Amadi

Question 1

Different religion, contrast from father Benedict

Answer 1

• He ‘broke into Igbo song’ and doesn’t comment on the beauty of the church or suggest it is closer to God due to its wealth.
• On the drive to the stadium Kambili, ‘blurt(s)’ out that ‘I sleep in the same room and my grandfather. He is a heathen.’ Father Amadi’s eyes alight s with what she suspects is ‘amusement’ and he asks her ‘Why it is a sin?’ Kambili ‘stared at him. I felt that he had missed a line in his script.’
• Amadi explains how can ‘ see Christ in the boys’ faces’ and describes the difficulties they have to go through. He explains how they, ‘inspire me, those boys.’

Question 2

Different kind of male role model and different view in masculinity

Answer 2

• During Father Amadi’s training session, he changes the stick up a notch when they are not watching. When the boys realise, ‘ He laughed and said he believed they could jump higher than they thought they could. And they had just proved him right.’
• When Father Amadi visits Ifeoma’s house he knows, ‘Which chair has a protruding nail’ and knows to discuss football with Obiora, video games with Chima and politics with Amaka.
• After Kambili confesses her love for him, he tells her, ‘You are almost sixteen Kambili. You are beautiful. You will find more love than you will need in a lifetime.’

Question 3

Positive, welcoming, warm

Answer 3

• He dresses in casual clothing: an ‘open neck t-shirt and jeans fades so much I could not tell if they had been black or dark blue.’
• During their first meeting Father Amadi, Kambili describes how he ‘included Jaja and me in the conversation, asking us questions. ‘ Kambili is drawn to his ‘singer’s voice, a voice that had the same effect on my ears that Mama working Pears baby oil into my hair had on my scalp.’
• During the visit to the football stadium he tells Kambili, ‘ You have good legs for running. You should practice more.’

Question 4

Influence on Kambili

Answer 4

• During the visit to the Stadium, Father Amadi encourages Kambili of smile and asks what is on her lips. Although Kambili describes it as a ‘stain’ she is aware that he realises: ‘He knew I had tried to wear lipstick for the first time today. I smiled. I smiled again.’
• Kambili takes Father Amadi’s advice and states, ‘ I joined the group of girls on the volleyball field the second dat at school. I did not hear the whispers of backyard snob or the ridiculing laughter. I did not notice the amused punch they gave one another. I stood waiting with my hands clasped until I was picked. I saw only Father Amadi’s clay-coloured face and heard only ‘young have good legs for running Kambili.’
• Father Amadi takes Kambili to get her hair braided and later Reid’s to convince her to audition for the part of ‘Our Lady’, the part the ‘prettiest girl’ always takes. Kambili tells him that she has never acted and he tells her, ‘You can do anything you want, Kambili.’
• On the way back from the hair place, they both sing. ‘As we drove home, we sang uplifting Igbo choruses. I lifted my voice until it was smooth and melodious like his.’