Patriarchy in the Name of God Relegious fanaticism and Patriarchal Hegemony in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus.
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Abstract
This article examines the intersection of religious fanaticism and patriarchal hegemony in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, arguing that fanatical Christianity operates as an ideological mechanism that legitimizes male authority and gendered violence within the domestic sphere. Drawing on Gramscian notions of hegemony alongside feminist and postcolonial theory, the study demonstrates how Eugene Achike’s rigid Catholicism transcends personal belief to become a system of moral absolutism that disciplines female bodies, silences dissent, and normalizes suffering as spiritual duty. Through close textual analysis, the article explores the psychological and physical victimization of Kambili and Beatrice, highlighting how fear, guilt, and religious dogma sustain patriarchal consent. At the same time, the paper foregrounds Adichie’s critique of religious authoritarianism by examining alternative spaces of faith and resistance embodied by Aunty Ifeoma and Beatrice’s ultimate act of rebellion. The study concludes that Purple Hibiscus exposes religious fanaticism as a culturally sanctioned form of patriarchal violence while affirming female agency through the reimagining of faith, voice, and resistance in postcolonial Nigerian society.
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