Tuesday, February 2, 2016
The Complex Character of Papa
In the other texts that we have read, we have explored and discussed the role of flat or one dimensional characters a great deal. Now, in Purple Hibiscus we are encountering very complex, three dimensional, round characters who are so complex that they may be difficult to fully understand. Papa is one such character. Based on the first two chapters, what are the elements of Papa's character that you have observed. Be sure to include both positive and negative traits because he has both. Based on these elements, what conclusions do you feel you can draw about him?
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Papa was a strictly religious, disciplined and loyal person. These three main characters shaped and defined most of his actions, both positive and negative. The first personality trait that appealed to us the most was religious. Papa was a extremely devoutly Catholic. This could be observed through all of the Achikes daily activities, from routinely praying to going to Church and visiting the Fathers. For Papa, religions came above anything and he was willing to punish or isolate anyone refusing to follow Catholicism. He threw a missile at his son for missing church intentionally, forced his near due wife to visit Father Benedict which led to her failed pregnancy and left his own father deteriorated in poverty because the old man didn't wish to convert from his traditional religion of the Igbo. However, surprisingly, Papa also lived up to his standard as a generous, loving son of God to religious, poor outsiders. He gave out his money and food openhanded to the beggars and sellers on the street and his Catholic community; notably when the family came back for Christmas, Papa or "omelora" bought enough treats so everybody can left "satisfied". Secondly, Papa valued discipline and expected high standard in his house. In my opinion, this personality trait raised from his struggling past; by which diligence and rigorous lifestyle gave him today affluent life. Papa was a successful man, owned many factories and houses, his own newspaper, as much as important titles. His hard work allowed him to provide sufficient necessities, education and safety for his family. Nevertheless, this trait was also a psychological oppression to all his wife and children. It could be seen that everyone in the house thrived for his recognition. Mama tried her best to be a obedience, hardworking wife who always praise her husband and never complain, is thankful for everything she has. As for Kambili and Jaja, they suffered the studying pressure of always having to come first in class. Sometimes, we recognized that following Papa's strict rule separating Kambili and Jaja from their classmates and even their grandfather but they follow because they would face harsh physical punishments otherwise. The last character I want to mention is Papa's loyalty. Through the words of Mama, we caught a glimpse of Papa's worth respecting loyalty to his wife, pushing away the lure of young beautiful girl seeking fame. He was also a faithful member of the "Standard" newspaper, supporting them financially and mentally (assuring Ade's wife) even if that might meant that his whole career could be suppressed down to dust by the government. Papa was truly what he claimed to be, an honest and righteous man. In conclusion, based on these three elements, I draw my claim about Papa as a perfectionist, who is the best living by himself. On the contrary, by applying his sky high standard to others without trying to see from their point of view, he has made a hazardous mistake that caused most of his negative actions.
ReplyDeleteWhile my first assumption was that Papa simply hides his darker side in public for the sake of his image, it seems that this is not true. His strict adherence to his faith defines everything in his life and every part of his character. Everything else seems to orbit his religion. He is a successful, rich man – he runs several factories and he owns a newspaper, The Standard. In his newspaper, he demonstrates little respect for the authoritarian government that seeks to censor him and his writers. We even see one of the journalists get arrested and tortured for an article he wrote about the Head of State. After this, Papa still decides to publish the paper, but underground from now on. Because his faith says nothing about censorship, he doesn’t see the government as an authority, even if it potentially places him and his family in danger. He’s also very generous with his money, probably because an important message of his faith is about giving. He donates to charities, gives every beggar that comes to his car money, and as a result, he receives awards, recognition, and status in his community. However, his strict religious code causes him to establish the ‘roles’ of his family very harshly, even forcibly. He beat his wife to the point of miscarrying, and he had done it several times before, evidenced by the lack of a reaction from Jaja and Kambili when they cleaned up their mother’s blood. He terrifies his children by pushing them to the best academically and go to church every Sunday, and threatens to hurt them if they do not. Papa disrespects his father for not converting to Christianity, and barely allows his children any time with him, for fear that they’d be influenced by him. He doesn’t even allow Kambili to wear pants, because it is a sin for a woman to do so, according to his religion. Papa is a man who chose his moral code and would not do anything to step out of line from it. Nothing else can hold him back or push him forward; not his family or his oppressive government. This can cause him to excel in some aspects of life, like business and charity, but fall short in others, like family and trust.
