Purple Hibiscus

by

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Purple Hibiscus: Allusions 2 key examples

Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Things Fall Apart:

In this passage Adichie calls on one of the novel’s motifs, alluding to Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. In so doing, she is situating the Achike family’s struggles within the larger context of postcolonial Nigeria and its struggle for self-definition:

Things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion and Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the étagère.

The direct allusion Adichie makes here to Achebe’s Things Fall Apart signals the important overlap between the two novels. Things Fall Apart was published in 1958 and is widely considered one of the most important works of African fiction of the 20th century. It focuses on an intensely traditional and controlling father figure, Okonkwo, and his experiences with colonialism disrupting the rhythms of traditional life and established identity in his community. Both this novel and Purple Hibiscus share a focus on the pressure that outside change puts on the inner lives of families and on people's perceptions of gender roles and obedience. In Achebe’s novel, the author explores the partial collapse of Igbo society under the pressures of colonialism and the change the “new” Christian religion brings to some communities.

This is mirrored in Purple Hibiscus by the breakdown of the Achike household, where religious discord between Jaja and Eugene and political changes outside the family's control exacerbate preexisting tensions and violence. Jaja’s refusal to attend communion is the first of many personal rebellions against Eugene’s rigid religious authority. This act of defiance and its aftermath echo the broader religious and ethical conflicts that troubled Nigeria after its liberation from British rule. These disputes—between Catholicism and indigenous practices, and between tradition and modernity—connect the fracturing of the Achike family to the national struggle for identity in early 21st century Nigeria.

Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—Jaja of Opobo:

As Jaja and Kambili chat with Aunty Ifeoma and her family, Adichie uses an allusion to a famous Nigerian historical figure to explore themes of resistance to oppressive power. Moments like this recur as motifs in Purple Hibiscus, as they reflect the tangled mixture of anti-colonial sentiment and Anglophilia in late-20th and early 21st-century Nigeria:

Obiora smiled and pushed his glasses up. ‘Jaja of Opobo was no saint, anyway. He sold his people into slavery, and besides, the British won in the end. So much for the defiance.’

‘The British won the war, but they lost many battles,’ Jaja said, and my eyes skipped over the rows of text on the page.

The allusion Adichie makes here is to Jaja of Opobo, a historical figure who rose from enslavement to become a powerful ruler and merchant who founded his own kingdom. Jaja of Opobo, originally named Jubo Jubogha, monopolized the palm-oil trade in much of Nigeria in the mid-19th century. In 1869, conflicts with merchant rivals pushed Jaja to establish the independent Kingdom of Opobo. The new kingdom strategically controlled trade routes and palm oil markets, directly engaging with European traders. However, Jaja's control over trade repeatedly clashed with British ambitions to dominate the palm oil economy. When the British attempted to impose free-trade policies that would undermine his monopoly, Jaja resisted, which made him a target for British violence. In 1887, British authorities tricked Jaja into boarding a ship under the pretense of negotiating with him, and exiled him to the West Indies. Although he was later allowed to return to Opobo, he died on his way there in 1891. His leadership and his defiance of the overwhelmingly powerful British Empire made him a symbol of African resistance to colonial exploitation for many Nigerians.

The motif of anti-colonial struggle and its interplay with Anglophilia recurs throughout the novel. Jaja of Opobo’s intelligence and his defiance of British imperialism mirrors Jaja Achike’s growing resistance against the oppressive authority of his father, Eugene. Both Jajas challenge dominant powers in their respective contexts—imperialism in Jaja of Opobo’s case, and familial tyranny in Jaja Achike’s. Obiora’s pragmatism about Jaja of Opobo’s imperfections contrasts with Jaja’s idealism here. Obiora sees the former king as a fundamentally flawed figure, and his ultimate defeat by the British as evidence of the futility of resistance. However, Jaja focuses on the victories within the broader struggle, saying the British also “lost many battles” and hoping for a better future for himself. This passage situates Jaja’s personal rebellion within a larger historical and cultural framework. By aligning him with a figure like Jaja of Opobo, Adichie suggests that he might truly be able to resist and subvert the violent domination of his father. Even in the face of overwhelming odds, Jaja must resist being squashed and oppressed.

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