85 pages • 2 hours read
Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Gender roles evolve considerably from one generation to the next in this novel. How are Papa and Jaja’s roles similar, and how are they dissimilar?
Empowerment for women is exemplified in various ways in each of the main female characters: Mama, Ifeoma, Kambili, and Amaka. Discuss one way each of these women is empowered in the story, whether through their own actions or as a result of an outer force that creates that sense of confidence.
Trace Papa’s abuse: what causes it, and how do the family members respond?
Silence is a major factor in the novel and has both positive and negative connotations. At the beginning of the novel, “Children should be seen and not heard” is an apropos adage in Papa’s household. Mama is also quiet, and most sounds in the house relate to religion or disturbing noises behind closed doors. What does “silence” mean here, and how does it compare to the “different silence” at the end of the novel?
How does music function in this novel? Describe a few specific instances when the characters are emotionally affected by music.
Laughter is an essential element in Aunty Ifeoma’s world, and Kambili has embraced a life of laughter by the end of the novel. Why is laughter so important to these characters?
What is the novel’s message about traditions and their importance? Specifically, how does Papa-Nnukwu follow tradition, and how is this different from Papa’s religion? Why is it necessary keep a bygone culture alive in the modern world?
Discuss the difference between Kambili and Jaja’s lives before and after Nsukka, in relation to self-sufficiency. What skills do Kambili and Jaja learn in Nsukka? How will these abilities serve Kambili and Jaja in the future?
The statement “God works in mysterious ways” is mentioned several times as an answer for the inexplicable, or as a form of comfort. Kambili utters this for Mama when Papa dies. Considering the cause of his death and the events that follow, in what possible “mysterious ways” is God working through this particular, crucial incident in the book?
Besides the prominent purple hibiscus, more subtle natural features such as dust, rain, fruit, and trees appear at different times representing various aspects of the story. For instance, rain has both positive and negative connotations, depending on the situation. Select two of these elements and explain how each enhances the story in at least two separate ways.
By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie