1

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Preamble

This essay is a stylistic analysis concerned with the understanding of Purple

Hibiscus through the writer’s creative manipulation of language for rhetoric purposes.

The Leech and Short’s mode of stylistic analysis is applied to the written text which

reveals certain traits of the writer’s psychology and her perspective .The work

commences with preliminary, followed by the four levels of stylistic analysis and

conclusion.

1.1 Purpose of the Study

My main propose for carrying out this study is my interest in stylistics as well as

the occupation of evaluating the specific stylistic features in Purple Hibiscus. It is a

manner of assessing Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s mindset towards achieving aesthetics

and her determined perspective with the use of language.

1.1 Scope of Study

The scope of study is the application of all of the four levels of stylistics study:

Graphology, phonology, Syntax and Semantics and their importance in the novel, Purple

Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This study does not mean the entire language

used in Purple Hibiscus rather excerpts are isolated, defined and discussed the linguistics
 2

features and literary elements which are particularly important and reveal her mindset

towards her intended perspectives.

1.2.1 Brief Overview of Purple Hibiscus

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus explores like any novels of the

twenty-first (21st) Century, but with a turn, the tension between Igbo and Western culture

through the story of a fifteen year old girl named Kambili. Her industrialist father,

Eugene Achike is well known in the community as a pious and generous man that

courageously stands against the rebel forces who overthrew the democratic regime, but

on the other hand, Eugene is a tyrant, who terrorizes Kambili, her mother, Beatrice and

her elder brother, Jaja. Eugene forces his family to live by the strictures of a

fundamentalist strain of Catholicism and rejects the traditional African faith of his own

father. Hence, the subject matters of Purple Hibiscus is the reflection of the historical and

socio-political condition of the society as well as a domestic disintegration of family.

Adichie uses a pseudonym Kambili Achike to narrate her story through a first

person point of view. Kambili starts the story from the almost at the middle and goes

back (flashback) to give the accounts of previous events and from her experience as a

teenager we are told of another form of silence (foreshadowing). She began where the

Achike’s family, oversee by the Father, Eugene Achike, commences a close fatal nuclear

family disintegration. She moves back in time to tell all that precedes and precipitates the

disintegration. Kambili grows from about fourteen years old to around eighteen years old.

The person of Kambili is a timid, subdued, submissive, and reserved and by which she
 3

shapes her story. The other characters are Beatrice Eugene Achike, Jaja, Papa-Nnukwu,

Aunty Ifeoma, Amaka, Chima, Obiora, Ade Coker, father Benedict, father Amadi and

some others whose rose seem tiny but of course relevant too.

Purple Hibiscus mirrors the oddities in Nigeria and Africa at large. It captures the

tyrannical trauma of patriachical leadership in the family and socio-political unease and

abuse of power that characterizes the dictatorial governance in post-political-independent

of Nigeria. Adichie presents the patriarchal Manichaeism in the complexity of Eugene’s

character after burning Kambili’s feet, Eugene tells Kambili that when he was growing-

up, he himself had suffered a similar punishment at the hands of the priests who raised

him, after he committed “a sin against my body” that is, masturbation, the priest soaked

his hands in boiling water. Eugene is a victim of abuse emanating from colonialism and

Christianity, yet he sees the act of punishing his own children as gesture of compassion.

Kambili and Jaja’s lives take a good turn with their visit to their aunt Ifeoma and her

children in Nsukka. Ifeoma is also a Catholic like Eugene Achike, her elder brother but

not an extremist Catholic like him. Ifeoma provides a freedom and friendly atmosphere

for her children and corrects them gently when it utmost needed. The irony of the story

resides in Eugene’s oppression of his own family while he fights for political freedom.

Purple Hibiscus suggests the pervasiveness of despotism and the way it can ensnare even

those who resist it. Kambili’s linguistic alienation which underscores her isolation from

the world around her, foreground the style of narrative which in-turn fashioned the choice

of words, sentence and paragraphs used in captivating the mind of the readers.
 4

1.2.2 Background of the Author

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born on September 15, 1977 in Enugu state,

although she is a native of Abba, in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State,

Eastern Nigeria. She is the fifth of six children to her parents, Grace Ifeoma and James

Nwoye Adichie. She was brought up in the University town of Nsukka, in the former

home of Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe and the location of the University of Nigeria,

where her father worked as a deputy Vice-Chancellor and a professor of statistics while

her mother was the University Registrar. As a child she attended the University’s primary

and secondary schools. Growing up in a University environment nurtured her innate

desire to write, and during these years she wrote a number of plays and poems that were

performed at school.

In 1995 she enrolled in the University to study Medicine and Pharmacy but left

the following year to enroll at Drexel University in Philadelphia on scholarship. Two

years later, she transferred to Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic

Connecticut to study Political Science and Communication. She continued to write

during this period, and several of her short stories were published in literary journals,

such as: Gramta, other voices, calyx, and lowa Review. In 2003, she had her master’s

degree in creative writing at the John Hopkins University in Baltimore. And in 2008, she

received a masters of Arts in African Studies at Yale University. Her debut, Purple

Hibiscus was published in 2003. It received good review and won the 2005

commonwealth writer’s Prize for Best First Book. Her second novel, Half of A Yellow
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Sun is named after the short-lived flag of the Biafra nation and is set before and during

the Biafra war, which was published in 2006, and was awarded the 2007 Orange Prize for

friction. Moreso, her third book a collection of short stories entitled The Thing Around

Your Neck was published in April 2009 in the U.S.A. She has also written numerous

articles published in journals and magazines.

1.2 Methodology

The data for analysis have been randomly excerpted from Purple Hibiscus. This will be

done with the application of Leech and Shorts’ model of analysis. They postulate that

“The apparatus of linguistic description can be used in analyzing the style of a prose

text.”(74).They further say that the basis of stylistic analysis should base upon “the

terminology and general view of grammar presented in Quirk and Greenbaun’s

University Grammar of English.” They recommended four levels:

In addition to the level of SEMANTICS. There are the levels of SYNTAX

and PHONOLOGY, which together form the expression plan of language.

These two levels constitute what is often referred to as the ‘double

articulation’ of linguistic form: Phonology, being the ‘sound pattern’ of

the language/phonemes, stress, rhythm, intonation, and syntax being

roughly speaking, the abstract grammatical and lexical form of language.

(119-120).
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They go further to state the fourth level of stylistics as graphology in the following

expression:“Since literature is normally encountered in the written medium, a fourth

level of organization and analysis must be given its place: That of GRAPHOLOGY, the

writing system.” (120). Therefore, this study will analyze Purple Hibiscus stylistically

with the four levels of leech and Short’s model of analysis, that is, phonology,

graphology, syntax and semantics will form the basis of the analysis.

1.4 Theoretical Background

The subject stylistics has been studied from nineteenth (19th) till date

predominantly with more developed changes. Since its emergence as a significant

academic field within the scope of linguistics in the 1960s, stylistics has continued to

attract intellectual attention of varying degrees. Some linguists consider stylistics as a

fraction of linguistic that deals with the study of varieties of language, its constituents,

and principles behind choice, dialogue, accent, length and register. On the contrary,

others insist that it attempts to establish principles capable of explaining the particular

choices (style) used by individuals and social groups in their use of language. Cambridge

Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines stylistics as ‘the systematic study of style’

(1450). With this definition the study of style is not just haphazard but ‘systematic’. This

shows that language is a system, that is, language is a highly structured system of

communication and that is why utterances are not formed by randomly combining

linguistic elements. It must follow a particular pattern. Also in Longman Dictionary of

Contemporary English, stylistics is defined as ‘the study of style in written or spoken

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language’ (1437). Longman’s definition is obvious that style could be studied in both

written and spoken language. Meanwhile, Chambers 21st Century Dictionary explains

stylistics as:

Stylistics’ Linguistics – the systematic study of style especially literary

ranging from features of language which can be defined with individual

(e.g. Shakes – peare’s style, Joyce’s style), to those which identify

major occupation groups (e.g. legal style, journalistic style) and

characteristics of speakers and writers in a peculiar situation (e.g.

parliamentary style). (1449).

Crystal and Davy explained the concept of stylistics with new but similar terms as

follows:

Stylistics is all the language habits of a person. It is a selection of

language habits, occasional linguistic idiosyncrasies which characterized

an individual’s uniqueness (…….) it could also be habit shared by a group

of persons at a period of time like the style of Augustan poets, Victorian

Poets, Old English Poets. (9-10).

Moreso, Matthew’s Oxford concise dictionary of Linguistics defined stylistics as “The

study of style in Language; traditionally of variations in usage literary and other texts,

now more generally, of a way systematic variation in either writing or speech which

relates to the type of discourse of its context” (386). Matthew pays special attention to
 8

differentiate between language style and dialectal variation. This language style is

specifically among literary and other texts which must be systemic. Leech and Short

define stylistics simply as “the (linguistic) study of style” (13). In other words linguistics

could be optional or additional in the study of style in as much as we could study

advertisement style, fashion style, meanwhile, when it becomes the linguistic study of

style; it requires our knowledge of language and literature. They summed and unit the

different perspectives of scholars in the field of stylistics as they say in the following

statement.

If there is a single characteristic which unites these diverse enterprises in

linguistics today, it is a tendency to explore for pattern and system below

the surface forms of language; to search for principles of meaning and

language use (stylistics) which activate and control the code. (1985 5).

The Leech and Short’s postulation consider stylistics as a characteristic of linguistics

which unites different constituents and principles of linguistics as well as a tendency to

explore for pattern and system below the surface forms of language to search for meaning

in the linguistic constituents of a text. They further make the goals of stylistic theoretical

background clearer in their explanation for the generic component of a literary text in the

below statement:

Linguistics places literary uses of languages against the background of

more ‘ordinary’ uses of language, so that we see the poet or novelist

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making use of the same code, the same set of communicative resources, as

the journalist, the scientist, or as the garden wall gossip. (………). It is

unthinkable that the literary artist should cut himself adrift from the all –

embracing role that language has in our everyday lives. So literary

expression is an enhancement, or a creative liberation of the resources of

language which we use from day to day. (1985 5-6)

They are of the opinion that literary work is not an abstract linguistics composition

rather it only deviates from the norm of language usage to bring out artistic aesthetics.

Hence, evaluating the artistic aesthetic of language use in a text through which reader’s

intuition is used to extract meaning from the linguistic features which constitute a text.

Thus, stylistics is primarily concerned with the use of language and it effects in a text.

This study is based on describing the form and function of language used in Adichie’s

debut.

1.5 Review of Related Literature on Purple Hibiscus

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s debut had received numerous good reviews from

Africa and non-Africans before winning the Commonwealth Writers Prizes for Best First

Book in 2005. Thereafter, more interests in the novel spring up, such as articles, brief

analysis, comments on websites, and works in form of discussions. These are mostly

from Non-African readers, available only in the internet.

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An article by Niyi Osunbade entitled “Explicatures in conversational Discourse in

Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus” from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria.

He investigates meaning generation at the explicit level in purple Hibiscus. It specifically

explores the processes by which the meanings of utterances are modified in use,

exemplifying with twenty-five percent of transactions in the novel. The research reveals

that the recovery of explicatures involves reference assignment, bridging, gap – filling,

disambiguation and embedding propositional contents of expressions into higher level

explicatures. He concludes that a study of explicatures in Purple Hibiscus assist

immensely in understanding conversations in the text and aids access to the intended

meaning of the author vis-a-vis the overall interpretation of the text.

A review by Ruby A. Bell-Gam entitled “The Best Things in life” Published on

H-Art-Teach (December, 2004) explicitly paraphrases Adichie’s debut as a thoroughly

engaging and exquisitely crafted piece of work. He continues, by saying that, Purple

Hibiscus is a Multi-dimensional novel. It is a tender first – person narrative of a teenage

girl who finds her own voice, despite years of abuse and intimidation that have left her

stuttering. In telling the story of Kambili and the extraordinary events that transform her

world, Adichie manages to present and explore a number of important issues rather

intricately. Dell-Gam furthermore, that Adichie courageously raises other poignant

questions without ever resorting to preaching. One minor criticism is the absence of a

glossary for this novel.

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Another notable work is that by Christopher Anyokwu in University of Lagos,

entitled “Igbo Rhetoric and the New Nigerian Novel: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s

Purple Hibiscus” analyzes the Igbo words, phrases, clauses and even sentences

pragmatically. He says that, Adichie, the Igbo-born Nigerian novelist, follows the

pragmatic example of Achebe, her elder compatriot, in constructing the ‘Igbo English’ as

she draws from the inexhaustible oral resources of the Igbo as the figural “bolts” and

“nuts” of her narrative. The work’s contention is that the ‘Adichian’ aesthetics points the

way to the future of literature in Africa. Already it is seen as a new Nigerian literary

voice and gradually gaining the recognition for Africa new literary voice.

Daria Tunca’s article on Purple Hibiscus entitled “An ambiguous Freedom Song:

Mind-Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus”. The work is an attempt

of stylistic analysis of Purple Hibiscus with a theory introduced and developed by Roger

Fowler that is, a concept of “Mind-Style”’ as well as M.A.K Holidays and Mathiessen’s

functional grammar. Tunca questions the critical consensus regarding the narrative voice

of Purple Hibiscus. He reconsiders Kambili’s account as detachable and unemotional

and argues that a re-examination of the narrator’s discourse is needed to acquire a

deeper understanding of how the notion of freedom and oppression are woven into the

novel. He further argues that Kambili’s experiences of the phenomena of the real world,

that is, her experiences of the internal world of her own consciousness, her reactions,

cognitions, perceptions and her linguistic acts of speaking and understanding enhance

the proper understanding of the novel.

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More so, a book review by Oseloka Obaze of Purple Hibiscus state “Two Thumps

up Purple Hibiscus enchants despite being a tragic riddle of a life devoted

simultaneously to altruism and mayhem, very well rendered’’ he went further in

rendering his views on purple Hibiscus.

1.6 Justification of the Study

What fascinated this research is the uniqueness of stylistics as it combines both

linguistics and literary studies. The choice of words Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie uses for

rhetoric purposes reflects the work as the conscious experience and thoughts of the

author herself. The author has some perspectives in form of thoughts, ideas which lies

within ideology and her desire to narrate it through the conscious creative manipulation

of language (that is, stylistics). This work set out to analyze the creative manipulation of

language used in Purple Hibiscus stylistically.

