The journey motif in Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus

Abstract

In her debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie concerns herself with the theme of patriarchy and its attendant evils of oppression, intimidation, domestic violence and the repression of the individualistic spirit of agency. This paper argues that Adichie‟s narrative, which is essentially the experiences and growth of two adolescent children of a typically bourgeois family, is structured around a series of journeys, and that these journeys, besides being the basis for narrative development, provide the youthful protagonists with an alternative worldview, an awareness of the intrigues and intricacies of human society outside and beyond their wealthy but closeted family home, as well as the impetus for a more assertive agency that ultimately
negates the institution of patriarchy.