PURPLE HIBISCUS---SUMMARY

Purple Hibiscus takes place in Enugu, a city in post-
colonial Nigeria, and is narrated by the main
character, Kambili Achike. Kambili lives with her
older brother Jaja (Chukwuku Achike), a teenager
who, like his sister, excels at school but is withdrawn
and sullen. Kambili's father, Papa (Eugene Achike) is
a strict authoritarian whose strict adherence to
Catholicism overshadows his paternal love. He
punishes his wife, Mama (Beatrice Achike), and his
children when they fail to live up to his impossibly
high standards.
The novel begins on Palm Sunday. Jaja has refused
to go to church and receive communion. Because
Jaja has no reasonable excuse for missing church,
Papa throws his missal at his son. The book hits a
shelf containing his wife's beloved figurines. This
defiant act and resulting violence marks the
beginning of the end of the Achike family. Kambili
then explains the events leading up to Palm Sunday,
detailing the seeds of rebellion that are planted in
the children's minds by their liberal Aunty Ifeoma,
Papa's sister.
Papa is a prominent figure in Enugu. He owns
several factories and publishes the pro-democracy
newspaper the Standard. He is praised by his priest,
Father Benedict, and his editor, Ade Coker, for his
many good works. Papa generously donates to his
parish and his children's schools. His newspaper
publishes articles critical of the rampant
government corruption. Since the Standard tells the
truth, the staff is under constant pressure from the
Head of State, the military leader who assumes the
presidency following a coup. When Ade Coker is
arrested, Papa's bravery and position in the
community help to free him.
Kambili is a quiet child. When she tries to speak, she
often stutters or has a coughing fit. The rigid life that
is shaped by her father renders her mute. Each day,
she follows a schedule that allots only time to study,
eat, sleep, pray and sit with her family. Kambili is a
good student, rising to the top of her class. The girls
at school assume she is a snob because she doesn't
socialize and always runs straight to her father's car
after class. When Kambili places second on term,
Papa tells her she must excel because God expects
more from her. Kambili is not a snob; she is
motivated by fear, unable to create her own identity.
At Christmas, the family returns to the Papa's
ancestral town, Abba. The family supervises a feast
that feeds the entire umunna – extended family.
Papa is celebrated for his generosity in Abba as well.
However, he does not allow his children to visit with
his own father, Papa-Nnukwu, for more than fifteen
minutes each Christmas. Papa calls his father a
"heathen" because he still follows the religious
traditions of his people, the Igbo. When Aunty
Ifeoma comes to visit from her University town of
Nsukka, she argues with Papa about his
mistreatment of their father. But Papa is firm. He
will only acknowledge and support his father if he
converts. Aunty Ifeoma invites Kambili and Jaja to
visit so they can go on a pilgrimage to Aokpe, site of
a miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary. Papa
begrudgingly agrees.

Nsukka is a different world. The University is beset
by fuel shortages, pay stoppages, strikes at medical
clinics, blackouts, and rising food prices. The
widowed Aunty Ifeoma successfully raises her three
children, Amaka, Obiora and Chima, with what little
she has. But her family is a happy one. Unlike Papa,
Aunty Ifeoma encourages her children to question
authority, raising them with faith but also intellectual
curiosity. Amaka and Kambili are very different girls.
Amaka, like Kambili's classmates, assumes her
cousin is a privileged snob since she does not know
how to contribute to household chores. Kambili
retreats into silence even in Nsukka. Jaja, on the
other hand, blossoms. He follows the example of his
younger cousin Obiora, concocting his own rite of
initiation out of helping his family, tending a garden
and killing a chicken. Kambili begins to open up
when she meets Father Amadi. A Nigerian-born
priest, Father Amadi is gentle and supportive. He
encourages Kambili to speak her mind. Through
Father Amadi, Kambili learns that it is possible to
think for oneself and yet still be devout. She even
begins speaking above a whisper to Amaka, and they
become closer.
Kambili and Jaja learn to be more accepting in
Nsukka. When he falls ill, Aunty Ifeoma brings Papa-
Nnukwu to her flat. Kambili and Jaja decide not to
tell Papa that they are sharing a home with a
"heathen." Kambili witnesses her grandfather's
morning ritual of innocence, where he offers thanks
to his gods and proclaims his good deeds. She sees
the beauty in this ritual and begins to understand
that the difference between herself and Papa-
Nnukwu is not so great. When her father finds out
that Kambili and Jaja have spent time with their
grandfather, he brings them home. Amaka gives her
a painting of Papa-Nnukwu to take back to Enugu.
Papa punishes his children by pouring hot water
over their feet for "walking into sin."
Pressure mounts on Papa. Soldiers arrest Ade Coker
again and torture him, and they raid the offices of
the Standard and shut down his factories for health
code violations. Shortly thereafter, the government
murders Ade Coker. Tensions rise in the home too.
Kambili and Jaja take comfort in the painting of
Papa-Nnukwu. Papa catches them, however, and he
beats Kambili so severely that she ends up in critical
condition in the hospital. When she is well enough to
be released, she goes to Nsukka instead of home.
Her crush on Father Amadi intensifies and she
begins to break out of her shell more, learning how
to laugh and to join in the Igbo songs. But Aunty
Ifeoma gets fired from the University and decides to
go to America to teach. Kambili is floored. She is not
sure what she will do without the refuge provided by
her aunt and cousins. Amaka does not want to go to
America either because her roots are in Nigeria.

