunty Ifeoma are dynamic female foils who represent opposite sides of spectrum in post- colonial feminism. Mama epitomizes the product of colonialism, while Aunty Ifeoma challenges the British influence and growing power of men.

The prior history of Nigeria before the 1900’s is critical in exploring the effects of colonialism. During the pre-colonial era, Nigeria was mainly divided into three tribes: Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa Fulani. A female’s role differed according to kinship structure of the tribe and the status of the woman in the economy. Neither new nor peculiar, women have long been regarded as the “subordinate” class in Nigerian culture. Nigerian women were able to achieve high statuses by lineage or marrying into ruling class families. Under customary laws, a woman’s purpose was to be fertile and able to bear children. Tribes expected their women to marry into Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa Fulani patri-lineage and bear sons to guarantee the future of the tribe. A wife’s position improved as she gave birth to more children and gain approval from elder members. Women who could not were scorned just as Mama wa...

... middle of paper ...

...ly able to break free from the oppressive atmosphere Papa created.

Mama Beatrice and Aunty Ifeoma represent different women in post-colonial Nigerian society. Nevertheless, they both show the empowerment and subjugation in the domestic position they serve. From the time Nigerian women had an equal purpose in their tribe as men in pre- colonial Nigeria to the after math of colonialism in 1960, it is clear that colonialism disrupted the traditional system of indigenous Nigerian societies. Nigeria’s women have continuously evolved, but their persistent spirit they always possessed never changed.

Works Cited

Adichie, Chimamanda. Purple Hibiscus. New York: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2003.

Chuku, Gloria. Igbo women and Economic Southeastern Nigeria, 1900-1960. New York: Routledge, 2005.

Geary, William. Nigeria Under British Rule (1927). New York: Routledge, 2013.