Citation: Augustine, Obiajulu EZIECHINE, PhD (2024). Religious Fanaticism and Patriarchal Structure in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. Yobe Journal of Language, Literature and Culture (YOJOLLAC), Vol. 12, Number 1. Department of African Languages and Linguistics, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Nigeria. ISSN 2449-0660
RELIGIOUS FANATICISM
AND PATRIARCHAL STRUCTURE IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS
By
Augustine, Obiajulu EZIECHINE, PhD
Abstract
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus,
is a profound exlploration of family dynamics, religious and political unrest
in Nigeria. The novel explores the damaging effects of colonialism, religious
fanaticism, and patriarchal structures on individuals and their relationships.
This paper argues that religious fanaticism and patriarchal structures are
colonial legacies which have left deep and lasting impacts on societies,
embedding systems of marginalisation.
The theory that foregrounds this discourse is the theory of
post-colonial marginality, which explores how colonial histories and their
legacies continue to shape the experiences of marginalized groups. A critical
analysis of the text based on post-colonial theory, reveals that religious
fanaticism and patriarchal structures are intertwined, with each reinforcing
the other to create a toxic environment for the Achike family. The paper offers
a balanced critique of these interlocking systems of oppression exploring their
impact on individuals’ lives and suggesting the possibility of resistance and
transformation through characters who question and ultimately reject these
systems.
Keywords: Religion, Colonialism, Patriarchal Structures,
Fanaticism, Exploration, Unrest, Fanaticism.
Introduction
Adichie’s
Purple Hibiscus (2006), is a literary
exploration of the effects of religious fanaticism and patriarchal structures
in the lives of individuals and families. Fanaticism is a colonial legacy which
manifests in the imposition of Western religious and cultural values on African
societies. Patriarchy is also a Western ideology, which emphasizes male
importance, dominance and superiority, while giving the female a secondary
position (Asen, 2006, p. 170). Patriarchy could also be defined as a system of social
structure and practices, in which men often dominate, oppress and exploit women
(Walby, cited in Okwori and Akpa, 2022, p. 131). Patriarchy is usually built on
a hierarchical structure of power relations which favours and places men at
advantage and leaves the women at a disadvantage (Okwori and Akpa, 2022, p.
131).
Purple Hibiscus is set in
postcolonial Nigeria, a country that is beset by political instability and
economic holocaust. Kambili Achike is the heroine of the novel and also the
narrator of the story. She is a young woman of fifteen and the daughter of
Eugene Achike, a wealthy and devoted catholic. Eugene is both a religious
zealot and a violent disciplinarian, who subjects his wife Beatrice, Kambili
and her brother Jaja to incessant battering and psychological torture. Beatrice
and her children live under perpetual fear because of the tyrannical
dispositions of Eugene, the Head of the home.
Kambili
and her brother’s visit to the home of their father’s sister, Aunty Ifeoma and
her three children at Nsukka offers a remarkable contrast between the present
and previous experiences of Kambili and her brother. They observe that their
father’s sister who is also a catholic practices a completely different form of
Catholicism which is liberal and allows its adherents to speak their minds. In
this peaceful and healthy environment, Kambili and her brother become bold and
able to voice out their opinions. While at Aunty Ifeoma’s house, Kambili falls
in love with Father Amadi and this awakens her sense of sexuality. Kambili and
her brother return from their visit to meet worse situation of their father’s
oppression and cruelty. Beatrice experiences all manner of assault in the hands
of her husband and bears it in silence because of her love for her family. But
the husband continues his physical and verbal abuse on her and her children.
Tired of bearing Eugene’s continual violence against her and her children,
Beatrice poisons him and Jaja accepts responsibility for the crime and goes to
prison.
Theoretical
Framework
This
discourse, is premised on the theory of post-colonial approaches to
marginality. Post-colonial theory of marginality, focus on understanding and
addressing the lingering effects of colonialism on marginalised groups,
especially those in formerly colonised societies. It critiques the power
structures, discourses, and material conditions that continue to shape the
experiences of marginalised peoples in post-colonial societies. Post-colonial
theory itself is rooted in analyzing the power dynamics, cultural domination,
and political subjugation that arose from colonialism and imperialism. It
critiques the ways in which colonialism has entrenched systems of
marginalisation and the ways in which these systems continue to oppress
individuals and communities even after the formal end of colonial rule. This
theoretical framework combines insights from a variety of disciplines including
history, sociology, literature, political theory and economics, and focuses on
how colonial systems of domination have been maintained, adapted or resisted in
the post-colonial era.
Religious Fanaticism in Purple Hibiscus
Purple Hibiscus presents the
experiences of Beatrice and her children under the heavy hands of her husband,
Eugene, who is portrayed as an ultra conservative Catholic husband, and an
intransigent, self-absorbed father, (Abhulimen & Uadiale, 2010, p. 101).
