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Flowers of Freedom: Voice, Defiance, and Coming of Age in Purple Hibiscus
Students will explore how Adichie uses characterization, structure, point of view, and motifs to develop themes connected to freedom, tyranny, and coming of age.
ELA
Unit 2
10th Grade
Unit Summary
The second unit, centered about the core text Purple Hibiscus, fits within the year-long theme of the individual in society, as author Adichie uses parallel plotlines to portray how the Achike family is a microcosm of the Nigerian society they live in. Through her portrayal of political and familial violence, Adichie invites readers to debate whether an individual should stay in an unjust and oppressive society in order to create change or leave that society for a better life. Students also explore the sacrifices individuals make for freedom.
Before diving into the novel, students will engage with Binyavanga Wainaina's essay "How to Write About Africa" and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Ted Talk "The Danger of a Single Story" to explore how both texts call attention to the West's harmful stereotypes about Africa and Africans. These readings prepare students for Purple Hibiscus, which uses a dynamic Nigerian main character, Kambili, to depict the complexity of postcolonial Nigerian experiences, thus interrupting the West's single stories about Africa. Through Kambili's voice, students learn about the detrimental ripple effects of colonialism, and they explore why it is sometimes necessary to defy tyrannical authority figures.
As students read Purple Hibiscus, they will trace the significance of different motifs across the novel. At the end of the unit, students will write a literary analysis essay about how the evolution of one or two closely connected motifs develops a theme that resonates with their own lives or the world they live in.
Please Note: In September 2025, this unit and its lesson plans will be updated to reflect a round of enhancements.
Texts and Materials
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Core Materials
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Book: Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Algonquin Books, 2012)
Supporting Materials
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Essay: “How to Write About Africa” by Binyavanga Wainaina (Granta)
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Poem: “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde
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Poem: “They Don't Love You Like I Love You” by Natalie Diaz
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Transcript: “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Facing History)
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Video: “Ibrahim Babangida: Military Dictator and Nigeria's Complex History” by African Biographics (YouTube)
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Video: “The Scramble for Africa: A History of Independence” (Aljazeera)
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Video: “TED Talk: The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Video: “The Genius of Fela Kuti and Afrobeats” by Sound Field (YouTube)
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Assessment
These assessments accompany Unit 2 and should be given on the days suggested in the Lesson Map. Additionally, there are formative and creative assessments integrated into the unit to prepare students for the Performance Task.
Socratic Seminar
The Socratic Seminar assesses students on their ability to push themselves and their peers to think critically and participate meaningfully in conversation by collecting and evaluating evidence, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully. Socratic Seminar assessments may occur mid-unit as a way to synthesize the ideas of the text/unit to that point or summative, taking place at the end of a unit.
Performance Task
The Performance Task is the culminating assessment of the unit in which students have the opportunity to show the skills and content they have learned.
Unit Prep
Intellectual Prep
Essential Questions
- What does it mean to be truly free? What is the relationship between freedom and sacrifice?
- How does the tension between tradition and colonialism impact individuals and communities?
- How can family dynamics be reflective of a society?
- How do our identities change depending on the community we are a part of?
- How can beliefs and actions be in contradiction to one another?
Vocabulary
Text-based
abjectbenevolencecoupculturally consciousdefiantdecreedesecrateengrossedevocativeheathenimplicateinvigoratedingrainedmalignmicrocosmpatronizingpacifypenitentpilgrimagereconcilerebukedrecountedsacrilegioussolemnitysubduedtaboothwarttraditionalist
Literary Terms
allusionanecdotecharacterizationenjambmentexternal dialoguefoilhyperboleinternal dialoguemetaphormotifmoodparallel plotspostcolonial literaturerefrainrhetorical questionsatirestructurethemeunderstatementverbal irony
To see all the vocabulary for Unit 2, view our 10th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.
Notes for Teachers
Purple Hibiscus contains both explicit and implicit references to disturbing content, including physical abuse and pregnancy loss. Before starting the text, it is imperative that teachers prepare students for this content, which may be sensitive and triggering for students. To foster a safe learning environment, teachers should create or re-establish their classroom contract and have a dialogue with students about what would make them feel safe when reading and discussing upsetting scenes in the novel. Prior to students reading Purple Hibiscus, teachers should provide students with an overall warning about the sensitive content in the book. Before students complete a homework reading with disturbing scenes, teachers should warn students about the upsetting content they will come across in that particular reading, so that students can mentally and emotionally prepare themselves for it. Additionally, teachers should be aware of signs of abuse, in the event that a student displays signs or discloses abuse they are experiencing inside or outside of their home.
Below are some resources to prepare yourself and your students for this text:
- Contracting by Facing History and Ourselves
- An Introduction to Content Warnings and Trigger Warnings by the University of Michigan
- Trigger Warnings by the University of Waterloo
- Recognizing Signs of Abuse in Students and How You Can Help by Education World
Lesson Map
Common Core Standards
Core Standards
Supporting Standards
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