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ReplyDeletePapa is a very well respected man to the people, especially to the people of the church. He has an unshakable faith of God. In the beginning of the book, Papa seemed modest and generous at times. One way he shows his generosity is by giving his children a "love sip". Papa donates his money to charities and poor people who need it more than him. Papa was always a very determined man since head young. However, he seems to use it as a weapon on Kambili to make her do better in school. Papa has unreasonable expectations of Kambili being number one all the time. But Kambili always feels the need to win his pride and affection. Either by thinking of clever things to say or being number one in her class. Papa is a very powerful man, in public and in his own family. There is a strict schedule that everyone must follow that Papa made. Papa is very stubborn in the way that he thinks that his way is the only right way. No other religion is the right one. He hasn't forgiven his own father for converting into a Christian and allows his children fifteen minutes with their grandfather. Most of all, Papa is very abusive to his family. He almost hit his son with a Missal and he beat his pregnant wife. Papa is not very good at showing affection despite his "love sips", Kambili never sees his parents showing their affection for each other. The most Kambili sees from her parents are them holding hands during Mass. Papa is a very "round" character that he is a good person at times but his dark sides control his actions.
After analyzing Papa as a complex character I have concluded that he is quite volatile, while at the same time his actions can be predicted and mostly have a reason behind them. At one moment he is throwing a missal at his son, while another instance he is congratulating him for having proper Christian etiquette. Papa is very strict when it comes to religion which explains why he is so upset when his son randomly doesn't want to take communion. He later portrays traits that would lead the reader to assume he has a short temper, when he destroys his wife's figurine collections without a care in the world. But, at the same time he cares a lot. He is very generous in numerous situations. He donates money to the church and has proven to be a very influential person to the church and the community. When he hands out "notes", to the homeless, I think this means he is giving them money which is very nice. He sets high expectations for his kids and is also very tedious about them following his guidelines. He is upset when he discovers Kambili is second in her class, and then overcome with joy when she is first. He also seemed forgiving when the incident with Jaja quickly blew over. As I have been saying, he is very serious and at times, struggles to find happiness. On the other hand, he is very comforting and calm, like I the instance where Yewande comes upset about finding bad news about her husband. Papa is obviously not afraid to show his feeling. Even in Abba, the town almost worships him! He showed that he can be very persuasive because he almost converted the whole town to Christianity. His title in Abba is omelora, which means the One Who Does for the Community. His complexity earned him this title, but mainly his positive traits. So far, as hard on his family as he is, there are not that many negative attributes that concern his character in Purple Hibiscus.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with the others in that Papa certainly is a mix of positive and negative traits. I think his most identifiable traits are his extreme faith, his value of hardwork and perfection from his family, his obvious abuse and neglect of his own and others’ feelings, but also his positive traits. His positive traits include his great success and willingness to go on despite horrific obstacles. Even after one of his journalists gets arrested and tortured, Papa encourages the newspaper to forge on. He is a generous man, however I believe that Papa rules through fear and force. I completely agree with Sarah in that Papa’s religion defines everything else around him. Everything he does is done in relation to his faith. Like Sarah mentioned, he is an abuser and an aggressive, forceful man but he does so within the confines of his religion. He respects authority when it comes to those with higher authority than him in the church, but every where else, it’s as if he has no regard for status or authority. He has problem defying authority and no problem making life difficult for others as long as things are working for him. This is certainly one of his downfalls. Papa is such an intensely religious man, that there is no way I detach his character from his faith. Everything I see him do, I relate back to his religion. However, it’s really hard for me to see past his abuse. It’s hard to relate him to the positive because I can never justify his abuse even if it’s based on religion or the way he was raised or his beliefs. In my eyes, his defining characteristics are his forcefulness and abuse in the home, his neglect of his wife and his own feelings, and his faith. I don’t think that he is all bad, but I do think that any of his goodness is overpowered by the bad. I don’t see him as a mentally healthy or stable person and that could be based on his childhood or his overwhelming drive toward perfection which extends through all aspects of his life. Sometimes this drive is beneficial especially in how it brought him success and some happiness, but it rains down negatively on his family giving them impossible standards to exceed and an unhealthy mindset within the family life.
ReplyDeletePapa is extremely religious and is governed by his beliefs. He is demonstrated to be harsh and abusive, but also to be a good person, who cares about his community. He is shown to be harsh and strict when he scolds his children for not being the first in their class. He is frequently comparing them to himself, and saying that their performance is not adequate, given their advantages. He does not really give them a chance to say that they will improve their already good scores, but rather reprimands them for their “inferior” performance. He is also shown as being harsh when he refuses to see his father because he worships idols. Cutting off your family due to a different in beliefs is about as dedicated to your religion as you can be. This is the clearest example of Papa being mindlessly governed by his beliefs. As a result of these actions, his sister refuses to speak to him. Although Papa is shown as having many faults, one cannot take away from how generous he is, and how much he does for the community. He is frequently shown giving away money and helping people out. He is also shown defending one of the reporters of his newspaper after they had been taken by the Government. Papa seems to be a righteous person, who is hard on his children and family, and is dedicated to his beliefs. He is also shown as being volatile and a bad husband. This is demonstrated when he beats his wife. It seemed not to be the first time that it had happened either, as his children cleaned up their mother’s blood as if it was nothing. Personally, although I respect Papa, I feel that he is too harsh when treating his family, and puts too much pressure on his children. This is shown when his children are frequently described as quiet. They are quiet because for their entire lives they have been silenced by an overbearing father. I feel that Papa’s heart is in the right place, however I do not think he treats his family very well.
