African Novel Purple Hibiscus Lectures 1 2 2021.pptx

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1. Contemporary / Present Day Novel (Purple Hibiscus) Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Dr N. Nyika

2. EDEN 211 Prof. A. Pillay: Strategies to Teach Literary Texts Ms Shana Lee: Grammar: Parts of Speech; Phrases & Clauses; Sentence Structure Ms Mbambo : Teaching Contemporary / Present Day Poetry from Beyond South Africa Ms Mbambo : Teaching Contemporary/ Present Day Short Stories from Beyond South Africa Dr. N. Nyika: Teaching the Contemporary / Present Day Novel from Beyond South Africa

3. EDEN 211 Assessment: Continuous Assessment: 50% Strategies to Teach Literary Texts (10%) - Pillay Grammar (10%) - Lee Poetry (30%) - Mbambo Exam: 50% Short Stories (25%) - Mbambo Novel (25%) – Nyika

4. EDEN 211 Remember that: A novel / short story provides authentic/ realistic language – learners read HOW language is used in real situations A novel/ short story may be used to stimulate discussion and to share feelings and opinions – can consider different values and attitudes (through active engagement and interaction with the novel/ short story) – respect learners’ opinions A novel/ short story may provide insights into other people’s social, cultural, economic and political backgrounds – opens up new worlds

5. Introducing Purple Hibiscus What is colonialism? What is apartheid? What were the effects of colonialism on traditional African religions? What were the effects of colonialism on African traditions and practices? What were the dominant economic activities before colonialism, after colonialism? What learning activities were undertaken before and after colonialism? How did colonialism affect family structures? How did colonialism affect systems of governance?

6. The Author What do we need to know about a novel: 1. Who is the author? 2. Gender of the author 2. Nationality of the author 3. Residency of the author 4. What else has the author written?:

7. Who is the Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Female, born in 1977 in Nigeria Father - a Professor of Statistics at University of Nigeria Mother (Grace Ifeoma ) – University Registrar

8. Author Studied Medicine for a year and then left for America aged 19 Studied Communications and Political Science – passed with distinction 2003 completed Masters degree in Creative Writing from John Hopkins University 2008 Master of Arts in African Studies from Yale University Held fellowships at different universities including Havard

9. Author publications Purple Hibiscus 2003 Half of the Yellow Sun 2006 Americanah 2013 Short Story: The thing around your neck 2009 Essay: We should all be feminists

10. Why is background information important? Remember that: A novel / short story provides authentic/ realistic language – learners read HOW language is used in real situations A novel/ short story may be used to stimulate discussion and to share feelings and opinions – can consider different values and attitudes (through active engagement and interaction with the novel/ short story) – respect learners’ opinions A novel/ short story may provide insights into other people’s social, cultural, economic and political backgrounds – opens up new worlds

11. Before teaching the novel/ short story What does a teacher need to do before teaching the novel/ short story? READ THE NOVEL/ SHORT STORY FIRST!!!! Do not read it for the first time with learners! Read it twice – once to enjoy and once to analyse – make notes – plot, themes, characters, setting, point of view, genre, dialogue, background to the novel/ short story and author, issues to focus on with learners – Decide : Which literary theories work best with the novel/ short story? Create a classroom of trust, comfort and mutual respect – this is needed to fully and actively engage with issues in the novel/ short story Remember to create interactive, engaging lessons – DO NOT FEED information to learners

12. Character Study Identify the main characters What does each main character experience through the story? How do these experiences make the character feel and think? What words or descriptions does the author use to tell us this? Work on a character that faces a problem. How does the character deal with the problem? Would learners have acted differently?

13. Characters Who are the characters? How are the characters related?

14. First reading: Characters Write down the names of the characters and their relationships during first reading Kambili Achike : Central character Eugene Achike : Kambili’s father Beatrice: Kambili’s mother, Eugene’s wife Jaja : Kambili’s brother Ifeoma : Kambili’s aunt, Eugene’s sister

15. First Reading: characters Papa- Nnukwu : father of Eugene and Ifeoma , grandfather to Kambili Amaka , Obiora and Chima : Ifeoma’s children Father Benedict: Catholic Priest (older) Father Amadi : Catholic Priest (younger)

16. Plot Plot is the most basic but essential feature of a narrative Good stories have: Beginning – an initial situation Middle – change involving some sort of reversal End – resolution

17. Plot in Purple Hibiscus Initial situation: The narrator, Kambili , is a 15 year old girl living with her father, mother and brother. The father, a very religious Catholic man, is a wealthy factory owner but strict and brutal to his family. He beats up the children as well as the mother. He has a father who he neglects because he is not a Christian

18. Plot Middle: Turning point of the plot. The children go to live with their aunt. She is not rich, but her home is full of happiness and laughter. Mama visits Aunty Ifeoma’s home, where the kids are after another beating and another miscarriage. Eugene, the father comes, takes them home. Next day is Palm Sunday, on which the novel begins. Jaja stands up to his father. Mama poisons the father. When the police come, Jaja takes responsibility and is jailed

19. Plot The end – resolution: 3 years later, Kambili and mama visit Jaja in prison to inform him that he is going to be released soon

20. The plot Explain to the learners that we present the plot in a linear manner, but the story is not necessarily linear In Medias res is a Latin term which means “in the middle of action” Readers are filled in later Builds suspense – we wonder what has brought about this conflict

21. Narrative voice Types of Narrative Voice: First Person - the story is told from the first person "I” personal point-of-view, usually that of the main character. Kambili is the narrator, telling the story from a first person perspective Third person/ Omniscient narrator - a story told in the third person; the narrator's knowledge, control, and prerogatives are unlimited, allowing “authorial” subjectivity.

