The Feminist Awakening of a Silent Daughter in Chimamanda’s Purple Hibiscus

Chimamanda Adichie’s debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, offers a piercing exploration of patriarchy through the observant eyes of 15-year-old Kambili Achike. The novel sparks conversations about feminism, religious manipulation, and the oppressive system of Nigeria’s patriarchal society. The novel tells the story of Achike’s family and follows the narrative of sheltered Kambili and her brother, Jaja, who are controlled by their abusive religious fanatic father, Eugene Achike. The novel reveals how patriarchal oppression operates not only through violence but through subtle, psychological tactics that force women into complicity and silence.

It is often said that man will only accept things that reflect his true desires. This is vividly reflected in Eugene’s religious fanatic personality; he weaponised religion to justify his inhumane actions, including gender-based violence (GBV) against his wife, Beatrice, and daughter, Kambili. Eugene’s act of GBV and his flimsy piety excuse highlighted how religion is a form of patriarchal tool used to disproportionately harm women and girls. The horrific beatings of Beatrice and the brutal assault of Kambili, as he blames them for not being pure enough or bringing sin into his house, are a religiously manipulative tactic used to normalise his abuse. This act made Kambili believe that Eugene’s actions were pure and that she continually measured her worth by her ability to please him.

In the novel, Beatrice Achike embodies the traditional African woman who endures humiliation and brutality in silence, believing that it is the path to being a good woman. Her compliance and quiet submission to Eugene’s demands were born out of fear, dependence, and societal conditioning of women. This costs her multiple pregnancies, including physical and psychological pains, highlighting how patriarchal violence can be normalised violence, ensuring it paralyses the victims, leaving them shattered and broken. In contrast, Aunty Ifeoma, the widowed sister of Eugene and a university professor at Nsukka, represent the resilient African woman. She not only challenged patriarchal norms within her family but also at the university level. She embodies a feminist ideal of independence, self-sufficiency, and a woman who refused to be silenced or defined by her marital status. Her home represents an egalitarian environment where sons and daughters are taught domestic tasks, and freedom of speech is promoted. 

At the start of the novel, Kambili is defined by silence due to her father’s oppressive behaviour. She only observes and accepts her punishment in obedience. However, her stay with Aunty Ifeoma’s family in Nsukka is primarily a catalyst for her feminist reawakening. Her development from a silenced teenage girl to a young woman capable of voicing her own desires demonstrates that female liberation is the process of reclaiming one’s voice, not only through loud rebellion, but through small acts of self-expression. Just like Kambili protects her brother from her father’s brutal beatings, she finally acknowledges her mother’s silenced pain and endurance. Her story emphasised that a woman’s voice is crucial to her autonomy, agency, freedom, and identity. 

Through Kambili’s journey, Chimamanda illustrates that patriarchy will only exist if women are silenced. But when women find their own voices, it is a feminist act of resistance and self-determination, demonstrating how a woman’s voice is fundamentally linked to her ability to speak her own truth.

Eugene’s use of catholicism to establish himself as the ultimate authority in his house mirrors Africa’s patriarchal society, where a man’s position is solidified and justified by traditional norms and religious validation. His rigid schedule ensures his family has no autonomy and is constantly under his eagle eye. This is a patriarchal tool that denies women and children rights and self-expression.