ReplyDeletePapa is different from many of the characters we have analyzed in other literatures this year. His characteristic is complex and is difficult to comprehend. Throughout the story, his objective is clear and consistent but at the same time his actions have contradicted with what he wants. He wants what is best for his two kids, Jaja and Kambili. They were raised to believe in God’s existence and the opportunities and luck god will bring to them. Papa grew up working hard because money was not accessible to him. Papa always tells his children that, “I would do nothing but for the priests and sisters at the mission. I was a houseboy for the parish priests for two years. Yes, a houseboy… I walked eight miles every day to Nimo until I finished elementary school. I was a gardener for the priests while I attended St. Greogory’s Secondary School” (Purple Hibiscus, 47). Throughout his childhood, he worked for priests and the sisters, and they have taught him things he would never learned from his idol-worshiping father, Papa-Nnukwu. Papa looks up to the priest and sisters, and not his own father, as the ones who had made him who he is today: venerated and respected by those who believe in God. “God has given you much, he expects much from you, he expects perfection” (Purple Hibiscus, 47). Papa believes that everything that he owns is because god has given it to him. He wants his children to see the same thing. Papa wants his children to try hard to exceed what they think is possible. He wants them to be the best in class. When Kambili came in second that term, he told Kambili that the person who got first has one head, and so does Kambili. He wants to push his children to the max for their own greater good. However, his rules and regulations for his children has limited them from socializing with others. After school they are expected to come home right away. “Keven always had the Peugeot 505 parked at the school gates right after the bells rang. Keven had many other chores to do for Papa and I was not allowed to keep him waiting… Once, Keven told Papa I took a few minutes longer, and Papa slapped my left and right cheeks at the same time, so his huge palms left parallel marks on my face and ringing in my ears for days (Purple Hibiscus, 51). Kambili never had the chance to hang out with her friends after school, or had the chance to talk to them. Other people at school thought she was arrogant, and they think that she looks at herself as someone from a higher class because her dad is known as an Omelera. She was called a snob by the other girls at school. Papa had good intentions for his children but at the same time his actions are limiting them from what all kids need in childhood.
ReplyDelete-Pinn C.
Papa’s character is complex for many reasons. Agreeing with Sam’s idea that Papa’s emotions seem to be somewhat volatile while at the same time, Kambili is still able to predict most of what she should say and do to placate him. Based on the first chapter alone, the case is made to define Papa’s character simply as that of an angry, religious fanatic who may also be hitting his wife. It would be incredibly easy to just make him that, with no motive or deeper meaning behind any of his actions, but that is not the road the author takes. Instead, Papa is shown to be thoughtful of his family’s appearances, the success of his children, and dedicated patron of the church he is a part of. Adding these different traits, many of which might even conflict with the volatile, angry man we get a taste of in the beginning, gives Papa’s character a more rounded feel, additionally making him more complex than the missal-throwing maniac we see in the first few moments of the story. There is no doubt that Papa’s character will indeed become even more complex as the book continues and we also learn of the relationships between him and the rest of the characters in Purple Hibiscus.
ReplyDelete-Eilidh Dunsmore
Papa is very religious and follows what he believes in no matter what. He can be extreme when it comes to controlling what he wants, but he has shown a good side to him also. I feel like Papa is not different than a lot of parents in life now. Many times, Papa has explained to them how lucky they are for the advantages they have, that he didn't, and how they are not giving enough effort in their school. Rarely does he seek out the childrens' view on what he is scolding them about, instead he makes them listen to how bad their performance is or was. He has shown a lot of dedication to his beliefs, which could be good, and bad. For example, he decided to not see his father, because his worship was interfering with it, and his religion has shown more important than family. This is when he sticks by his beliefs no matter what as i have stated. Now he has risked family members excluding him, cause of how he chose to exclude them. On a good day, papa can be a good person to family and people around him. He does a lot for the community by helping people out with tasks, and even giving away money. Papa can be a good person when he wants to but for now he is focused on being strict on children and family. In my opinion, he's a terrible spouse. He beats his wife as if it was normal, as the kids wipe up the blood form their mother. Exposing children to that kind of brutal treating is not safe for their mental health while growing up. Papa needs to find a way to calm down, and enjoy life, instead of being uptight about everything. He needs to allow his children to be heard, or else they will be quiet, which will hold them back, all because of him. I think he feels like he is doing the right things, but he needs to see if his habits benefit to the people around him also.