22. Theme Theme refers to the main idea that a story seeks to explore The writer of a story wants to send a message about an issue of concern to a particular society

23. Themes The following are popular themes in African stories: The effects of apartheid on African people Colonialism and its impacts Alienation and displacement The condition for women in African society Love and hope Crime and punishment Modernity vs tradition

24. Themes in Purple Hibiscus One of the central themes in Purple Hibiscus is that of Religion The theme is explored through a focus on Christian beliefs (Catholicism) and the clash with African traditional beliefs

25. Religion in Purple Hibiscus Eugene and Father Benedict Kambili , Jaja and Beatrice (mama) Father Amadi , Aunty Ifeoma and family Papa- Nnukwu

26. Religion Eugene and Father Benedict represent the strict and extreme brand of Catholicism which Adichie presents as hypocritical

27. Religion Aunty Ifeoma and her family as well as Father Amadi represent the brand of Catholicism that is based on being kind and generous to fellow humans

28. Religion Kambili , Jaja and Mama are caught in between They are victims of Eugene’s extreme brand of Catholicism They admire Aunty Ifeoma and Father Amadi’s approach to Catholicism

29. Religion Papa- Nnukwu (Eugene’s father) practises traditional Igbo religion He attends traditional festival of spirits Offers food to Gods Performs a morning declaration of innocence Eugene considers him to be a Godless heathen and does not want anything to do with him

30. Religion Eugene Achike (Papa) presented in the first chapter as a devout Catholic and a rich factory owner He is violent and temperamental Strict and terrorises his family to enforce his religious views.

31. Religion: Eugene Achike We meet Eugene Achike in the first chapter and his religious extremism is demonstrated in the following terms: Papa, wearing a long gray robe like the rest of the oblates (people dedicated to a religious life) helped distribute ash every year. His line moved the slowest because he pressed hard on each forehead to make a perfect cross with his ash covered thumb and slowly, meaningfully enunciated every word of “dust and unto dust you shall return” p.3

32. Eugene Achike Papa always sat in the front pew for Mass He was first to receive communion Most people did not kneel to receive communion, but Papa did He would hold his eyes shut so hard that his face tightened into a grimace, and then he would stick his tongue out as far as it could go After communion he would go to Father Benedict to complain about other congregants p.4.

33. Religion: Eugene Achike Kambili and Beatrice (Mama) are not allowed to wear pants Prayers over meals are long-winded and formal He is a philanthropist of sorts, dishing out money to the poor

34. Eugene Achike Papa changed his accent when he spoke, sounding British, just as he did when he spoke to Father Benedict. He was gracious, in the eager-to-please way that he always assumed with the religious, especially with the white religious p.46

35. Religion: Eugene Achike Papa wanted Father Benedict to hear our confession. We had not gone in Abba because Papa did not like to make his confession in Igbo, and besides, Papa said that the parish priest in Abba was not spiritual enough. That was the problem with our people, Papa told us, our priorities were wrong; we cared too much about huge church buildings and mighty statues. You would never see white people doing that. P. 104

36. Eugene Achike In spite of this apparent piety and godliness, Eugene is so brutal and cruel to his family that we question his brand of Christianity Consider the way he relates with his father

37. Eugene Achike Aunty Ifeoma to Mama But you know Eugene quarrels with the truths that he does not like. Our father is dying, do you hear me? Dying. He is an old man, how much longer does he have, gbo ? Yet Eugene will not let him into this house, will not even greet him… Eugene has to stop doing God’s job. God is big enough to do his own job. If God will judge our father for choosing to follow the way of our ancestors, then let God do the judging, not Eugene. P. 95

38. Eugene Achike When Kambili experienced period cramps and Beatrice advised her to eat some cornflakes before taking pain tablets, Eugene’s response demonstrates callousness:

39. Eugene Achike p101 What are you doing Kambili ? I swallowed hard. “I… I…” You are eating ten minutes before Mass? Ten minutes before Mass? Her period started and she has cramps-” mama said. Has the devil asked you all to go on errands for him?... Has the devil built a tent in my house?

40. Eugene Achike He unbuckled his belt slowly. It was a heavy belt made of layers of brown leather… It landed on Jaja first, across his shoulder. Then mama raised her hands as it landed on her upper arm… I put the bowl down just as the belt landed on my back p. 102

41. Eugene Achike Eugene believes he is doing the right thing, stopping his family from walking into sin: Why do you walk into sin? He asked. Why do you like sin? Mama took the belt from him and laid it on the table Papa crushed Jaja and me to his body. “Did the belt hurt you? Did it break your skin?” he asked examining our faces p. 102

42. Eugene Achike P. 194 For staying in the same house with a sinner/ heathen, his own father Papa Nnukwu , Eugene scald Kambili with hot water: You knew your grandfather was coming to Nsukka , did you not…? Yes Papa Did you pick up the phone to inform me of this..? No You knew you would be sleeping in the same house as a heathen? Yes Papa So you saw the sin clearly and you walked right into it? I nodded. Yes Papa.

43. Eugene Achike Kambili , you are precious You should not see sin and walk right into it He lowered the kettle into the tub, tilted it toward my feet. He pored the hot water onto my feet, slowly, as if he was conducting an experiment and wanted to see what will happen. He was crying now, tears streaming down his face… p. 194

44. Eugene Achike Non-Christians are not even allowed on his premises