The Language of Bodies: Violence and the Refusal of Judgment in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun

Destructive and destroyed bodies occupy a prominent position in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novels Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun. In this essay, I examine the author's representation of violent acts like murder and rape and the ethical implications of her rejection of narrative closure. I argue that the author's refusal to pass judgment on her characters constitutes a deliberate rhetorical move intended to create unease in her readers. My dual focus on bodies that are being violated or destroyed and those that carry out the violation and destruction allows me to transcend the perpetrator/victim dichotomy that continues to be an essential feature of postcolonial studies as well as trauma literature. As I will try to show, Adichie's avoidance of judgment illustrates the ethical imperative behind her literary vision.