1.7 Thesis Statement

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie uses phonological, graphological, syntactic and Lexico-

semantic features to express the culture and religion conflicts, dysfunctional social

institutions, as well as to enhance character exposition, cohesion and the delineation of

setting.
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CHAPTER TWO

ANALYSIS OF PHONOLOGICAL AND GRAPHOLOGICAL FEATURES

2.1 Analysis of Phonological Features

Phonology consists of two morphemes: Phono (sound or voice) and logy (study)

originated from the Greek Language. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines

phonology as “the speech sounds of a particular language; the study of these sounds

(1090).” This definition is concise and precise, that is, phonology is the relation between

sounds of speech and grammar of a language. Phonology has two basic levels: segmental

and suprasegmental levels. The segmental level otherwise, known as phonemes (vowels

and consonants) are smallest units of speech in a language that distinguish one world

form another. The second level, suprasegmental also called prosody. Suprasegmental

comprises of stress, intonation and rhythm.

Phonological choices is very essential in considering style of oral literature but in

written literature the implicit sound pattern can possibly be realized explicit in reading

aloud to hear the string of sounds. The observation of Leech and Short makes us

understand that phonology is only realizable in phrases, clauses and sentences.

Furthermore, the manner and sequence of words brings out the aesthetic stylistic values

paramount to stylistician. Phonology does not only consist of physical properties but also

grammatical properties of sounds to implied meaning.

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Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus presents musical background tone. Aside from

phonology, other features of syntax and semantics like pattern repetitions, paraphrasing

and rephrasing evoke musical qualities to foreground lexical words. The phonological

features in Purple Hibiscus are assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, consonance,

allophone and rhythm or stress. There are others but those mentioned above will form our

focus of discussion.

2.1.1 Assonance

Assonance deals with vowels repetition in sequential words usually in a sentence.

It brings out the rhyme in a text, although it is a rhyme itself. Assonance and consonance

are commonly used in prose texts, while rhyme is for repetition of same sound in ending

of lines in poetry. Assonance like consonance reinforces sounds which make the flow of

words in sentences rhythmic. The following examples from Purple Hibiscus have

assonance.

i. The b/e/ll-shaped y/e/llow fru/i/ts hung, laz/i/ly, drawing b/u/zzing bees that

b/u/mped against my w/i/ndow’s n/e/tting (17).

ii. Jaja soon came back with the boys, the b/o/ttle /o/f s/o/ft drinks in a bl/a/ck

pl/a/stic b/a/g (127).

iii. The flickering light cast a t/o/paz glow /o/ver the narr/o/w verandah (…..)

(174).
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iv. They think grief and denial – that her husband is dead and that her son is in

prison – have turned her into this vision of a painfull/y/ bon/y/ bod/y/. (300)

The essences from example (i), /e/, /o/ and /u/, that is, words like “bell” and

“yellow”, “buzzing” and “bumped”, and drawing” and buzzing” draw the reader’s

attention and reinforces rhythm in the text. In example (ii) /o/ and /a/ gives the expression

melodies tune which suggests the good mood of the speaker. Example (iii), assonance /o/

sound is used to picture the atmosphere. The assonance sound /i/ encapsulates the

thinning fragile body of Beatrice. The assonance /r/ also creates a music tune.

2.1.2 Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant. Alliteration, that is, consonantal

sounds occurring in initial words are sequentially arranged to give musicality. There are

numerous recurrent of alliteration in Purple Hibiscus. For example:

i. I was /w/ondering /w/here he /w/as going and /w/hat he had planned to do

there (112).

ii. The /g/ardener /h/ad /s/aid it was a /h/armless /g/arden /s/nake (114)

iii. (……..) each /s/mack of the /s/wtich /s/wift and precise (110).

iv. It was early rainy season, and the frangipani tree planted next to the walls

already filled the yard with the /s/ickly - /s/weet /s/cent of their flowers (17).

v. A salty /w/etness /w/armed /m/y /m/outh (217).

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The example (i) has alliterative sound: approximant /w/ repeated sequentially and

in example (ii) plosive /g/, fricative /h/ and fricative /s/ give the sentence musical tune.

Example (iii) and (iv) have fricative alveolar voiced /s/ sound without consonant clusters

allow for smooth and musicality in the reading of the novel. The alliteration sound in

example (iii) suggest the swirling and fast movement of the “switch” as it fell on the

victims while some sound enhance our sense of perception of the “flowers” in example

(iv). The alliterative sound which is approximant bilabial /w/ sound combine with words

with initial nasal bilabial voiced /m/ signal the sharp taste of the salt in Kambili’s mouth.

Alliteration, when properly used complement meaning in the context it has been used.

This makes it as one of the spices of stylistics.

2.1.3 Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is Greek word meaning creation of names but restricted in

grammar to mean words that imitate the sounds they denote. It forms some basic set of

words that gave birth to vocabulary of language. The Onomatopoeia employed by

Adichie suggests meaning in the context they are use. For example:

i. Amaka chanted, “Flush, flush, flush,” while I struggle to break free. (134)

ii. Aunty Ifeoma was scraping a burnt pot in the kitchen, and the kroo-kroo-

kroo
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iii. Papa turned into the dirt road, and soon I heard the screech- screech-screech

of the low underbelly of Mercedes scraping the bumpy, sun-baked dirt road

(63).

The first example with “flush, flush, flush” has a co-relation with the context of

its usage. The onomatopoeic word “flush” arouses the picture of ordure in the reader’s

mind. In example two (ii) the word “kroo-kroo-kroo” made by a spoon when scratching

the bottom of a pot, meanwhile Kambili says it is “intrusive” suggests that it is

unpleasant sound. Example (iii), with onomatopoeic screech-screech-screech suggests the

dryness of the dirt that touch the bottom of the car, this suggest that the road is not tarred

and unkempt a characteristic of most villages in the third world.

2.1.4 Stress/Rhythm

Both terms to a large extent are inseparable because the use of one suggests the

inherent in the production of certain word or syllable which can also affect meaning and

produce rhythm, while rhythm is a regular strong beats with repeated patterns of sounds

or movements. Abrams explains the two terms as “A shift in stress-that is, of relative

forcefulness, or loudness, of a component element in an utterance “(175). Stress is more

appreciated in the context of continuous speech. Stress in English sentences tends to

occur at regular interval, for hits reason, English speech is described as highly

rhythmical, and in the regular occurrence of stress syllable, rhythm is observable. Stress

is a matter of prominence often realized in length, loudness, pitch and quality. These
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reiterate some salient quality of rhythm in Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. The stressed that

syllables are indicated with capital letters in the examples below:

i. THINGS started to FALL aPART at HOME when MY brother jaJA did NOT

go TO communion AND papa flung HIS heaVY misSAL aCROSS the

ROOM and BROKE the FIguRINES on the eTAgere (11).

When some important fact is placed first in a sentence, there is the tendency that

such sentence will end with an unstressed syllable, as observable in the above example.

ii. Our STEPS on THE stairs WERE as MEAsured AND as Silent AS our

SUNdays: (39).

