Purple Hibiscus

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What causes Papa to go to extremes to present himself as a model Christian?

A) He spends a great deal of money to keep his family in good standing.

B) He represents ideas in a newspaper he must uphold.

C) He is concerned about what his community thinks of him and his family.

D) He has adopted a strict system of behavior based on his father’s expectations.

2. What is the significance of the hibiscus flower?

A) The rejection of Papa’s beliefs

B) Balance and harmony

C) Aunty Ifeoma’s political stance

D) Mama’s fortitude

3. What does Papa’s hot tea represent?

A) His generosity toward family members

B) The love that is shared in the family

C) The sting of his control even in kindnesses

D) The oppressive nature of his relationships

4. What other event in the novel re the disintegration of Kambili’s family in the novel?

A) Papa-Nnukwu’s death

B) Kambili’s relationship with Amandi

C) The political atmosphere

D) The loss of Aunty Ifeoma’s job

5. What does Father Amandi’s music on Palm Sunday represent in Kambili’s family?

A) The difference in opinions on spirituality

B) A distrust of unconventional religious practices

C) The character flaws of Papa

D) A foreshadowing of Mama’s actions

6. What is the novel’s primary conflict?

A) Papa’s violence

B) Mama’s retaliation

C) Papa-Nnukwu’s isolation

D) A spiritual rift

7. What can the reader conclude about Papa-Nnukwu’s opinions on social hierarchy?

A) Fathers are superior to sons.

B) There should not be a social hierarchy.

C) Women are superior to men.

D) Families should have clearly defined roles.

8. What quality does Kambili most admire in her Aunty Ifeoma’s family?

A) Their joy and laughter

B) Their modern ideas

C) Their humble lifestyle

D) Their education

9. What comparison can be made between Papa-Nnukwu and Papa?

A) Both are open to new ideas, but do not value family.

B) Both value family, but Papa is more forgiving.

C) Both are stubborn, but Papa-Nnukwu is loving.

D) Both strive to maintain order, but Papa is more successful in his attempts.

10. What conflicts arise due to postcolonialism in the novel?

A) The embracing of colonialism at the expense of education

B) The colonial oppression of free speech

C) Disagreements between colonials and the Nigerians

D) Melding cultural identity with colonial ideas

11. Which of the following best describes a lesson that can be learned from Purple Hibiscus?

A) Money doesn’t create happiness.

B) All religion is rigid and strict.

C) Education cures many ails.

D) Death is inescapable.

12. How does Papa use his wealth in his community?

A) To inspire others to achieve more wealth.

B) To bribe church leaders to say what he wants.

C) To sway opinions and behavior in his favor.

D) To influence the schools to make Kambili first girl.

13. What is the symbolic meaning of Palm Sunday in relation to Kambili’s family?

A) It marks a time of reckoning for the family.

B) It represents the coming peace after Papa’s death.

C) It illustrates the end of an era of authoritarianism.

D) It brings a time of maturity for Jaja.

14. How does Aunty Ifeoma change Jaja and Kambili?

A) She impresses on them the importance of defying their father.

B) She exposes them to a freedom they had not known.

C) She shuns the practices of Catholicism in favor of education.

D) She builds their relationship with Papa-Nnukwu.

15. What effect does postcolonialism have on Nigeria?

A) An awareness of strict government control

B) A crisis in national identity

C) Disputes between social classes

D) Shifting ideologies on Sunday services

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How do Kambili and Jaja display signs of maturity as the novel progresses?

2. What causes Papa’s abuse and how does the family respond to it?