In Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, Kambili’s level of obedience slowly diminishes, while her level of independence ascends. In the beginning of the book, Kambili does everything papa says or does, and her whole life seems to be dedicated to making her father proud. Although, one person stands in the way of papa’s tyranny, Aunty Ifeoma. Aunty Ifeoma pushes Kambili to stand up for herself, and she even stops protecting Kambili, forcing her to become more independent. Finally, Kambili loses the false image of her father being a perfect man, and she starts to make her own decisions. Initially, it seems that Kambili blindly follows Papa's lead, but once Kambili spends more time with her aunt in Nsukka, Kambili becomes less obedient and more willing to be independent.…show more content… To begin, when Kambili’s family is at mass, a priest starts singing an Igbo song, so Papa confirms that his children will follow his lead: “I watched Papa purse his lips. He looked sideways to see if Jaja and I were singing and nodded approvingly when he saw our sealed lips”(28). In this passage, Kambili adheres to papa’s action as an instinctive response. Further, she does not question his choice, but instead, she mimics the man she aspires to become. This action was obedient and certainly not independent, and it shows her mindless loyalty to her father. Before visiting Nsukka, Kambili strives to become her father, so she obeys his every command. Transition sentence