In the above example, the sentence starts with an unstressed or less important and

also ends in a fallen rhythm (unstressed). But in the following example, the rhythm is

placed on the important facts or themes of the sentences which are placed at the initial or

middle or end part of the sentence.

iii. HOWling WINDs came WITH an Angry RAIN, upROOting FRANgiPAni

TREE in THE front YARD (261).

In addition, sentence whose end carries essential information is often stressed and

accompanied with a high rhythm. That is, sentence begins and ends in a fall-rise rhythm.

For instance:

iv. The DOORbell RANG (238).

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For the examples, we see how stress and lexical items that carry central message

is used to modulate rhythm. The examples given above may not account for all others

stresses. Patterns in Purple Hibiscus, but, there is the tendency that Adichie purposely

used some lexical items that follows the pulse of stress patterns or syllables sequence

which produce rhythm, in respect to where the central message lies. In example (i) and

(iii), the significance of a rise – fall rhythm produces the effect of anticlimaxes. While

example (ii) and (iv) have interrelated meanings. The “steps on the stairs” asserts the

silentness of Sundays in Achike’s family. The picture painted by the effect of the

“Howling winds” to “yard” is vehemently essential and just like “steps on the stairs were

measure” is symbolic.

All the features of phonology discussed above; assonance, alliteration,

onomatopoeia and stress/rhythm evoke musicality in Adichie Purple Hibiscus. The

phonological features affected by sharp, harsh and aggressive tone and mood stand at the

background of Adichie’s debut. The musical aspect (phonology) of Adichie’s Purple

Hibiscus is as important as the story itself.

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2.2 Analysis of Graphological Features

Graphology is the study of the written forms of languages. Graphology is not the

first form of languages; it usually exists first in the spoken (phonological) form before its

graphological representation (graphemes) is composed. Leech and Short give explicit

explanation in the following statement.

Graphological variation is a relatively minor and superficial part of style,

concerning such matters as spelling, capitalization, hyphenation, italics

and paragraphing. Such matters are to great extent determined

conventionally by syntax and become noticeably expressive only when a

writer makes a graphological choice which is to some degree marked or

unconventional, such as a deliberate misspelling.

There are numerous graphological features in Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, that is,

some are internal while others are external deviations. This study only considers few of

them such as: capitalization, italics, punctuation marks and paragraphs.

2.2.1 Capitalization

Capitalization is a letter of the form and size that is used at the beginning of a sentence or

a name, that is, the use of large letter, as opposed to a small letter at the first alphabet in a

word, sentence and paragraph. In Purple Hibiscus, Adichie follows the usual convention

in capitalization such as; beginning each sentence with a capital letter and proper names.

Meanwhile, there are some exceptions such as:

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i. She wore the same white T-shirt with GOD IS LOVE written on the front.

(42)

ii. Papa’s title was Omelora, after all, The One Who Does for the community.

(64)

iii. I saw a sign on the roadside that read UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA,

NSUKKA. (118)

iv. The green sign outside the Church was lit with white lights. The words ST.

PETER’S CATHOLIC CHAPLAINCY UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA seemed

to twinkle as Amaka and I walked into the incense – scented Church (118).

These are few among enormous use of capitalization in the novel. The

capitalizations foreground the words which in turn make the meanings vivid. For

example (i), foreground word ”GOD IS LOVE” is ironical in the novel as Eugene, who

sees himself righteous and epitome of God’s Love maltreats his wife, Beatrice and

Children Jaja and Kambili in reciprocating this, Beatrice poison Eugene. Example ii,

foreground “The One Who Does”, the use of initial capitals lay emphasis on the

unconditional philanthropist (Eugene Adichie) which in an untranslated version is

“Omelora” (Igbo). In example iii, the capital letters used point to the place of the sign-

post as the location of the referent. The capital letters in (iv), serve same purpose like that

in example (iii). Adichie uses these capitalizations for rhetorical purposes.

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2.2.2 Italicization

Italics are printed letters that lean to the right, that is, slightly slanted form like

handwriting, used in printed text. The use of italics emphasizes and highlights the

information foregrounded. In addition to this, Adichie uses italics to suggest something

beyond the explicit meaning of words, phrases and sentences italicized. Purple Hibiscus

is a domestic novel with a view of a family life of influential wealthy Igbo man, Eugene

Adichie. To depict the domestic culture and tradition influences, Adichie uses italics to

foreground expressions in Igbo language. For examples

i. “Nne, ngwa – Mama was already making me Ofe nsala (22 – 23)

ii. “ke kwanu?” - I asked, although I did not need to ask how he was doing.

(19).

In the examples above, Adichie does not translate the Igbo words nor there is

glossary that the back of the novel which puzzle readers’ at their meaning. These

untranslated expressions in the novel also account for the use of code-mixing and code-

switching in about 45% conversations in the novel, but there are some expression

preceded by a literary translation. For example;

iii. “Umu m,” – she said, hugging us. “My Children”. (42)

iv. Papa thumped my back while Mama rubbed my shoulders and said, “Ozugo.

Stop coughing.” (22)

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The use of native dialect of course is intended in order to keep the readers’

consciousness at alert on the use, as to contrast with that of English by isolating them

through italicization. Other uses of italicization are given below:

v. “The standard editorial is well done,” Mama said. (33)

vi. Papa himself would have a block face when I looked at him, the kind of

expression he had in the photo when they did the big story on him after

Amnesty World gave him a human rights award (13).

vii. His seventeen-year old face had grown lines; they zigzagged across his

forehead, and inside each line a dark tension had crawled in (19).

viii. But what we Nigerians needed was not soldiers ruling us, what we needed

was a renewed democracy. Renewed Democracy (33).

The italicized are: Standard, Amnesty World, zigzagged and renewed democracy.

Example (VI), standard is highlighted to foreground it as news agency which indeed is an

agency for social criticism. Standard’s editor, Ade Coker allows the publisher, Eugene

Achike’s extreme egoism to push him to violent death. Example vii, Amnesty world is

italicized to emphasize the significant of the award that is human right award puts

Eugene Adichie in the picture of human right activist and philanthropist. Example viii,

zigzagged is italicized to highlight the anger on the face of Jaja (imagery). Example ix,

Renewed Democracy is highlight by repeating to emphasize Nigerians basic need. The

different italicized expressions are very important as they emphasize, highlight and show

a stronger level of implicature. For example, in example (i) “Ofe nsala” in italics
 24

indicates a special meal and perhaps Kambili’s favourite food. Moreso, standard in (vi)

and Renewed Democracy in (ix) portrays the challenges of mass media in developing

countries like Nigeria, especially under military rule. Renewed Democracy portrays

Adichie’s political perspective which initiates the use of the italicized expression. The

use of italicized in Purple Hibiscus enhance the reader’s understanding.

2.2.3 Punctuation Marks

Punctuation marks are signs, marks or symbols that separate words, phrases,

clauses and\ or sentences in a text. It is a form that hinge on to a chronological text.

Punctuation marks are not only used to signal intonation, they are as well as use to guide

the stream of consciousness in a written text or avoid ambiguity and in a way to signal

intended meaning. Punctuation marks can play an essential stylistic role in a text. The use

of punctuation marks undiscriminatorily can mar cohesion and coherence of text, but

Adichie appropriate applications of them signal vital information. In Adichie’s Purple

Hibiscus a lot of punctuation marks are used such as: full stop, comma, semi-colon,

exclamatory mark and ellipsis.