Udumukwu(2011, p. 192), describes Eugene as a zealous fanatical Catholic and
entrepreneur. Through his intransigent stance on the backwardness of
traditional religion and ways of life, and his insistence on strict,
near-unimaginable Christian practices, Eugene has become an epitome of the
colonial past as he replicates the colonialists’ desire to project their
culture as being superior to African culture.
The
character of Papa (Eugene) embodies religious fanaticism. He is depicted as a
devout Catholic who imposes strict religious rules and practices on his family.
His fanaticism is portrayed through his abusive enforcement of religious
ideals, which he believes are absolute. This includes regular and compulsory
schedules for prayer, and complete intolerance for any religious practices
outside his Catholic beliefs, clearly demonstrated in his disdain for his
father’s traditional beliefs. Eugene’s fanaticism is destructive. It isolates
members of his family from the broader society and from each other. He creates
a climate of fear and repression in the home, and this leads to physical and
psychological violence.
Our first encounter with Eugene is on the very
first page of the novel, where he reacts violently against his son’s refusal to
go for communion. As the narrator reveals, “ Things started to fall apart at
home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion and Papa flung his heavy
missal across the room and broke the figurines on the etagere”(11). Beatrice
suffers physical battering in the hands of Eugene but she bears the agony alone
in silence without disclosing her bitter experience to anyone. In one of the
incidents of his brutality, Eugene takes his family members to visit Father
Benedict, their parish priest, after a Sunday Mass. Beatrice who has been
feeling dizzy and nausea expresses her desire to stay in the car because of her
condition, while the other members of the family go to see the priest. Eugene
sees Beatrice’s initial intention as an affront to his authority and frowns at
it. Beatrice decides to follow them when she notices the sudden change in her
husband’s countenance, but she is later given a brutal beating at home by her
husband for what he considers as an initial act of disobedience. Beatrice
suffers miscarriage as a result of the beating she received from her husband.
On another occasion, Eugene flogs her with a belt for watching Kambili
“desecrate the Eucharistic fast” (p. 110). Kambili has actually broken her fast
by eating cornflakes to enable her take a pain relieving drug to ease her
menstrual pain. Eugene condemns the act as he believes that the Eucharist law
must not be broken for any reason.
Kambili
and her brother, Jaja also suffer physical abuse from their father who subject
them to incessant violent attacks making the children to live in constant fear
of their father’s molestation. Although Eugene professes his love for his
children by providing all their needs, the inhuman treatment he metes out to
them at the slightest provocation, far surpasses the love he claims he has for
them. For instance, when Eugene discovers that Kambili and Jaja stayed in the
same house with his heathen father, Pa Nnukwu during their visit to Aunty
Ifeoma’s house, he subjects them to a severe punishment by scalding their feet
with hot water. He tells Kambili:
Kambili,
you are precious... You should strive for perfection. You should not see
sin and walk right into it. (p. 201).
Staying
with Pa Nnukwu in Eugene’s opinion is tantamount to willful sin which must
attract severe punishment that leaves the children in great pains and
agony. According to him, “That is what
you do to yourself when you walk into sin. You burn your feet” (p. 201).
Another
instance of Eugene’s brutality against his family members is found in the
episode where he beats Kambili to a state of unconsciousness for bringing the
painting of Pa Nnukwu to their house and trying to protect it from destruction.
Pa Nnukwu’s painting was given to Kambili as a parting gift by Amaka, Aunty
Ifeoma’s daughter, while leaving for Enugu after their visit. Eugene, who could
not bear the sight of the painting of his heathen father, Pa Nnukwu, in his
house, snatches it from Jaja and destroys it. Kambilili “shrieked and dashed to
the pieces on the floor as if to save them” (p. 216). Eugene begins to scold
her:
What
has gone into you? What is wrong with you?
...Get
up! Get away from that painting! Get up! (p. 216).
Kambili
refuses to move this time around having received a re-awakening baptism from
their Nsukka trip. As usual, Eugene started to kick her. The narrator paints a
picture of the raw encounter thus:
The
metal buckles on his slippers stung like bites from giant mosquitoes. He talked
nonstop, out of control, in a mix of Igbo and English...Godlessness. Heathen
worship. Hell fire. The kicking increased in tempo...The stinging was raw now,
even more like bites, because the metal landed on open skin by my side, my
back, my legs. Kicking. Kicking. Kicking. Perhaps it was a belt now because the
metal buckle seemed too heavy...More stings. More slaps. A salty wetness warmed
my mouth. I closed my eyes and slipped away into quiet (pp.216-217).
Kambili
remains unconscious for days and is hospitalised as a result of this barbaric
attack from her father who cannot bear the sight of any heathen object in his
home, not even the painting of his father. Again, when Jaja missed two
questions on his catechism test and is unable to come first in his first Holy
Communion class, Eugene takes him upstairs and cut off his left finger
Patriarchal Structures
Patriarchal
structures are evident in Adichie’s Purple
Hibiscus. In the novel, Eugene Achike is portrayed as a religious
authoritarian and a patriarch who demands absolute obedience and control over
all aspects of his family’s life . Eugene’s authority is unquestioned,
reflecting societal norms that value male dominance and control. This control extends beyond religion to
include economic power and social interactions. This patriarchal system
underpins the abuse and control Eugene exerts over his wife and children. This
patriarchal system operates in most societies, where men are expected to be
dominant and women ‘subservient’. Beatrice and her children are victims of this
patriarchal system which limits their voices and power within the family.
