In the novel, "Purple Hibiscus", the author is trying to explore the feeling that Kambili is experiencing when she and Jaja go to their aunt Ifeoma's house. When Kambili goes to her aunt's house, she experiences a sense of awkwardness amongst her own cousins. Amaka knew that Kambili was very close to her father and did everything to please him. She tells Kambili that there was no place in Nsukka that was upto a level that Kambili was used to. It was almost that she was mocking Kambili beacuse of the fact that she belonged to a rich family. Kambili was experiencing a world that was totally different from Amaka's in every aspect. She was humiliated by Amaka at every instance when she is unable to perform a certain activity. Kambili is flabbergasted by the idea that there was always laughter in her aunt's house in contrast to her house where there was silence and people spoke only when they were spoken to. I want to raise a point about how Amaka constantly mocks and taunts Kambili about how she is living this luxurious life and dosen't know any chores. Was it more about how Amaka was living and content with whatever her mother provided to her or was it more about why she didn't have the same life as Kambili ?
Also, Kambili experiences the instance when her brother's name is questioned and how her aunt tells the story about why her brother's nickname was given as Jaja. Aunt Ifeoma tells the story about the king Jaja of Opobo and how he rebelled against the British. Kambili is almost taken by surprise when his brother Jaja says that "The British won the war, but they lost many battles". She had not experienced a male character other than her father to speak in an angry tone. She had always kept her voice back and this is shown in the book many times when she says that " I wish I had said that".
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In response to the blog, I think Amaka mocks Kambili because she initially believes that Kambili will be a spoiled, prissy girl as a result of her affluent upbringing. Amaka is jealous of Kambili's privileged life and feels threatened by Kambili's presence in her own home. Mistakenly, she interprets Kambili's silence for arrogance and is angered. She assumes that Kambili isn't eating because the rice on the table is not the "fancy rice she eats at home" (120) and that Kambili has "soft bones" (126). The way Amaka views Kambili is synonymous to Mama's figurines, which are products of wealth and pleasing to look at. However, aside from aesthetic pleasure, they are practically useless. Amaka eventually realizes that although Kambili comes from a rich household, all the money and materialism in the world are insignificant in a home without laughter and freedom. This idea is reflected when Kambili comes back home and sees that the furniture is "lifeless," sofas are of "clammy coldness," and the Persian rugs are "too lush to have any feeling" (192).
ReplyDeleteIn addition, in reference to the point made about Jaja, I think it is important to first note that both siblings were on equal grounds; nobody dominated another (although Jaja is older). However, at Aunt Ifeoma's house, Kambili is slowly starting to notice Jaja's emergence into adulthood and elevate him to a higher regard of respect. Originally, Kambili only had her father as the dominant male role model in her life; she had no one else to compare him to. As she begins to compare and contrast Jaja and Papa in her mind, she is able to note the wide disparities between the two individuals and formulate her own opinions and ideas which are separate from those of her domineering father.
I think that Amaka smart remarks to Kambili has to do with Amaka being annoyed and perhaps a tad bit jealous. For example whenever Amaka and Kambili were told to complete a task together Kambili never knows how to do it like peeling vegetables, doing dishes, etc. Perhaps Amaka is thinking my cousin is such a spoiled little brat that she thinks of us as lower than her. Which is why she does not eat our food or laugh at our jokes. In a sense Amaka could be a little jealous becasue she has witnessed how much of a lavish lifestyl Kambilis has and she never has to do chores.
ReplyDeleteI agree with them because, when kambili goes to her aunts house she reacts with a sense of shock. She is surprised of the way they treat each other as a family. In her house it is a totally different environment in which there is an absolute silence caused by fear to the tyrant of her father. I like the michele's example of the figurines, they are beautiful and pleasant to look at. They come with no voice just silence which is what makes it more beautiful and like she said gives it a sense of wealth to the product. It is also true that they are practically useless but I think that it is more directed to kambilis family them being synonyms to them. I say this because their family have all the features as the figurines in the eyes of their father. They live in a home with no freedom in which they aren't even able to speak, their language is spoken with eyes and even if they think of saying something they don't because of fear towards their father, they keep saying "I wish I had said that" like Shyam said in the blog. They don';t speak it they think it but soon they will reach the level in which they won't allow themselves to be quiet but to stand up against their so called "role model".
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