How religious violence is a prominent theme in 'Purple Hibiscus'

Adichie portrays religion to be the main cause of violence throughout purple hibiscus. The violence Eugene inflicts on his family represents the violence inflicted by colonisation. Adichie states that if you "show people as one thing over and over again then that is what they become. Eugene himself is a product of a post colonial society, his characters act as a criticism of political figures using religion to control the masses much like Eugene controls his own family.

In the beginning of the extract our narrator 'Kambili' believes that "things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion" she goes on to tell us "Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the etagere." This is the opening sentence of the novel and straight away we are met with two of the key themes in the text. The symbiotic relationship between religion and violence is first highlighted here, Kambili acknowledges the violent outbursts of her father were caused by a lack of adherence to their religion. The fact that in the midst if the violence the "etagere" is broken links to a similar text 'The Glass Menagerie' in which a collection of glass figurines reflect the emotional state of the household, arguable the same premise could be applied to the figurines on the etagere. Entering a text at the climax of its problem signifies the drastic effect religion has had on these individuals' lives, western religion to be more precise.

Kambili's father is presented as a religious zealot from the beginning of the text, with his behaviour during communion being meticulous and even forceful, "His line moved the slowest because he pressed hard on each forehead to make a perfect cross.'' Even in his religious practices Eugene possesses a violent demeanour. Eugene is described as having "his eyes shut so hard that his face tightened into a grimace, and then he would stick his tongue out as far as it would go." again this sense of violence in his own practise is used to signify the relationship between religion and violence, Eugene the most abusive character in the novel acts violent and forceful in the name of his religion in communion and outside of communion, highlighting how he is a product of colonial brainwashing and forced regiment to a western way of life.

In this extract we really begin to see a struggle between identity and religion, this violent relationship between the two themes causes the outburst of abuse in Kambili's home, when confronted about not receiving the body of our lord, JaJa states "then I will die" even in the face of breaking free of social norms, there is violence, the act of dying itself can be deemed a violent experience, everything encompassed inside of religion in this novel holds deeply to violent ideals. It is also here in this extract that Papas death is foreshadowed, "his face looked swollen already, with puss tipped rashes" the death of their father brings the end of their suffering and fight with religious conformity, resembling slighting the death of Jesus on the cross, violent death linked to religion with two very different men, but both in the name of religious freedom. It is in this that we begin to question whether Papa himself i the villain in the story or if religion itself is, he is a product of the westernisation of Nigeria, being forced into Christian practises causing him to lose sight of his morals, in a way Papa is a victim and a villain this juxtaposition further highlights the link between religion and violence in the novel.

This attestation to the idea that religion causes violence in the novel is furthered in the extract when Mama comes in wearing a top "the word GOD IS LOVE crawled over her sagging breasts" Adichie has purposefully placed this quotation on Mamas top as a testament to the irony in religion. Papa has just smashed the figurines on the etagere in the name of religion, and Mama enters passively reading to clean up his mess, thus accentuating the fact that nothing but violence comes from religion in this novel, the God that Papa worships has caused endless amounts of misery and abuse inside of Kambili's household. Ogaga Okuyade said that "Eugene's home becomes a microcosm of the entire Nigerian nation." which i believe is true, the violence inflicted in the household is a representation of the violence which colonisation stemming from Christianity has caused on the people of Nigeria, in that way, I believe that Adichie portrays religion as the causation for the violence in the novel as a necessary and insightful view on the political atmosphere in Nigeria.