Purple Hibiscus: Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Kambili continues to see Mama’s blood when she tries to read, but she studies constantly and memorizes her teacher’s words, knowing she must come first this term. Finally she gets her report card and she is first in the class. Papa praises her and says how proud he is of her, and Kambili cherishes this memory as she falls asleep that night.

Christmas approaches, when the family makes their annual trip to their hometown of Abba. Many of the wealthy Igbo do this: they have huge houses in their home village, which they visit only once a year, and the rest of the time live in smaller houses in the city. Papa directs the packing of the cars, as they are bringing lots of food to the village. On the drive to Abba each family member takes turns reciting the rosary. They stop to buy some food, and Papa gives money to all the hawkers (people peddling goods for sale) who crowd around him.

They arrive in Abba and drive through the dirt roads of the village. It is mostly mud-and-thatch huts, but there are also extravagant three-story houses, including the Achikes’. Everyone is excited to see them arrive, and they call Papa omelora, which means “The One Who Does for the Community.” Papa drives through the gates of their “country home,” a magnificent mansion. Children chase after the family’s car and Papa gives them all money when he gets out. They unpack the cars with all the food and huge cooking appliances. They will cook enough for everyone in the village to eat—this is why Papa is the omelora.

Ade Coker and his family arrive at the house, stopping by on the way to their own home in Lagos. Ade is small, round, and cheerful, and Kambili cannot imagine him defying soldiers. Ade jokes with Jaja and Kambili, but they only answer dutifully “yes” or “no.” Ade comments to Papa that his children are “always so quiet,” and Papa proudly says that they fear God, unlike most children. Ade jokes that the Standard would not exist if they were all quiet. Everyone laughs but Papa. Jaja and Kambili silently go upstairs.

The next morning Jaja and Kambili wake up early to the sounds of bleating goats and people calling greetings to each other in broken English. They decide to go downstairs and start their prayers before Papa calls them. The house has four stories, but the family only uses the bottom two. The upper two were last used for the party when Papa took the omelora title—but only after consulting with a priest and ensuring that there were no pagan undertones to his title-taking ceremony.

Mama and Papa come downstairs and start to pray with the children. Soon a visitor comes, asking for presents for his children. He speaks English, as Papa likes it when the villagers speak English to him—he says it shows “good sense.” Papa promises the man some presents when the prayers are done. After all the recitations each family member prays their own prayer. Papa ends with a twenty-minute prayer that includes a request that Papa-Nnukwu convert to Christianity and so be saved from hell. He follows this with a long description of hell’s torments.

Papa tells Jaja and Kambili that they will visit Papa-Nnukwu today, but only for fifteen minutes, and not to eat or drink anything there. Jaja and Kambili have only been allowed to visit their grandfather since he called a meeting of the umunna (large extended family) to complain that he never saw his grandchildren. Papa then agreed to allow the children to “greet” him every year. Papa himself never goes along, and he sends his father only a small amount of money. Papa-Nnukwu has never entered the family’s mansion, as Papa mandates that no heathens will set foot in it.

Even though Papa-Nnukwu lives nearby, Kevin drives the children so that he can keep an eye on them. They arrive at Papa-Nnukwu’s tiny house, which has no bathroom. They go in and Papa-Nnukwu greets them happily, half-jokingly offering them food even though he knows they are forbidden to eat there. Kambili examines him for “signs of Godlessness,” and though she cannot see any she is sure they must be there.

Jaja and Kambili ask about his health, and Papa-Nnukwu says that their Aunty Ifeoma brings him medicine when she can afford it. He says that Ifeoma and her children will come to Abba this year. They did not last year, as Ifeoma has been struggling for money ever since her husband died. Papa-Nnukwu declares that Kambili and Jaja should know their cousins better, and that their lack of contact is “not right.” They never see Ifeoma’s children because Ifeoma and Papa quarreled about Papa-Nnukwu, and whether he should be allowed into Papa’s house.

Papa-Nnukwu eats, and Kambili watches him swallow with difficulty. He offers to buy them soft drinks, saying that they surely cannot be heathen. Jaja first declines, but then says that if he were thirsty, he would drink in Papa-Nnukwu’s house. Papa-Nnukwu praises Jaja for speaking wisely. Jaja nudges Kambili, as it is time for them to go, but Kambili finds herself unable to leave, wanting to stay and help Papa-Nnukwu. Finally Jaja stands up and they go. Kevin gives Papa-Nnukwu some money from Papa, and Papa-Nnukwu thanks him, despite the coldness of sending money though a driver.

Kambili remembers how Papa used to treat Mama’s father, their Grandfather, in an entirely different way. Grandfather was very light-skinned and always spoke English, and was a devout Catholic. Papa was always very respectful and friendly to him, treating him as if her were his own father. Papa still talks proudly about Grandfather, and how he converted most of the people of Abba itself. Papa keeps a photograph of him on the wall.

The children come home and Kambili asks Jaja if he will confess about offering to drink in Papa-Nnukwu’s house. Jaja says he was just trying to make Papa-Nnukwu feel better. They eat lunch and then Papa returns. He is angry that they stayed 25 minutes at Papa-Nnukwu’s house instead of 15. Kambili expects Papa to hit them, but he only sends them away to pray for forgiveness.

Kambili and Jaja then hear Papa yelling outside. He is angry that a “worshiper of idols,” an old man named Anikwenwa, has entered the compound. Anikwenwa accuses Papa of being disrespectful to his elders. Some men lead him away at Papa’s command, but as he leaves Anikwenwa says Papa is like a “fly blindly following a corpse into the grave.”