2.2.3.1 Full Stop (.)

The full stop is used at the end of a sentence, often to say there is any other

information about the head of the sentence (usually a subject).

 25

The usefulness of full stop to stylistics is how it is used in a text. Adichie uses this

meaningfully to inculcate both explicit and implicit meanings into the readers of Purpose

Hibiscus. For instance:

i. “They brought the cashew juice this afternoon. It tastes good. I am sure it will

sell,” (20)

ii. Something would happen. But the only thing that happened was choking. My

body shook from the coughing. Papa and Mama rushed over. Papa thumped

my back while Mama rubbed my shoulders and said, “Ozugo. Stop

coughing.” (22)

The use of the full stop shows the great. Consciousness of the characters,

Beatrice, Kambili struggling to varnish tense silent that exists in an attempt to satisfy

Papa, her speeches observe occasional long pause. For instance, in example i, “It tastes

good.” and “I am sure it will sell,” are separated by full stop to give independent

information of each. “The cashew juice” ought to unite and allow words of

encouragement to Papa but Jaja fails to do this, which makes the dining table to be tense

and prevent free flowing of expression without pauses. In example ii, the use of full stop

indicates the emotional trauma Kambili is passing through.

2.2.3.2 Comma (,)

It is a sign or mark use to represent a short pause in written text in order moderate

the reading, pace of the readers. The use of comma in Purple Hibiscus has a stylistic role,
 26

and serves some purposes for Adichie’s use of complex sentences, as the following

examples:

i. Papa always sat in the front few for Mass, at the end beside the middle aside,

with Mama, Jaja, and me sitting next to him. (12)

ii. Even the babies stopped crying, as if they, too, were listening. (13)

iii. I closed my eyes, sat still, waiting to hear him call Jaja, to hear Jaja go into his

room. (17)

Comma, that is, the use of asyndeton, is employ to prevent frequent use of

polysyndeton conjunctions, which of course bring out stylistic effect in a written text.

Thus, it is observable in example (i ), that comma reduces volume of a text. And also, it

emphasizes the independent of each piece of information in a sequence of an action. The

use of comma in example ii, points to unusual subject of discussion. In example iii, each

pause in the process of an action is that of nervousness. The use of comma displaces

polysyndeton, that is, conjunctive cohesion. The use of comma economized verbosity but

emphasizes independence of each expression.

2.2.3.3 Semi-Colon (;)

Semi-colon is a half colon consisting of comma a full stop on top of the comma,

that is, (;). The mark is used to separate the parts of a complicated sentence or items in a

detailed list, showing a pause that is longer than a comma but shorter than a full stop.

Semi-colon serves rhetorical purpose such as:

 27

i. The standard, too, was different; it was more critical, more questioning than it

used to be (35).

ii. The plus rug that sank in when you step on it was plain cream; the curtains

had only a little brown embroidery at the edges; the cream leather armchair

where sitting in an intimate conversation. (49).

A stylistic effect is such as not to discontinue a speech by a full stop where it is

need. That is, to describe the parts of a whole that are closely related rather than highly

divisible. Hence, example (i), does not only informed us of the uniqueness of the

standard but tells us the particular domain in which the standard is different though the

use of semi-colon. The standard is inquisitive, daring and unbiased which reflects the

author’s perspective of a genuine but forceful culture that runs the risk of being truncated

by its own extremism.

2.2.3.4 Exclamation Mark (!)

Exclamation mark is a mark that is written after an exclamation. Exclamation is a

short sound, word or phrase spoken suddenly to express an emotion. The exclamation

mark is used to indicate strong assertions and varied emotions. In Adichie Purple

Hibiscus, exclamations attributed to character’s speeches give us an insight to their moon

in the context of their conversation. For examples:

i. “Chineke! I thank you for this new morning! I thank you for the sun that

rises.” (174).
 28

ii. “Neke! Neke! Neke! Kambili and Jaja have come to greet their old father!” (72)

iii. “The tortoise has a cracked shell!” (167).

iv. “Jaja! Kambili!” (121)

In example (i), exclamation is used to present an utterance aim at a superior being

and form of appreciation for unmerited favour. In example (ii), the exclamation marks

assert a meaning beyond the mere expression of surprise, such as ‘unbelief’ because

Eugene had banned his children from visiting their grandfather, whom he considered a

pagan. The exclamation is used to capture the surprise and the repetition of “Neke!”

thrice with exclamation marks show how strong the emotion is and re-enforce the

surprise. Example (iii) the exclamation mark used to show the ignorant of the character

regarding subject of discussion, while example (iv) expresses extreme surprise that calls

for celebration. Adichie uses exclamation marks to reflect character’s emotions, which

are very significant in the context of which they occur.

2.2.3.5 Ellipsis (…)

Ellipsis is a three dots (…) used to show that a world or words have been

deliberately left out. It is the convention of using three dots to show an omitted part of a

texts or sentences. There are two forms of ellipsis in grammar: anaphoric and cataphoric

textual reference, that is, ellipsis refers either to the information before or after it. For

examples:

i. “I am tired. I am so tired…” (157).

 29

ii. “I… I… I… was asleep.” 180)

iii. I did not want to look at Amaka, did not want to see her scrawl, did not want

to prompt her to say something else to me, because I knew I could not keep up

(177).

The ellipsis in example (i) is an anaphoric one. It is used to prevent repetition and

it also signals the helplessness of Aunty Ifeoma. The ellipsis use in example (ii) is

repeated twice while the first person pronounce thrice indicate dishonest in the speaker’s

speech. The example (iii) is a grammatical ellipsis with lexical item (I) as omitted at the

beginning of the consequent clauses in the text. It is used to avoid unnecessary repetition

in the sentence.

2.2.4 Paragraphs

Adichie does not separate occurrence of events with chapter numbers rather she

uses paragraphs to dissect the concatenation of incidents in the novel. A paragraph can

consist of one; or more sentences with one or two or more description to differentiate it

from others. The paragraphs in Purple Hibiscus are varied in length. The essential thing

is paragraphs separate each turn of incidences and stream of consciousness as to

formulate the emphatic aim of each information. The first sentence in each paragraph

serves as the head of the paragraphs. For example:

 30

i. Things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to

communion and Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the

figurines on the étagère. (11)

ii. After mass, we stood outside the Church entrance; waiting while Papa greeted

the people crowded him. (37)

iii. When we finally turned into the dirt road with the hand-painted sign that read

WELCOME TO AOKPE APPARITION GROUND, all I saw at first was

chaos. (278)

The example (i), is the opening paragraph of the novel, and the excerpt is the

opening sentence of the paragraph. The first sentence is loaded with compressed

information that is demands explanation. The explanation to this paragraph constitutes

the entire story of Purple Hibiscus. The example (ii) serves as introduction to preceding

paragraph which goes on to describe the nature of greetings between Papa’s and the

Church members. The example (iii), tells the reader what to expect in the paragraph with

the use of “chaos”. The following sentence explains the chaos, in details. Each paragraph

has a logical connection and the one that preceded it, which can be combined but Adichie

does hits significantly, perhaps for quick changes in thoughts and incidents. Moreso, to

highlight or emphasize their importance, so that, no detail should skip the reader’s

attention or cause the loss of concentration.

