Silence in Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Nguzi Adich

Abstract

This thesis examines the theme of silence in familial space in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. The study seeks to address how the political strife which characterizes the Nigerian post colonial era has affected the Nigerian family. The aim of this study is twofold. First it investigates how violence silences the familial space. Second it attempts to throw light on the crucial role the physical environment plays in the psychological awakening of human beings enabling them to find their individual freedom and voice. The attachment with the different natural elements creates a force of defiance and rebellion which destroys the supreme authority responsible for silencing individuals. Through the use of a psychoanalytic approach, this paper seeks to analyze the individual attitudes inside the one family based on the mental structure which is strongly linked to human beings’ behavior. The implementation of an Ecocritical approach is necessary to demonstrate that mother nature can serve as a source of originality and directly links individuals to a certain culture or heritage that form the whole part of the society. To conclude, Adichie uses her voice to glorify and preserve the African identity which is imbedded in the legacy of ancestors to whom nature symbolized rootedness and purification.