Mama comes to Nsukka, limping out of a cab. Papa
has beaten her again, causing another miscarriage.
Though both Kambili and Jaja have seen this happen
before, this time it is different. Aunty Ifeoma urges
her not to return to Enugu. But she takes her
children back with her. The following week is Palm
Sunday, when Jaja refuses to go to church. In the
week between Palm Sunday and Easter, Jaja grows
increasingly defiant. He finally demands that he and
Kambili spend Easter with their cousins. Weakened
by what the children believe is stress, he allows
them to go to Nsukka. A few days later, Mama calls.
Papa has died. When Mama left Nsukka, she began
poisoning her husband's tea. Jaja takes the blame
for the crime and goes to prison.
The final chapter of the book takes place nearly
three years later. Kambili and Mama visit a
hardened Jaja in prison. He has faced severe
punishments and miserable conditions over the
course of his term. However, with the leadership in
Nigeria now changing again, their lawyers are
confident that Jaja will be released. Though Jaja has
learned to not expect a favorable outcome, Kambili
is overjoyed. She dreams that she will take Jaja to
America to visit Aunty Ifeoma, together they will
plant orange trees in Abba, and purple hibiscuses
will bloom again.

By COMRADE OLAMILEKAN

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SUMMARY OF ARMS AND THE MAN

The play begins in the bedroom of Raina Petkoff in a
Bulgarian town in 1885, during the Serbo-Bulgarian
War. As the play opens, Catherine Petkoff and her
daughter, Raina, have just heard that the Bulgarians
have scored a tremendous victory in a cavalry charge
led by Raina's fiancé, Major Sergius Saranoff, who is
in the same regiment as Raina's father, Major Paul
Petkoff. Raina is so impressed with the noble deeds
of her fiancé that she fears that she might never be
able to live up to his nobility. At this very moment,
the maid, Louka, rushes in with the news that the
Serbs are being chased through the streets and that
it is necessary to lock up the house and all of the
windows. Raina promises to do so later, and Louka
leaves. But as Raina is reading in bed, shots are
heard, there is a noise at the balcony window, and a
bedraggled enemy soldier with a gun appears and
threatens to kill her if she makes a sound. After the
soldier and Raina exchange some words, Louka calls
from outside the door; she says that several soldiers
want to search the house and investigate a report
that an enemy Serbian soldier was seen climbing her
balcony. When Raina hears the news, she turns to the
soldier. He says that he is prepared to die, but he
certainly plans to kill a few Bulgarian soldiers in her
bedroom before he dies. Thus, Raina impetuously
decides to hide him. The soldiers investigate, find no
one, and leave. Raina then calls the man out from
hiding; she nervously and absentmindedly sits on his
gun, but she learns that it is not loaded; the soldier
carries no cartridges. He explains that instead of
carrying bullets, he always carries chocolates into
battle. Furthermore, he is not an enemy; he is a
Swiss, a professional soldier hired by Serbia. Raina
gives him the last of her chocolate creams, which he
devours, maintaining that she has indeed saved his
life. Now that the Bulgarian soldiers are gone, Raina
wants the "chocolate cream soldier" (as she calls
him) to climb back down the drainpipe, but he
refuses to; whereas he could climb up, he hasn't the
strength to climb down. When Raina goes after her
mother to help, the "chocolate cream soldier" crawls
into Raina's bed and falls instantly asleep. In fact,
when they re-enter, he is sleeping so soundly that
they cannot awaken him.
Act II begins four months later in the garden of
Major Petkoff's house. The middle-aged servant
Nicola is lecturing Louka on the importance of having
proper respect for the upper class, but Louka has too
independent a soul to ever be a "proper" servant.
She has higher plans for herself than to marry
someone like Nicola, who, she insists, has the "soul
of a servant." Major Petkoff arrives home from the
war, and his wife Catherine greets him with two bits
of information: she suggests that Bulgaria should
have annexed Serbia, and she tells him that she has
had an electric bell installed in the library. Major
Sergius Saranoff, Raina's fiancé and leader of the
successful cavalry charge, arrives, and in the course
of discussing the end of the war, he and Major