We have so far discussed features of graphology in Purple Hibiscus which

include textual composition, capitalization, italicization, punctuation marks and

 31

paragraphs. The use of graphological features not only aids proper understanding of

giving information through structural and physical arrangement but also carry with them

implicative meanings. Adichie uses these features stylistically in passing her message to

the reader.
 32

CHAPTER THREE

ANALYSIS OF SYNTACTIC AND LEXICO-SEMANTICS

3.1 ANALYSIS OF SYNTACTIC FEATURES

A syntactic analysis involves the breaking down of sentence construction into

smaller entities which can be called an immediate constituent. These constituent units or

entities can be classified into words, phrases and clauses. Syntax also depends on

morphology. In other words, syntax deals with correct arrangement of words to form

grammatically intelligible utterance and to express a complete thought.

This section discusses the syntactic levels of Purple Hibiscus by Adichie. The

levels are word, word clusters, phrases, clause, clause structure, sentence complexities,

kinds of sentence and parallel structure. Words, phrases and clauses will be analyzed

with extracts from the novel as illustration.

3. 1. 1 Words

A word is a meaningful syllable or syllables which can be isolate and meaningful

accounts for itself. The analysis of word is not specifically concerned with the study of

individual words meanings, but generally, the system of choice of words used by Adichie

in relation to actions and events in the novel. Although, Adichie uses familiar words,
 33

with conventional use of word about eighty (80%) percent of the entire words are

contemporary English words. For instance:

i. “Here are my sins. I lied two times. I broke the Eucharistic fast once. I lost

concentration during the rosary three times. For all I have said and for all I

have forgotten to say, I beg pardon from your hands and the hands of

God.” (113)

From the above extract, it is clear that Adichie avoid the use of Latin words that

would have been easily fit-in and almost all the words used in the novel have denotative

meaning. The only word that may not be familiar to English speakers (who are not

Catholic) is “Eucharist” otherwise known as Holy Communion of which through the

context it is used the meaning is easily comprehended.

3.1.2. Deviational Words

Another use of words that brings out the aesthetics of stylistics is the use of Igbo

words (dialect). This takes the remaining ten (10) percent of the total words in the novel,

that is, unfamiliar to Non-Igbo speakers. The Igbo words are that of eastern part of

Nigeria. But they would have hamper understanding without literary translation and if

used out of contexts rather than they have been used. For example:

i. “Ke kwanu?” I asked, although I did not need to ask how he was doing (19).

ii. “Ezi Okwu?” Papa – Nnukwu looked up, his milky eye on Father Amadi. “is

that so?” (179).

 34

The two examples above have literary translation of the Igbo (dialect) words.

Adichie used these words intentionally to identify herself as being a member of particular

continent, nation and region where the novel’s setting indicated.

3.1.3 Word Clusters

World clusters is the use of group of words written together to form a single unit.

A cluster word can be replaced with a single word. A cluster word can occur in any of the

sentence slot (S.V.O.C.A.) word cluster is set of words which are very compatible

especially in terms of meaning. In Purple Hibiscus by Adichie has many word clusters

then single words. Adichie uses words cluster basically for emphatic and explicit aims

and in contexts where the meaning and effect of a cluster surpasses that of a single word.

Instances are given below:

i. She was caressing my cornrows; she likes to do that, to trace the way strands

of hair from different parts of my scalp meshed and held together (23).

ii. We left shortly afterwards, a little sooner than on the usual visit to Father

Benedict (39).

Example (i) is a verb clusters and example (ii) is adverb. These words clusters can

be replaced with the following single words. For example (i) interwove, (ii) immediately.

Adichie uses of cluster words are deliberate for rhetorical purposes. In example (i)

“stretches of gleaming marble” not only describing the nature of the floor but also the

imagery paradise (imagery).

 35

3.1.4 Phrase Types

Phrase is a group of words without a finite verb. It is also a syntactic unit that is

not a clause but has some words among which there is a head. Phrases are constituents of

sentences which account for complexity of sentences. Adichie uses different kind of

phrases such as noun, verb and prepositional phrases.

3.1.4.1 Noun phrase

Noun phrase is a combination of words which has noun as its head. In Purple Hibiscus,

Adichie uses noun phrases through combination of nouns and/or preposition. For

examples:

i. Dust – laden winds of harmattan came with December (61).

ii. Gold – yellow lights of kerosene lamps flickered from behind windows

and on verandahs of home, like the eyes of hundreds of wild cats (246 –

247)

Noun phrase in example (i) is post modified by prepositional phrase “of

harmattan” while example (ii) is pre-modified by “Gold-yellow” and post-modified with

“of Kerosene Lamps”. The second part underline is also post-modified with “of hundred

of wild cats”. The use of noun phrases gives additional information in the contexts of

their usage. The complex noun phrase in example (ii) where noun heads are rephrased to

give a vivid picture, to explain or to disambiguate ambiguity that may arise leads to

another level of meaning like metaphor or allusion- “the eyes of hundreds of wild cats”.
 36

3.1.4.2 Verb Phrases

Verb phrase is equivalent to a predicate. Verb phrase is a word or group of words

that expresses a state or an event or an action. For examples:

i. They would stay there until next Ash Wednesday, when we would take the

fronds to Church, to have them burned for Ash (II)

ii. I had only to look at him. His seventeen-year old face had grown lines; they

zigzagged across his forehead, and inside each line a dark tension had crawled

in (19).

The examples above are mostly that of modal auxiliary and lexical verbs. In

example (i) the verb phrase underline are present – progressive. Example (ii) is perfective

aspect which describes a state resulting from something which is already completed. This

is as a result of conflict that engenders in the novel; it enlightens the reader of sudden

change in the character’s response to suppression.

3.1.4.3 Preposition Phrases

Prepositional phrase is the use of a preposition(s) with other words (usually noun)

in a sentence. Prepositional phrases account for the complex sentences found in Purple

Hibiscus. For examples:

i. It showed even in the schedule themselves, the way his meticulously

drawn lines, in black ink, cut across each day, separating study from
 37

siesta, siesta from family time, family time from eating, eating from

prayer, prayer from sleep (31 – 32).

ii. We ate on the verandah, although it was almost as hot as the kitchen

(268).

There are lots of prepositional phrases uses by Adichie to link series of events

together. The persistent link between noun phrase (NP) and prepositional phrase (PP)

give a smooth flowing speech or thoughts.

3. 1. 5 Clause

A clause is a group of words which consists of a subject and a verb which forms a

complete sentence or part of a sentence as a subordinate or dependent part of it. Clauses

are more elaborate compare to phrases and can be distinguished from other elements of

syntax. Clauses are also part of complex sentence. Adichie uses different kinds of clauses

in her debut. For examples:

i. Things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to

communion (11).

ii. I had been teetering on that boundary that divides sleep and wakefulness,

imagining Papa Coming to get us himself, imagining the rage in his red-tinged

eyes, the burst of Igbo from his mouth (188).

The word “when” introduces the nominal clauses, that is, a dependent. It gives

more explanations on Jaja’s defiant action and the consequence.

