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  • Essay / Life of Kambili in Purple Hibiscus

    Explore how Kambili shows a search for self, relating the excerpt to Purple Hibiscus as a wholeA search for self, in my opinion, is the idea of ​​an individual discovering what it truly wants and discovering your true identity of what makes you individual, building your own identity and choosing the paths to follow. For Kambili, the search for self is a journey that comes from being with her aunt in Nsukka, whose lifestyle inspires Kambili and Jaja to rethink their own upbringing. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Kambili's admiration for Father Amadi is the focus of the passage and we find out first-hand how Kambili feels, giving us a more reliable account of his thoughts. This is true throughout the novel, Adichie uses the form and structure of an autobiography almost as Kambili is the narrator, allowing us to truly know her thoughts and feelings towards the other characters, in this passage it is the Father Amadi. Kambili shows a search for self as she is at the age where she begins to find members of the opposite sex attractive and due to her strict upbringing this is something she considers wrong as she should not feel : "I didn't look at his tank top on my lap" suggests that she feels too guilty to even look at Father Amadi's tank top that he gave her. Kambili's use of descriptive language also shows how she studies Father Amadi's body in a lustful manner: "Bare upper body, his shoulders were a broad square" Kambili tells us as she looks closely at his body, as well as this rhyming quote which suggests to me that Kambili is so lovestruck by Father Amadi that she speaks in rhyme. The use of similes reinforces Kambili's admiration for Father Amadi, "like a rooster in charge of all the chickens in the neighborhood" and "his voice was softer than that of the lead singer on the tape." Kambili's personality change around Father Amadi is also prevalent in the passage as we see a clear change in her personality before her trip to Nsukka. Kambili has always been a socially awkward girl who has difficulty speaking to new people or in front of large groups. An example of this is on page 48, "I opened my mouth but the words wouldn't come out", this is when Kambili is asked to recite the school commitment she knows but that his social anxiety prevents him from speaking. Father Amadi is able to bring Kambili out of her shell and have a conversation with her, she even feels comfortable enough to ask him why he became a priest, which is a complete contrast to her usual family meals where she or Jaja are not allowed to ask questions. as they see fit. This change in confidence that Kambili shows is a big step in her search for self, I believe. “I nodded even though I didn't remember” shows that Kambili is almost so fascinated by Father Amadi's company that she instinctively nods just to agree with what he is talking about. , this head nod shows a different personality trait than the one Kambili does while the music in the car is playing: "I nodded to the beat of the chorus", this kind of head nod shows that Kambili feels enough comfortable expressing themselves, something we see little of. from before this moment due to his strict parental rule. Another physical trait that changes and plays a huge role in Kambili's search for self is that she begins to smile and laugh. When she was at home with her family, she never had a real reason to smile,.