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ReplyDeleteAs a complex, three-dimensional character, Papa definitely has both positive and negative sides to his personality. I agree with Sarah that all aspects of his life revolve around his religion, which I think heavily influences his actions and ultimately what we would classify as "positive" or "negative" sides of his personality. For example, we have seen that Papa considers non-Christians as heathens and rejects any contact with them. His belief is so strong that he even shuns his own father, Papa-Nnukwu, because Kambili's grandfather worships the native gods. Papa even threw an old man, Anikwenwa, off of his property simply because he was pagan. Although these actions seem heartless to us, to Papa, it is just to treat those who do not believe in God this way. Even though he only allows his children to visit their grandfather for 15 minutes, when you look at it from a different angle, in a way he is only trying to protect them from what he thinks are the dangers of paganism. In another situation, Papa strictly reprimands his daughter for only placing 2nd overall within her class; at times, he speaks harshly to Kambili, but all he probably wants is for her to do her best in school so that she can be successful in the future. We can clearly see the "positive side" of Papa's personality when we encounter how he treats beggars and hawkers. First, when Papa was driving Kambili to school, he slowed down the car so that he could give a beggar some money. Later, when the family was driving back to their hometown for Christmas and stopped to get food, Papa only bought bread and okpa but he still gave money to the other hawkers even though he didn't buy anything from them. In these situations, his generosity taught to him by his Christian beliefs shines through, and we see a "positive side" of him.
Papa has a lot of power. He has a lot of power in the community because he is wealthy and he has a lot of power within his family because he is the father of the family. I think that his power in the community comes more from respect. He is seen as very generous and humble. He gives lots of money to people and causes “ Papa gave them each ten naira from a wad of notes he pulled out of his hold-all.” This is not the only time that he gives money to others. Now his power in the family I believe comes more from fear than anything else. We learn early on in the book that he is abusive to both his wife and his kids, “ I heard sounds from their room, like something being banged against the door… when her swollen eyes were still black purple color of an overripe avocado.” It seems to be a rather normal occurrence in the family, “ I thought he [papa] would... reach across and slap me on the face with the casualness of reaching for the pepper shaker.” I don't like papa so far. He is a round character for sure because the are sides of him that seem loving a kind but there are other sides that seem dark and cruel. For instance him sharing his tea with Jaja and Kambili seems sweet and loving. Or how proud he is when one of his children is first in the class. But other times he seems like a complete jerk. For example how disappointed and mad he is when Kambili comes in second in the class. Or how he beats his children and wife. And says that it is Kambili’s mothers fault for losing her baby “ Later, at diner, papa said we would recite sixteen different novenas. For Mama’s forgiveness.” That I don't believe is fair.
ReplyDeletePapa is a very complex character who I am still trying to figure out. At times Papa is very kind, and compassionate. We see this when Papa is being generous with his money and giving it to people who don't have money. We also see Papa being caring when Kambili was sick, and Papa sat with her, and tried helping her in anyway that he could. Like Erica said Papa's "love sips" show how he cares about his children and it is a cute and normal thing to do. All these things seem pretty consistent but there are many things Papa does that makes me question, and wonder what kind of man Papa really is. When Kambili got the second highest grades in her class, Papa was very angry at her and he embarrassed in front of all of her classmates. He made Kambili feel like she was letting God down for not getting the highest grade. When Jaja did not go to church Papa was very angry, and threw a missal at him, and broke Mama's dear figurines. But when Papa's children do what they are supposed to, perfectly right he seems pleased with them, and praises them. I thought it was very harsh that Papa basically cut out Kambili and Jajas grandfather because he doesn't believe in the same religion. So Papa is very tough when people aren't like him, and aren't the best. He also is very violent. For me knowing both sides of Papa, his bad and mean side definitely over powers his good characteristics.
ReplyDeletePapa is a multi-layer character. Whilst reading the first two chapters, I noticed that at times Papa displayed great affection and generosity. One instance, is when Kambili gets sick and he tried to do as much as he could to help her get better. Another, thing that shows his tender caring side is the concept of "love sips". it shows a very emotionally invested side of Papa. I think that Papa appears to be a sweet and compassionate man but there are also some flaws in his character. For example, the case where Kambili gets the second highest score he displays great anger and disappointment. Not only did he blame her but he shamed her because supposedly she was letting god down. Later, when Jaja failed to attend church he threw a missal at him and ruined Mama's figurines. I think that these instance show how Papa focuses on the notion of "discipline" and everything having to go his way. He also shows that as long as his children do what he wants he will treat them with dignity and respect. Going on with the story, based on his actions has impacted my view of Papa because i feel like there is a more negative side to him rather than positive and uplifting.
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