Purple Hibiscus has been an interesting experience for me so far. Its themes of family values and maturity are not new to me, but they are definitely a great refresher. As I tend to stay away from such serious fiction, I cannot say that I am disappointed or even irritated in reading this novel. The last book I read (fairly recently, in fact) with similar themes was The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It also featured a highly dysfunctional family, but instead one that was poor, yet still expressed deep connections. In Purple Hibiscus, however, such luxuries are the few that are not seen.
I often enjoy novels about human nature, and although Purple Hibiscus is more centered specifically on the family level, it seems to outline similar things. A key point of the novel is centered around Kambili and Jaja's father, Eugene. Since Eugene is a mixed bag of generosity and abuse, it becomes hard to see through into him, and that lack of transparency is what helps move the story forward and creates a basis for Jaja's growing defiance. `
No comments:
Post a Comment