Adichie Expresses Vivid Nigerian Scenery with an Articulate Style

Although the word choice is very simple, Adichie's direct style in Purple Hibiscus is expressed in her main character, Kambili, and her figurative language. 

The novel is written in first person of Kambili, a 15-year-old girl. Normally, first person isolates how other characters feel, but not in this case. Surprisingly, Kambili is very observant with the people around her, especially her family. This is shown by the way she speaks to her brother, Jaja. She describes speaking to her brother “with [her] spirits than with [her] lips” (16). They read each other’s eyes when they are at home. It’s as if she knows him so well that she can almost read his mind. The novel is almost a first person omniscient.

Adichie also shows uses gender to help with style. The reason Kambili is a girl is not only because the author is a woman and can relate more but also it helps the novel include more details that would not show if Jaja was the narrator. She is a lot more cautious and shy so she has a lot more on her mind. This changes though as she breaks out of her shell later in the book. She begins to laugh and smile for the first time which develops her dynamic character. 

Figurative language helps form Kambili’s round character with detailed environments. Adichie becomes exceptionally creative with tons of similes, metaphors, and personification. These comparisons are scattered throughout the book so the depiction is very clear. Specifically, she uses them to describe the physical surroundings of the main character. For example, Kambili was scared to tell her dad she got second in her class and could not pass food “down [her] throat” to the point where the food “clung to [her] mouth like children clinging to their mothers’ hand at a nursery entrance” (41). The simile creates a descriptive image of how great Kambili fears her father; she fears her to the point of not being able to complete everyday tasks like swallowing.

Another comparison is when Papa discovered that Kambili brought a painting of her grandfather who is not Catholic. Papa disowns anyone who is not Catholic so his rage leads Kambili to severe punishment: “His swaying was like shaking a bottle of Coke that burst into violent foam when you opened it” (210). She knew her dad was going to chastise her.

Additionally, Adichie’s detailed nature with the clouds “like cotton wool tufts reluctantly letting go” and the sun “red, as if it were blushing” which demonstrate the exact perspective of the character (247, 267). Adichie’s straightforward style leads to clarity for both the scenery and the characters.