However, Adichie also introduces characters such as Aunty Ifeoma, who
challenges these norms. As a single
mother and an academic, Aunty Ifeoma embodies independence and defiance to
patriarchal and religious oppression.
The
patriarchal nature of Eugene’s authority
is evident in the way he treats his wife , Beatrice, and his daughter, showing
a clear gender bias that favours the male over the female independence and
agency. Women in the novel are expected to be subservient and obedient,
reflecting broader societal norms that are themselves reinforced by religious
doctrine. Beatrice’s suffering under Eugene’s hands, coupled with her lack of
power to change her situation, underscores the toxic combination of religious
extremism and patriarchal dominance. Interestingly, the novel also presents
alternative religious views through the character of Father Amadi, who
represents a more compassionate and understanding version of Christianity. His
influence on Kambili and her brother offers them a glimpse of how religion can
support rather than suppress individual freedom.
Adichie’s
nuanced portrayal of religion suggests that while it can be manipulated to
uphold patriarchy, it also holds the potential for liberation when approached
with openness and compassion, as seen in the contrasting figure of Aunty
Ifeoma. Through Kambili’s eyes, readers experience the devastating impact of
combining religious fanaticism, yet they are also offered hope through her
gradual realization of her own voice and power outside these oppressive
structures.
Kambili’s
transformation over the course of the novel inspired by her exposures to
alternative religious and lifestyle models during her stay with Aunty Ifeoma
highlights both the oppressive and potentially liberating aspects of how
religion and patriarchal structures shape individual’s lives. In contrast to
her father’s oppressive use of religion, Ifeoma and her family practise a form
of Catholicism that is inclusive, compassionate, and liberating.
Liberation Option
Adichie
has explored the consequences of gender oppression in Purple Hibiscus. In the novel, Beatrice’ act of poisoning Eugene
can be seen as a desperate act of rebellion against her oppressive
circumstances. She considers this action as a means of liberating herself from
the destructive hands of her husband. Beatrice sees her desperate and extreme
actions as better options than the oppression she has to endure from her
husband (Fwangyil, 2011, p.273). However, it must be noted that her action
finally precipitated serious consequences on her family and the society at
large. Although Beatrice is not imprisoned as Jaja willfully takes the blame
for her actions, she suffers the trauma of seeing her son go to prison because
of her action. At an adolescent age, Jaja suffers in prison amidst hardened
criminals. Beatrice suffers depression while Kambili shoulders the
responsibility of her family at a very tender age. These experiences highlight
the extreme measures to which women might resort to find liberation from
patriarchal control.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, Adichie has masterfully crafted the interplay between religious
fanaticism and patriarchal structures to show how both phenomena are
intersected, with each reinforcing the other to create a toxic environment for
the Achike family. Eugene’s religious beliefs bolster his patriarchal
authority, granting him a divine right to control and punish. Simultaneously,
the patriarchal system supports his interpretation of religion as one that
places him at the head of the household, accountable to no one within his
domestic landscape. Purple Hibiscus offers
a critique of these interlinking oppressive systems, showing their impacts on
personal freedom and development. Through characters like Aunty Ifeoma and her
daughter, Amaka, Adichie presents alternative models of female independence and
strength, challenging traditional gender norms and suggesting the possibility
of a different and more equitable way of life.
References
Abhulimen,
O.&Uadiale, M. (2010). “Patriarchy and women Under- Representation in Nigeria: A Case
Study of Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of
Motherhood, and Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus As Lens into the experiences of Women.” Journal
of Sociology and Anthropology in Practice: Int’l Perspective, Vol. 2, Nos.
1-3, PP.96-107.
Adichie,
N. C. (2006). Purple Hibiscus. Lagos:
Kachifo Limited
Fwangyil,
G.A.(2011). “A Reformist Feminist Approach to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus’’. African Research Review,
An International Multi-Disciplinary Journal, Ethiopia Vol.5(3), No.20 p.261-274
Okwori,
J.Z. &Akpa, E.E. (2022).“Challenging Male- Centred Stereotypes: A Feminist
Literary Criticism of Salami- Agunloye’s More
Than Dancing.” I. Salami-Agunloye (Ed.) Retelling
History, Restaging African Women in Drama and Film. Ibadan: Kraft Books
Limited, pp. 130-140.
Udumuku,
O. (2007).“Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus
and Issues of Ideology in the Constitution of the Nigerian Novel.”
Port-Harcourt: University of Port-Harcourt Press, pp.184-204.
Walby, S. (1990).Theorizing Patriarchy .Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
0 Comments