Petkoff recount the now-famous story of how a Swiss
soldier escaped by climbing up a balcony and into
the bedroom of a noble Bulgarian woman. The
women are shocked that such a crude story would be
told in front of them. When the Petkoffs go into the
house, Raina and Sergius discuss their love for one
another, and Raina romantically declares that the two
of them have found a "higher love."
When Raina goes to get her hat so that they can go
for a walk, Louka comes in, and Sergius asks if she
knows how tiring it is to be involved with a "higher
love." Then he immediately tries to embrace the
attractive maid. Since he is being so blatantly
familiar, Louka declares that Miss Raina is no better
than she; Raina, she says, has been having an affair
while Sergius was away, but she refuses to tell
Sergius who Raina's lover is, even though Sergius
accidently bruises Louka's arm while trying to wrest a
confession from her. When he apologizes, Louka
insists that he kiss her arm, but Sergius refuses and,
at that moment, Raina re-enters. Sergius is then
called away, and Catherine enters. The two ladies
discuss how incensed they both are that Sergius
related the tale about the escaping soldier. Raina,
however, doesn't care if Sergius hears about it; she is
tired of his stiff propriety. At that moment, Louka
announces the presence of a Swiss officer with a
carpetbag, calling for the lady of the house. His name
is Captain Bluntschli. Instantly, they both know he is
the "chocolate cream soldier" who is returning the
Major's old coat that they disguised him in. As they
make rapid, desperate plans to send him away,
Major Petkoff hails Bluntschli and greets him warmly
as the person who aided them in the final
negotiations of the war; the old Major insists that
Bluntschli must their houseguest until he has to
return to Switzerland.

Act III begins shortly after lunch and takes place in
the library. Captain Bluntschli is attending to a large
amount of confusing paperwork in a very efficient
manner, while Sergius and Major Petkoff merely
observe. Major Petkoff complains about a favorite
old coat being lost, but at that moment Catherine
rings the new library bell, sends Nicola after the coat,
and astounds the Major by thus retrieving his lost
coat. When Raina and Bluntschli are left alone, she
compliments him on his looking so handsome now
that he is washed and brushed. Then she assumes a
high and noble tone and chides him concerning
certain stories which he has told and the fact that she
has had to lie for him. Bluntschli laughs at her "noble
attitude" and says that he is pleased with her
demeanor. Raina is amused; she says that Bluntschli
is the first person to ever see through her
pretensions, but she is perplexed that he didn't feel
into the pockets of the old coat which she lent him;
she had placed a photo of herself there with the
inscription "To my Chocolate Cream Soldier." At this
moment, a telegram is brought to Bluntschli relating
the death of his father and the necessity of his
coming home immediately to make arrangements for
the six hotels that he has inherited. As Raina and
Bluntschli leave the room, Louka comes in wearing
her sleeve in a ridiculous fashion so that her bruise
will be obvious. Sergius enters and asks if he can
cure it now with a kiss. Louka questions his true
bravery; she wonders if he has the courage to marry
a woman who is socially beneath him, even if he
loved the woman. Sergius asserts that he would, but
he is now engaged to a girl so noble that all such talk
is absurd. Louka then lets him know that Bluntschli is
his rival and that Raina will marry the Swiss soldier.
Sergius is incensed. He sees Bluntschli and
immediately challenges him to a duel; then he
retracts when Raina comes in and accuses him of
making love to Louka merely to spy on her and
Bluntschli. As they are arguing, Bluntschli asks for
Louka, who has been eavesdropping at the door. She
is brought in, Sergius apologizes to her, kisses her
hand, and thus they become engaged. Bluntschli asks
permission to become a suitor for Raina's hand, and
when he lists all of the possessions which he has (200
horses, 9600 pairs of sheets, ten thousand knives and
forks, etc.), permission for the marriage is granted,
and Bluntschli says that he will return in two weeks to
marry Raina. Succumbing with pleasure, Raina gives
a loving smile to her "chocolate cream soldier."
By COMRADE OLAMILEKAN

