Purple Hibiscus: Chapter 9 Summary & Analysis

At Aunty Ifeoma’s house there is always laughter, and brief arguments, and random Igbo praise songs. There is little meat in the food, and everyone takes a part in keeping the flat very clean. When plate washing one day, Amaka mocks Kambili’s way of washing dishes, and again brings up her “fancy schedule.” The two don’t speak again until later that day, when two of Amaka’s friends from school come over. They are dressed fashionably and laugh together over an American magazine. One of them asks Kambili about her hair, but she finds she cannot speak, and so she starts coughing and runs out.

That evening as Kambili sets the table, she hears Amaka asking Aunty Ifeoma if Kambili and Jaja are “abnormal.” Ifeoma rebukes her and tells her to respect her cousins, but Amaka repeats that “something is not right with them.” Kambili looks over to see if Jaja heard, but he is watching TV with Obiora, now looking comfortable in this new environment. The next morning he also seems to fit right in as he helps Ifeoma in the garden.

Aunty Ifeoma asks Kambili to join them in the garden, and she talks to Kambili about the beauty of the plants. Kambili is only able to answer “yes” without any enthusiasm. Some children from the flat upstairs try to talk to Kambili, but she can only stutter in response. Ifeoma says she can go inside if she wants, and she gives Kambili a book to read about the historical figure Olaudah Equiano.

Kambili sits on the veranda with the book and watches a little girl chase a butterfly. Obiora and Jaja are on the verandah as well, but on the other side of the shade. Obiora asks Jaja about his name, and Jaja says that “Jaja” is just a nickname that stuck—his real name is Chukwuka. Aunty Ifeoma says that Jaja might take after the “defiant” king Jaja of Opobo, who refused to let the British control his people’s trade, and so was exiled to the West Indies. Ifeoma looks at Jaja and says that defiance, like marijuana, is “not a bad thing when used right.” Kambili is struck by both her solemnity and her sacrilege.

Jaja makes a comment about the British losing many battles before their overall victory, and Kambili is amazed that he speaks so easily. She wonders why he doesn’t stutter and stay silent like she does. Jaja looks comfortable and alive, with a light in his eyes she has not seen before, but which appeared when he was in the garden of purple hibiscuses.

Chima notices that Jaja’s little finger is gnarled and deformed, and he asks him about it. Aunty Ifeoma quickly says that Jaja had an “accident,” and she sends Chima away. Kambili meets Ifeoma’s eyes and realizes that she knows what happened to Jaja’s finger. When he was ten, Jaja had not come in first in his First Holy Communion class. Papa locked himself in a room with Jaja and when they emerged he took Jaja to the hospital. Papa had purposefully avoided damaging Jaja’s writing hand.

The phone rings. Kambili answers, and it is Mama calling to say that soldiers found the offices of the Standard and destroyed the presses and furniture, locked the offices, and took the keys. Ade Coker had been arrested again. Mama says she is worried about Papa. After she talks to Mama, Aunty Ifeoma buys a newspaper even though she hardly ever does, and sees a tiny article about the closing of the Standard. That night Papa calls and says that everything is fine. He doesn’t mention the Standard. Ifeoma says that Jaja and Kambili are to stay a few extra days, and Jaja smiles joyfully.

The phone rings early the next morning, and Kambili is worried that it is bad news about Papa being killed. Aunty Ifeoma answers, but she doesn’t say who it was. She is irritable and quiet for the rest of the day. Father Amadi stops by during dinner. He says he was playing soccer with some boys earlier, and that next time he will bring Jaja and Obiora along. Kambili is amazed at the thought of a priest playing soccer. Father Amadi invites Kambili along as well.

Father Amadi notices that Aunty Ifeoma is upset and he asks her about it. She says that she got news that Papa-Nnukwu is sick. She wants to bring him to Nsukka. Amaka is upset that her mother didn’t tell her earlier, but Obiora remains calm and collected. Kambili notices (as she has many times by now) that he seems older than Jaja. Ifeoma says she doesn’t have enough fuel to get to Abba. Father Amadi offers her some emergency fuel from the church.

That night prayers are more subdued, and Kambili wonders where Papa-Nnukwu will sleep when he arrives. She prays that Papa won’t find out if she has to share a room with a “heathen.” After the rosary Aunty Ifeoma prays for Papa-Nnukwu’s health. Kambili is surprised, as Papa only ever prays that Papa-Nnukwu be converted.

The next morning Father Amadi arrives unshaven and wearing shorts, bringing the fuel to Aunty Ifeoma. Obiora offers to suck the fuel from the can to the car’s tank with the garden hose. He does it, and Father Amadi praises him, saying that it is a useful skill. Kambili admires Father Amadi’s smile. Aunty Ifeoma emerges wearing black. She thanks Father Amadi and then leaves for Abba with Obiora.

Father Amadi leaves, Chima visits a neighbor, and Amaka goes into her room to listen to her “culturally conscious” musicians, which Kambili can recognize now. Jaja works in the garden. Kambili asks him, whispering, if he thinks that they’re “abnormal.” Jaja only says “What does abnormal mean?” and goes back to trimming the plants.

Aunty Ifeoma returns that afternoon with Papa-Nnukwu. He seems tired and greets Kambili weakly. Amaka and Obiora help Papa-Nnukwu into the flat and into Amaka’s room. They offer him the bed but he says he prefers the floor. He lies down and immediately falls asleep. Kambili notices how tall he is when he is stretched out on the floor. Amaka offers to cook his favorite meal, but Ifeoma says he has hardly been eating or drinking.

Aunty Ifeoma says that the doctors at the medical center are on strike, but that she knows a doctor, Doctor Nduoma, who will visit that evening. He has been running his own small clinic since the strike. Later the doctor arrives and examines Papa-Nnukwu. Jaja and Kambili sit on the verandah. Jaja is concerned with Papa-Nnukwu’s health, while Kambili is concerned with Papa finding out that they are sharing a house with him.

Kambili is surprised at Jaja’s tone, as if he doesn’t care whether Papa finds out or not. She asks him if he told Aunty Ifeoma about his finger, and he says that he did. Kambili wonders if he has forgotten that “we never told, that there was so much that we never told.” Jaja gets up and says he wants to clean off Ifeoma’s car. As he walks off Kambili notices how much older and more broad-shouldered he seems than a week ago.

Doctor Nduoma leaves, and Aunty Ifeoma thanks Jaja for cleaning her car, calling him by the same title she uses for her sons. She says that she will take Papa-Nnukwu to get tests done, as at least the labs at the medical center are still open. The next day she takes him in, but returns and says that the lab staff are now on strike as well. She will have to find a private lab in town, which will be more expensive. She looks worried as she goes to get Papa-Nnukwu’s medicine.

That night Papa-Nnukwu eats, and everyone is relieved. He takes his pills and jokes with the children. Amaka seems happy even when she complains. Suddenly the power goes off. Obiora asks Papa-Nnukwu to tell them a folk story. Papa-Nnukwu tells the story of why the tortoise has a cracked shell.

In Papa-Nnukwu’s story, there was a famine and all the animals were starving except for the dog. The tortoise discovered that the dog was being taken up into the sky by his mother and getting food there. He blackmails the dog into inviting him along as well. One day the tortoise pretends to be the dog and calls for the dog’s mother, wanting all the food for himself. He is halfway to the sky when the dog finds out, and the tortoise falls down, cracking his shell. Everyone laughs except for Kambili.