EUGENE (PAPA) Flashcards
three quotes that show how papa rejects igbo culture/believes English is superior
- ‘He did things the right way, the way white people did’
-Papa was too much of a colonial product’
-‘papa likes it when villagers ‘spoke english around him’
explain what this quote suggests about papa
-‘He did things the right way, the way white people did’
-‘papa likes it when villagers spoke enlgohs around him’
- It implies that he views the ways of white people as the standard or “right” way of doing things.
-he sees the English language and Western ways as markers of prestige and sophistication.
explain what this quote suggests about papa
-Papa was too much of a colonial product’
-Eugene is shown as a strict person, strongly following a strict form of Catholicism and wanting order in society. Aunty Ifeoma, who thinks more openly and questions the impact of colonization, calls Eugene a ‘colonial product’ to point out that his harsh behavior may be influenced by the colonial system.
papa’s christian superiority
when papa-nnukwu ( a heathen) died
- ‘ I cannot take part in a ‘pagan’ funeral
papa believed taking part in igbo ‘pagan’ traditions was considered a sin
papa ‘speaks the truth’ through ‘the standard’ which is his printing company
-‘Eugene quarrels with the truth he dose not like’
Eugene has difficulty accepting or acknowledging truths that go against his own beliefs or desires. It implies that when confronted with uncomfortable or inconvenient truths, Eugene tends to resist or argue against them rather than facing them head-on.
quotes that shows how papa uses domestic violence to get rid of sins
-mama didn’t want to go to father Benedictus house, as she had a stomach ache. Kambili says ‘ I heard the sounds, swift heavy thuds on my parents hand carved bedroom door’
-kambili was looking at the painting of papa nnukwu that Amaka gave her. ‘ he started to kick me. the metal buckles on his slippers stung like bites from giant mosquitos
- Kambili lived in the same house as papa nnukwu without telling papa. papa ‘ poured the hot water on my feet, slowly’
why does papa have such a violent way of handling things
- this could be because of his past abuse, his good father used to be like him, one pap Eugene committed a sin against his own body and his ‘good father’ poured boiling water in a bowl and soaked Eugene’s hands in it.
how are the love sips a way of how papa connects love with pain
‘the tea was always too hot, always burned my tongue, it Burned papa’s love into me ‘ Kambili associates pain without love
show quotes of how papa after beating, his vulnerable and caring side comes through
-after beating mama, papa takes mama to hospital
-‘ papa crushed jaja and me to his body’ he then asks them ‘ did the belt hurt you?’
-‘he was crying now, tears streaming down his face’ ‘papa put the kettle down, wiped at his eyes
what’s papa’s relationship with papa nnukwu
-‘papa himself never greeted papa nnukwu, never visited him’
-‘I don’t like sending you to a home of a heathen’
explain how Adichie uses papa to explore key themes
-papa’s character is mainly linked with a god, he is very devout and thinks his religion is superior to others like the igbo religion so by making papa the antagonist, we see that adichie is against the view that religions are better than others
-in the house, papa is the person who sets the rules, makes designs, rules and has power over his family, adichie uses this to mirror the political issues occurring in nigeria at the moment in the novel. adichie is criticising the Nigerian dictators as she portrays papa as the ‘dictator’ of the family.
