This assignment requires you to write a literary analysis in essay form, focusing on the primary text Purple Hibiscus but integrating some research.

English 103, Spring 2021

Paper 2

Due April 14th by midnight Pacific Time.

 

1,000 words, approximately, including short quotes but excluding bibliography.

Formatted and referenced in MLA style. All borrowed material must be cited to avoid plagiarism.

 

This assignment requires you to write a literary analysis in essay form, focusing on the primary text Purple Hibiscus but integrating some research. To enrich but not make your central argument, you must integrate some thoughtful discussion of one scholarly secondary source.

Draw on this source to support or debate a point or two in the main body of your paper and ensure your reading of the novel is prominently featured.

 

Scholarly sources are referenced books published by university presses and articles in peer reviewed journals. For this paper they may include literary criticism related to either feminist theory or post-colonial theory, criticism of the literary work of Adichie, analysis of the political context of Nigeria during the early 1990s, articles on domestic violence in a psychology or sociology journal, articles on practising Catholicism today’s society in sociology or theology journals. Search our library’s electronic collection for material. Relevant databases accessible via the library’s home page including JSTOR, Gale Literature, Project MUSE, Academic Search Complete.

 

For help referencing and citing sources see The Cap Guide to Writing Assignments, the CapU library web page “MLA Citation Guide”:

https://libguides.capilanou.ca/mla

Also, the Writing Centre web page “Popular Handouts” and the pdfs MLA Style, The Literary Essay:

https://www.capilanou.ca/student-life/academic-support/learning-commons/writing-centre/popular-writing-handouts/

 

Choose one of the options below. Your paper should be structure in essay form with a thesis statement prominently positioned in the introduction, several unified main paragraphs introduced by topic sentences and supported by short quotations, and a conclusion.

 

1. Analyze Kambili’s character development from a feminist perspective.

 

2. Compare and contrast the life choices Eugene and Ifeoma display from a post-colonial perspective.

 

3. Discuss how the attacks on democracy underway in the political setting of Purple Hibiscus impact your reading of the main plot.

 

4. Compare and contrast Eugene’s and Father Amadi’s approach to practising Catholicism.