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THE TEMPEST---SUMMARY

The Tempest opens in the midst of a storm, as a ship
containing the king of Naples and his party struggles
to stay afloat. On land, Prospero and his daughter,
Miranda, watch the storm envelop the ship. Prospero
has created the storm with magic, and he explains
that his enemies are on board the ship.
The story Prospero relates is that he is the rightful
Duke of Milan and that his younger brother, Antonio,
betrayed him, seizing his title and property. Twelve
years earlier, Prospero and Miranda were put out to
sea in little more than a raft. Miraculously, they both
survived and arrived safely on this island, where
Prospero learned to control the magic that he now
uses to manipulate everyone on the island. Upon his
arrival, Prospero rescued a sprite, Ariel, who had
been imprisoned by the witch Sycorax. Ariel wishes
to be free and his freedom has been promised within
two days. The last inhabitant of the island is the child
of Sycorax and the devil: Caliban, whom Prospero
has enslaved. Caliban is a natural man, uncivilized
and wishing only to have his island returned to him
to that he can live alone in peace.
Soon the royal party from the ship is cast ashore and
separated into three groups. The king's son,
Ferdinand, is brought to Prospero, where he sees
Miranda, and the two fall instantly in love.
Meanwhile, Alonso, the king of Naples, and the rest
of his party have come ashore on another part of the
island. Alonso fears that Ferdinand is dead and
grieves for the loss of his son. Antonio, Prospero's
younger brother, has also been washed ashore with
the king's younger brother, Sebastian. Antonio easily
convinces Sebastian that Sebastian should murder
his brother and seize the throne for himself. This plot
to murder Alonso is similar to Antonio's plot against
his own brother, Prospero, 12 years earlier.
Another part of the royal party — the court jester
and the butler — has also come ashore. Trinculo and
Stefano each stumble upon Caliban, and each
immediately sees a way to make money by exhibiting
Caliban as a monster recovered from this
uninhabited island. Stefano has come ashore in a
wine cask, and soon Caliban, Trinculo, and Stefano
are drunk. While drinking, Caliban hatches a plot to
murder Prospero and enrolls his two new
acquaintances as accomplices. Ariel is listening,
however, and reports the plot to Prospero.
Meanwhile, Prospero has kept Ferdinand busy and
has forbidden Miranda to speak to him, but the two
still find time to meet and declare their love, which is
actually what Prospero has planned. Next, Prospero
stages a masque to celebrate the young couple's
betrothal, with goddesses and nymphs entertaining
the couple with singing and dancing.
While Ferdinand and Miranda have been celebrating
their love, Alonso and the rest of the royal party have
been searching for the king's son. Exhausted from
the search and with the king despairing of ever
seeing his son alive, Prospero has ghosts and an
imaginary banquet brought before the king's party. A
god-like voice accuses Antonio, Alonso, and
Sebastian of their sins, and the banquet vanishes.
The men are all frightened, and Alonso, Antonio, and
Sebastian run away.

Prospero punishes Caliban, Trinculo, and Stefano
with a run through a briar patch and swim in a
scummy pond. Having accomplished what he set out
to do, Prospero has the king's party brought in.
Prospero is clothed as the rightful Duke of Milan, and
when the spell has been removed, Alonso rejects all
claims to Prospero's dukedom and apologizes for his
mistakes. Within moments, Prospero reunites the
king with his son, Ferdinand. Alonso is especially
pleased to learn of Miranda's existence and that
Ferdinand will marry her.
Prospero then turns to his brother, Antonio, who
offers no regrets or apology for his perfidy.
Nevertheless, Prospero promises not to punish
Antonio as a traitor. When Caliban is brought in,
Caliban tells Prospero that he has learned his lesson.
His two co-conspirators, Trinculo and Stefano, will be
punished by the king. Soon, the entire party retires to
Prospero's cell to celebrate and await their departure
home. Only Prospero is left on stage.
In a final speech, Prospero tells the audience that
only with their applause will he be able to leave the
island with the rest of the party. Prospero leaves the
stage to the audience's applause.

