Theme

Symbols in Purple Hibiscus repeat to emphasize their role. A crucial symbol throughout the book is exposed through the title of the novel itself.

Hibiscuses were first mentioned in the main character’s house, but they were red hibiscuses. Jaja admires the purple hibiscus’ beauty when he first sees one at Aunt Ifeoma’s garden. Aunt Ifeoma refers to it as “‘the more unusual flowers’” (128-129). The symbol expresses a different color than normal, or a different emotion in Jaja’s case. His “eyes shone” as he brought some purple hibiscuses home, but they were put away in the refrigerator until the sun came (197). The flowers show that freedom will not come now, but when the time comes, the characters will be free from the domestic abuse. Purple hibiscus represents Jaja’s symbol of hope for one day both the hibiscus and the smell of freedom will bloom (253). The day before Palm Sunday, the purple hibiscuses started to bloom the hope Jaja and Kambili needed to finally stand up for themselves.

On top of that, purple can also be symbolic on its own because the color purple is a combination of red and blue, symbolizing diversity or multiple colors combined into one. While purple shows unity, red is a primary color; no other color can create the color red. Red hibiscuses were found in the house because the father did not like diversity; everything must be his definition of original.    

Another symbol in the novel is “the beige, finger-sized figurines of ballet dancers” on an étagère in the dining room (7). Figurines stay still, do not talk, and are very fragile, symbolizing Kambili, Jaja, and their mother’s silence. They also resemble weakness in physical size. They break easily because they are weak and have small bone structure like a ballerina.

The étagère on which they stand represents the family stage in society. People watch the family’s wealth and follow their father while the three figurines obey the man in charge, appearing like graceful ballerinas. Also, Kambili’s mother polishes the figurines regular which means they have a lot of value.

One day, their father gets mad at his son Jaja for not receiving Communion. Kambili’s father “picked up the missal and flung it across the room,” breaking all the figurines into “contorted postures on the hard floor” (7). The missal, a religious book with all the readings, demonstrates the father using religion as an excuse to be violent to his family. The broken figurines represent the after effect of the father’s domestic abuse. The family is both physically and emotionally broken into pieces like the figurines.