Response to Purple Hibiscus

In Purple Hibiscus the father is really abusive and cruel to the mother and children. I think he does care he just might not know how to show it and that combined with his anger issues makes him really abusive and mean. What I mean by not knowing how to show it is when Kambili comes in second in her class her father is initially just disappointed. He might do this because he wants his children to succeed and do good in life.

Purple Hibiscus is a fairly interesting book in the sense that it is about a girl in Nigeria and I have never read a story set in Nigeria. The author Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche uses lots of symbolism in her writing such the figurines as Kambili's mother's way of coping with her abusive husband. The author also frequently tells the reader things without actually saying them Adiche uses is the father's reaction to Kambili coming in second in her class, by evaluating his physical reaction it is reasonable to infer he does, in fact, care for Kambili he is just disappointed she did not perform to what he sees is the best of her ability.