Irony and Extremism in Purple Hibiscus

There is great irony in Papa Eugene's religious extremism. First, Christianity is a religion that is centered around being kind to others, especially to family members. While Papa Eugene is certainly kind to people outside his family, he is very cruel to most of his kin. Herein lies even more irony. Papa Eugene wants his children to be successful, so he wants them to be number one in their class. However, he is so adamant about being number one, that he causes Kambili to feel disappointed in herself when she comes in second. Furthermore, Kambili feels the need to be even more focused on her schoolwork, which shuts out any way for her to express herself. Papa Eugene's wife has only her figurines to herself. They are the only thing she truly owns, and they are eventually shattered by Papa EugeneThe lack of outlets for creativity is just one product of the stifling environment created by Papa Eugene's religious fervor. Another example of irony lies in the fact that Jaja is beginning to question Papa Eugene's rules. This is ironic because Papa Eugene has trie to set up a world in which the laws of Christianity are absolute and unquestionable, but since he tries so hard to keep his children in the dark about the rest of the world, he is actually the reason that Jaja begins to have his doubts about the religion. There are many more effects that result from Papa Eugene's religious extremism and I have a feeling that there are more to be revealed.