 38

3.1.6 Sentence

A sentence is a combination of words systematically arranged to express a

meaningful thought. Quirk et al explain it as:

A sentence may alternatively be seen as comprising five units called

ELEMENTS of sentence (or, as we shall see below, clause) structure:

SUBJECT, VERB, COMPLEMENT, OBJECT, and ADVERBIAL, here

abbreviated as SVCOA: (12).

The complexities of sentences in Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus include simple

sentence, compound sentence, complex sentence and compound- complex sentence.

3.1.6.1 Simple Sentence

Simple sentence is a sentence comprising only one value. It can be divided into

subject and predicate. The predicate can consists of auxiliary verb and main verb

(operator) and a constituent which completes the predicate. Adichie uses this to give

sensitive information. For examples:

i. “It is the body of Our Lord”. (14) – SVC

ii. “Mama is pregnant” (31) – SVE

iii. “There she is!” (278) – ASV

iv. “The grasshoppers make that sound with their wings” (287) – SVOCs

v. Ade Coker was in custody again – SVOA

 39

The simple sentences above contain clauses which can be analyzed into S.V.O.

C.A. elements or structures. Their function is very significant as they are declarative

sentences.

3.1.6.2 Compound Sentences

A compound sentence is a sentence comprising two smaller sentences or clauses

conjoined by a coordinator. In other words, a sentence composed of two or more

subordinate sentences is a compound sentence. The coordinators such as “and” “or”

“but” “nor” among others and sometimes “comma” conjoined clauses to form compound

sentence. For examples:

i. I could have seemed dramatic if someone else had done it, but with him it was

not (36)

ii. He looked sideway to see if Jaja and I were singing and nodded approvingly

when he saw our sealed lips (37).

iii. When people recounted tales of digging up hair tufts or when relatives

suggested she consult a witch doctor, or (28 – 29)

The use of these coordinators bring cohesion and coherence to the text and aid

understanding of the story. Moreso, the compound sentences are either use to Juxtapose

two ideas or to produce two possible result of the ideas.

 40

3.1.6.3 Complex Sentence

A complex sentence is a sentence which contains one or more subordinate or

dependent clauses in addition to independent subordinate clauses. Adichie uses

considerable clauses depend on independent or main clauses. Adichie uses considerable

number of complex sentences beginning with subordinate clauses that is, starting a

sentence with adverbs, prepositional phrases, coordinators and subordinators. Obviously,

this aids Adichie’s presentation of thoughts and events as they stream from her memory.

For examples:

i. Father Amadi’s musical voice echoed in my ears/until I feel asleep. (147)

ii. Above, clouds like dyed cotton wool hang low,/so low I feel/ I can reach out

and squeeze the moisture from them. (310)

The example (i) is made up of main clause and subordinate clause while example

(ii) is made up of two dependents and one independent. In example (iii) below, there are

one independent clause and six dependent clauses:

iii. Mama shook her head and smiled,/the indulgent smile that stretched across

her face/when she talked about people/who believed in oracles,/or when

relatives suggested she consult a witch doctor,/or when people recounted tales

of digging up hair, tufts and animal bones wrapped in cloth/that had been

buried in their front yards to ward off progress. (28-29).

 41

The subordinate clauses are introduce which “when”, “who” and “that”

conjoining, sixty (60) wards together. They are stylistically significant.

3.1.6.4 Compound – Complex Sentence

A compound – complex sentence is a sentence with two main sentences separated

by a coordinator in which one of the independent clauses comprises on or more

subordinate clauses. For example:

i. When I thought of affection between them,/I thought of them exchanging the sign

of peace at Mass,/the way Papa would hold her tenderly in his arms/after they

had clasped hands. (29).

The sentence has four clauses, comprising two main clauses and two subordinate

clauses. There are two subordinate clauses, one starting and second ending the sentence

and the two main clauses at the middle joined with implied “and” by the use of comma.

The two main or central clauses hold the greater information which stand as the base

from where the speaker’s belief, between the subordinate clauses are drawn.
 42

3.2 Analysis of Lexico –Semantic Features

The word, Lexico–semantic consists of two words joined by a hyphen indicating,

there is a relation between the two words: lexis and semantic or in other words, words

and meanings. Lexis is a term used for the vocabulary of a language or languages,

consisting especially of its stock of lexemes. Semantics on the other hand is defined by

Abrams as “the study of the meaning of words and the combination of words in phrases,

sentence, and larger linguistics units” (174). Semantics simply put is the study of both

deep and surface meaning of words, phrases and sentences, that is, their denotations,

connotations, implications and ambiguities. It would be worthwhile to explain the

differences between explicit or denotative and implicit or connotative meaning. The

denotative meaning is the ordinary dictionary meaning. It has a logical cognizance to

what it represents. Meanwhile, connotative meaning suggests a meaning beyond its

ordinary dictionary or denotative meaning. In summary, denotative is primary while

connotative is secondary. Moreso, the implication of connotation is the use of figurative

language. A figurative language makes use of figures of speech like metaphor etc. It is

an instance of lexical and semantic deviations. Figurative language is grouped under two

classes namely: schemes and tropes.

3.2.1 Schemes

Scheme is defined by Abrams (from the Greek word for “form”), in which the

departure from standard usage is not primarily in the meaning of the words, but in the
 43

order or syntactical pattern of the words.” (119). Schemes are subdivided into

phonological and grammatical such as alliteration, parallelism, antithesis, and anaphora.

Tropes is defined by The Oxford Companion Dictionary to the English language as “In

rhetoric, both an express that deviates from the natural and literal through a change in

meaning, often with a pleasing effect, and the device or technique that makes such a

change possible” (967). A scheme deviates from standards norms in order of words but

not in meaning. The following schemes are identified in Purple Hibiscus; anaphora,

antithesis, parallelism, paralipsis and pathos.

3.2.1.1 Anaphora

Anaphora is a rhetorical device of repenting a word or a phrase at the beginning

of successive sentences and or paragraphs. Anaphora (also anaphoric references) is also a

grammatical term used to refer back to an antecedent in a stretch of language. Adichie

uses anaphoric references in the following examples:

i. Papa always sat in front pew for Mass, at the end beside the middle aisle,

with Mama, Jaja, and me sitting next to him (12).

ii. It showed even it eh schedules themselves, the way his meticulously drawn

lines, in blank ink, cut across each day, separating study from siesta, siesta

from family time, family time from eating, eating from prayer, prayer from

sleep (31 – 32).

iii. The blood was watery, flowing from Mama, flowing from my eyes. (43)
 44

There are lots instances in the novel. Adichie use of anaphora does not only serve

the grammatical function of referring back to antecedent but also the literary function of

repetition for rhetorical purposes. For example (i), there is a use of pronoun (him) to

refers to Papa. In example (ii), there are the repetitive patterns of the noun phrase, while

example (iii), the infinitive (ing) repeats serves the anaphoric references. The repetitive

pattern suggests the orderliness of Adichie’s family coordinated by Eugene Achike in

example (i) and in example (ii), the monotony of life is suggested. Example (iii), arouses

in reader sympathy. The use of anaphora allows the reader to observe the narrative

psychology of a child which Adichie adopts through the repetitive patterns used for

rhetorical purposes.

