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9th Grade English

Unit 4: Purple Hibiscus
Lesson 4

Objective Readings and Materials

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda
Identify one of the major conflicts of the novel and be able to explain how the Ngozi Adichie pg. 8 — 16
author uses symbols and characters to develop the conflict.

Target Task

Question 1
What is the main cause of the conflict between Papa and Jaja?

1. Papa prioritizes going to church and Jaja does not want to go.
2. Papa is very controlling and Jaja is rebelling against that control.
3. Papa does not trust Jaja to make good decisions.
4. Papa has been a very successful man and Jaja shows signs of being lazy.

Question 2
Which of the following pieces of evidence from the first chapter best supports the answer to number 1?

1. “At least he was saying thanks the right way, the way we always did after a meal. But he was also doing what we never
did: he was leaving the table before Papa had said the prayer after meals” (14)
2. “After I vomited in the bathroom, I asked Mama where Jaja was. He had not come in to see me since after lunch” (15).
3. “He picked up the missal and flung it across the room, toward Jaja” (7).
4. “Papa always sat in the front pew for Mass, at the end beside the middle aisle, with Mama, Jaja, and me sitting next to him” (4).

Question 3
Explain the connection between the symbol of the purple hibiscus and the conflict between Papa and Jaja. Use evidence from the
text.

Key Questions

What does the purple hibiscus symbolize?

What role do flowers in general seem to have?
What does the missal symbolize?
How do these symbols relate to the major thematic topics? How do they develop these thematic topics?

9th Grade English

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Unit 4: Purple Hibiscus — Lesson 4 of 32
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