By COMRADE OLAMILEKAN

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Genres of Literature

Genres of literature are important to learn about. The
two main categories separating the different genres
of literature are fiction and nonfiction. There are
several genres of literature that fall under the
nonfiction category. Nonfiction sits in direct
opposition to fiction. Examples from both the fiction
and nonfiction genres of literature are explained in
detail below. This detailed genres of literature list is a
great resource to share with any scholars.

Types of Nonfiction:
Narrative Nonfiction is information based on fact
that is presented in a format which tells a story.
Essays are a short literary composition that reflects
the author's outlook or point. A short literary
composition on a particular theme or subject, usually
in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or
interpretative.

A Biography is a written account of another person's
life.

An Autobiography gives the history of a person's
life, written or told by that person. Often written in
Narrative form of their person's life.
Speech is the faculty or power of speaking; oral
communication; ability to express one's thoughts and
emotions by speech, sounds, and gesture. Generally
delivered in the form of an address or discourse.
Finally there is the general genre of Nonfiction. This
is Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life
subject. This genre of literature offers opinions or
conjectures on facts and reality. This includes
biographies, history, essays, speech, and narrative
non fiction. Nonfiction opposes fiction and is
distinguished from those fiction genres of literature
like poetry and drama which is the next section we
will discuss.

Genres of Fiction:
Drama is the genre of literature that's subject for
compositions is dramatic art in the way it is
represented. This genre is stories composed in verse
or prose, usually for theatrical performance, where
conflicts and emotion are expressed through
dialogue and action.

Poetry is verse and rhythmic writing with imagery
that evokes an emotional response from the reader.
The art of poetry is rhythmical in composition,
written or spoken. This genre of literature is for
exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or
elevated thoughts.

Fantasy is the forming of mental images with
strange or other worldly settings or characters;
fiction which invites suspension of reality.

Humor is the faculty of perceiving what is amusing
or comical. Fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement
which meant to entertain. This genre of literature can
actually be seen and contained within all genres.

A Fable is a story about supernatural or
extraordinary people Usually in the form of narration
that demonstrates a useful truth. In Fables, animals
often speak as humans that are legendary and
supernatural tales.

Fairy Tales or wonder tales are a kind of folktale or
fable. Sometimes the stories are about fairies or
other magical creatures, usually for children.

Science Fiction is a story based on impact of
potential science, either actual or imagined. Science

fiction is one of the genres of literature that is set in
the future or on other planets.

Short Story is fiction of such briefness that is not
able to support any subplots.

Realistic Fiction is a story that can actually happen
and is true to real life.

Folklore are songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a
person of "folk" that was handed down by word of
mouth. Folklore is a genre of literature that is widely
held, but false and based on unsubstantiated beliefs.

Historical Fiction is a story with fictional characters
and events in a historical setting.

Horror is an overwhelming and painful feeling
caused by literature that is frightfully shocking,
terrifying, or revolting. Fiction in which events evoke
a feeling of dread in both the characters and the
reader.

A Tall Tale is a humorous story with blatant
exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the
impossible with an here of nonchalance.

Legend is a story that sometimes of a national or folk
hero. Legend is based on fact but also includes
imaginative material.

Mystery is a genre of fiction that deals with the
solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets.
Anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained
or unknown.

Mythology is a type of legend or traditional
narrative. This is often based in part on historical
events, that reveals human behavior and natural
phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the
actions of the gods. A body of myths, as that of a
particular people or that relating to a particular
person.

Fiction in Verse is full-length novels with plot,
subplots, themes, with major and minor characters.
Fiction of verse is one of the genres of literature in
which the narrative is usually presented in blank
verse form.

The genre of Fiction can be defined as narrative
literary works whose content is produced by the
imagination and is not necessarily based on fact. In
fiction something is feigned, invented, or imagined; a
made-up story.

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