Childhood(s) in<i>Purple Hibiscus</i>

Ouma, Christopher E. W.

doi:10.1080/10131750903336064

Cited by 9 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

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“…Some scholars have examined the female voice and agency (Andrade 2011; Strehle 2008; Taoua 2018; Toivanen 2013), and female bodies (Hillman 2019; Stobie 2012) in Purple Hibiscus . Others have explored the subject of faith and religion (Chennells 2012; Stobie 2010), nationhood (Cooper 2008; Uwakweh 2010), and childhood (Coker 2017; Ouma 2009) in the novel. My analysis of Purple Hibiscus extends literary appreciation of Adichie’s vision of gender redefinition by focusing on her depictions of Eugene to demonstrate her critique of orthodoxy and hegemonic masculinity.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Omelora”: Orthodox and Disciplinary Masculinities in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’sPurple Hibiscus

Umezurike

2022

Men and Masculinities

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This paper examines the connections between masculinity and orthodoxy in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus to underscore the intersections of gender, class, religion, and ethnicity. Adichie depicts two contradictory figures of Catholic orthodoxy, namely, Eugene and Father Amadi and the consequences of their performances of masculinity. Where Eugene enacts violence on his family in the name of piety, Father Amadi demonstrates receptivity to human suffering as crucial to piety. I draw on the ideas of Michel Foucault and Raewyn Connell to demonstrate how discipline, control, and male power operate in the domestic sphere and their effects on subjectivities and bodies. Adichie’s portrayal of Eugene articulates a model of disciplinary power undergirded by orthodoxy. Eugene, therefore, dramatizes orthodox masculinity. I argue that Adichie envisions a redefinition of masculinity by presenting Father Amadi as an alternative to Eugene’s enactments of orthodoxy. I conclude that Adichie provides us with an understanding of how people can deploy violence in the name of piety and religion. Indeed, Adichie emphasizes the need to redefine masculinity cognizant of the dignity of all humanity.

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