3.2.1.2 Antithesis

An antithesis is a figure of arrangement where in the relation between two

successive units are put in contrast. In other words, it is an opposition in the meaning of

two words, phrases or clauses place side-by-side. Instance of this in Purple Hibiscus are:

i. We did not scale the rod because we believed we could, we scaled it because

we were terrified that we couldn’t

Adichie uses antithetical statement to contrast between attitudes.

 45

3.2.1.3 Parallelism

Parallelism is a similar word order and structure that is, a parallel syntactic

structure of two or more phrases and clauses as a single sentence. Parallelism is scheme

of repetition in semantics used to reinstate what has been said in a different way, but,

both meaning the same thing, for examples:

i. “He takes it well”

“He hides it well,” Jaja said (76).

ii. “This is what our people say to the High God, the Chukwu,”

In the first example (i), “takes it well” ahs the same meaning with “hides it well”.

This means Papa Nnukwu pretends to appear not offended but actually he is. In example

(ii), “the High God” also means “Chukwu”. This is to acquaint the reader that the

traditionalist (Papa-Nnukwu) also has the knowledge of the western “High God” which

he sees as the same with his. The significance of the repetition is for rhetorical emphasis.

The expressions are foregrounded so as to make the information vivid and closer to the

reader’s mind.

3.2.2 Tropes

A trope is a figure of speech which involves a figurative extension of the meaning

of a word or an expression. It is a linguistic element used to create an effect, that is, it

deviates from the natural and literal norms of language to effect a conspicuous deviant of

collocation of lexical items to produce meaning for rhetorical purpose.

 46

Adichie uses tropes in Purple Hibiscus effectively and stylistically. Tropes such

as; metaphor, paradox and synecdoche in the novel shall be analyzed and how Adichie

creates them linguistically for rhetorical purpose to bring out aesthetics of stylistics.

3.2.2.1 Metaphor

Metaphor is an implied comparison between two entities. Adichie uses metaphoric

language to compare, describe and emphasize her intended meaning. For examples:

i. – the words GOD IS LOVE crawled over her sagging breast (15).

ii. The last time, only two weeks ago, when her swollen eye was still the black –

purple colour of an overripe Avocado (23).

Example (i) is a concretive metaphor, “GOD IS LOVE” is given human qualities

“Crawl”. The words “GOD IS LOVE” stands for the belief which has set the characters

in bondage. In example (ii), the sense of a “swollen eye” is compared with the perception

of “the black – purple colour of an overripe avocado”. There is a shift from human

anatomy to that of plant to pass meaning. From the context and through the vivid

comparison, the reader is conscious of the victim’s plight through our sense of sight.
 47

3.2.2.2 Paradox

A paradox is a statement, that is, at first sight seems to be completely untrue and

contradictory, but when looked closely reveals truth and fact. Examples of paradox in

Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus are abounding:

i. Anger was alien and refreshing.

ii. “Tell me about the nothing, then.” (231)

The two examples appear at the surface having contradicting, but, at a deeper

level of meaning, they are not contradicting. (Negative) “Anger” example (i), is said to

be “alien and refreshing” (+, positive) is a contradiction. But on the contrary, anger does

make Kambili fees less endearment towards Fr. Amadi, and so eases her passion of love.

Hence, to her, anger is positive. In example (ii) the trope is of contradiction (that is, P =

not P), as in “tell me about (+ speech) is contradicted with nothing (- speech). It is

obvious that Fr. Amadi’s (addresser’s) persistence is as a result of Kambili’s

(addressee’s) reluctance. These are some of the purposes of Adichie use of paradox.

3.2.2.3 Synecdoche

Synecdoche is the use of a part to represent whole or whole to represent a part.

Synecdoche is a trope of substitution, that is, figurative words are substituted for literal

words. For example:

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i. They were quizzical eyes, eyes that asked many questions and did not accept

many answers (86).

In the above example, “eye” represents the whole being (of Amaka) who asks

“many questions” and “not accept many answers”. Adichie uses “eyes” because through

certain expression of the eyes, we can infer how a person feels.

Lexico-semantics features are based on the rhetoric of the language use by

Adichie to affect the reader positively, through engaging the reader’s sense of intuition in

affiliation with the physical reality of life. So far schemes and tropes in Adichie’s Purple

Hibiscus have been analyzed.

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CHAPTER FOUR

CONCLUSION

Adichie’s debut encompasses the totality of life, presented through the following

aspects; languages, society and experience, which a stylistic analysis also need to

evaluates a literary text. The language of the novel is written in formal English Language,

but there are instance of code-mixing and code-switching of English and the Igbo

language. Some Igbo expressions are restated in English language in which there is a

literary translation. Sentence vary in length, form a single word “Fear”, to compound, to

complex and to compound – complex sentences. The society portrays in Purple Hibiscus

is that Nigeria society, in which events in the novel are confined within the South-East

Region of the Igbo society, particularly in Nsukka, Enugu and Aba. The novel covers the

period shortly before the coup in 1993 that ushered in the dictatorial military regime and

shortly after the death of the military leader.

Adichie’s childhood experience is presented through her character, Kambili, who

grows within the period in the novel. Adichie as a grown-up adopts a child psychology of

narration to keep abreast with the era of certain social and political events in Nigeria.

Adichie childhood experience has influence her thoughts, words and even her actions as a

grown-up. These experiences are embedded in the themes: a conflict between traditional

and importer western religions, the tyrannical reign of the dictator in a military regime

and the repressive rule of religiously fanatical father in the family, dysfunctional
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academic institutions among others. The novel is the aesthetic stylistics creation of the

verisimilitude of life through language. Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus captures the whole

procedures and aspects of language, society and experience in its creativity. Stylistics

investigates the unique pattern in which a writer relays on a story. Hence, stylistics does

not follow the ordering of events in the story neither does it discuss them all nor replaced

the original story. Rather stylistic though coherent in analyses, graphology, phonology,

syntax and Lexico-semantics should account for the coherence and ordering of the work

in which it is applicable to. Stylistic analysis should be self-explanatory so that without

having read the primary text it can still be explicitly understandable and reliable.

Adichie deserves to be commended not only on her ability to create a touching

story, but also, on being able to manipulate language stylistically for aesthetics which

beautify differentiates her story form common stories written in Newspapers or

Magazines. This, Adichie does that through her skills, knowledge and ability to captivate

the audience, affect their emotions and enthuse them to a satisfactory end. These are done

through embellishments and stylistic deviations from common grammatically norms for

rhetorical purposes.

A stylistic analysis investigates the embellishments and deviations aimed at some

expressive end already mentioned. In this study, the four levels of stylistic analysis have

been discussed; features of graphology such as capitalization, italicization, punctuation

marks and paragraph. Phonological level of includes assonance, alliteration,

onomatopoeia and stress/rhythm. The syntactic levels of analysis include identification of

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words, words clusters, phrasal types, types of clauses, and types of sentences. While the

Lexico-semantic levels of analysis is divided into schemes and tropes. Under schemes:

anaphora, antithesis, paralipsis and parallelism. And tropes include metaphor, paradox

and synecdoche. These different levels of linguistics and stylistic features are

appropriately and effectively utilized to facilitate the reader’s understanding, too, reveals

the author’s mental perceptions.

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