Flowers of Freedom: Voice, Defiance, and Coming of Age in Purple Hibiscus

Lesson 17
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ELA

Unit 2

10th Grade

Lesson 17 of 24

Objective


Analyze how Adichie foreshadows the events of Palm Sunday. 

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie  pp. 229 – 253 — "Speaking With Our Spirits: Before Palm Sunday"

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

When facing tyranny and injustice, is it better to stay and help create change, even if it means sacrificing your and your loved ones' well-being, or is it better to leave for a safer life? First respond to this question with your own personal beliefs. Then, write about how Mama and Aunty Ifeoma would each respond to this same question.

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Close Read Questions

How have Kambili's feelings for Father Amadi evolved? What role does Father Amadi play in Kambili's life? What important lessons does she learn from him?

What does the scene when Jaja kills the chicken reveal about how his character has changed? In thinking about the opening of the novel on Palm Sunday, how does this moment foreshadow what is to come?

Consider the scene when Mama and Aunty Ifeoma argue about going back to Papa, and what Amaka says after their argument. Why does Mama make excuses for Papa's behavior? Is Papa a redeemable character?

Vocabulary


Text-based

ingrained

adj.

(p. 230)

1. Deeply embedded and thus difficult to remove. 2. a habit, belief, or attitude firmly fixed or established and therefore difficult to change.

Homework


  • Book: Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie  pp. 257 – 287

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • What changes in the weather and in the house does Adichie describe at the beginning of this reading?

  • How did Papa help Yewande Coker's daughter? What does Jaja say when Kambili tells him about how Papa helped her?

  • What news does Aunty Ifeoma tell Kambili on the phone? How does Jaja respond to this news?

  • What does Kambili say when Father Amadi asks her if she wanted to talk to Papa on the phone? What does this reveal?

  • What is Amaka's reasoning for not wanting to take an English name for her confirmation?

  • What does Kambili say she saw and felt in Aokpe?

  • What does Kambili tell Father Amadi? How does he respond?

  • How does Aunty Ifeoma describe the visa process?

  • What news does Mama tell Kambili on the phone? What does Kambili assume happened?

Annotation Focus

Note moments in the reading where you see descriptions of rain, laughter, and singing. Quote a few of these moments with page numbers in your motif tracker in the rows "Rain," "Speech/Laughter," and "Music/Singing." Students are not required to write about the motifs' developing significance yet, though they may add to that column if they have initial ideas. 

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Standards


  • RL.9-10.3 — Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
  • RL.9-10.5 — Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.4
RL.9-10.6
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.9
W.9-10.10

Next

Analyze how Adichie uses motifs to illustrate Kambili's character development.

Lesson 18
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